Help me with a week old Patriots internet rumor

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

So I believe it was last Friday at some point I saw a video on YouTube of an Eagles fan discussing how Caleb Lomu had been linked to the Eagles a lot before the draft, so the belief was the Patriots were forced to draft Lomu for Philly, and he would be a part of the AJ Brown trade.

I didn't believe that for a second, and still don't, but I do have a question. Trading the rights to a draft pick is no longer allowed because of the rookie salary pool, correct? I thought I remembered the NFL gives each team a specific amount of money to spend on rookies bases solely on which picks they made, so I thought stuff like the Eli Manning/Phillip Rivers swap couldn't happen again.

AI didn't really give me a definitive answer, so I turn now to the message board.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

So I believe it was last Friday at some point I saw a video on YouTube of an Eagles fan discussing how Caleb Lomu had been linked to the Eagles a lot before the draft, so the belief was the Patriots were forced to draft Lomu for Philly, and he would be a part of the AJ Brown trade.

I didn't believe that for a second, and still don't, but I do have a question. Trading the rights to a draft pick is no longer allowed because of the rookie salary pool, correct? I thought I remembered the NFL gives each team a specific amount of money to spend on rookies bases solely on which picks they made, so I thought stuff like the Eli Manning/Phillip Rivers swap couldn't happen again.

AI didn't really give me a definitive answer, so I turn now to the message board.

It's not forbidden, per se; drafted rookies do occasionally get traded. It's just really difficult to make it work;** Philly would have to trade away/release multiple of their own drafted rookies to not violate that rookie allocation rule.

**Edit: to trade for a first-rounder. In the case of Lomu, they'd have to cut/trade 4 of their 5 day 3 players before signing them to make the math work.

 

[Rob0729]

I saw a video from a Eagles influencer with a decent following claiming the Pats would trade Lomu and their 2027 first round pick for Brown. They are also talking about Christian Gonzalez (and some even think draft picks) for Brown. They are all delusional.

But the Pats could trade Lomu. It won't increase the Eagles' rookie salary cap pool with the trade and they would have to get creative to fit him under the rookie cap. The rookie pool each teams gets is based on the players they actually draft. It is harder to do these days with rookie salaries being slotted and more and more of the percentage of a rookie contract being fully guaranteed at signing for first and second rounders.

But it is a ridiculous premise. There was no way the Pats or Eagles could have known the Pats would be in position to draft Lomu. The Pats are not going to use a first round draft pick on a player they are drafting for another team without any guarantees of the trade going down. And there is no way to guarantee that the Eagles don't get a better offer from someone else and trade Brown to them instead of the Patriots leaving the Pats holding onto Lomu.

 

[Ring 6]

The Eagles have zero leverage.

 

[AQPE]

For those who don’t understand this, it refers to when George Costanza said he figured out a way for the Yankees to trade for Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. “and it wouldn’t cost us that much.”

 

[ViperGTS]

Yeah that Eagles insider is full of more crap than Curran et al. Lomu isn't going anywhere. They didn't spend extra capital to get him just to trade him. Brown is gonna go for less than most think. The Rosemans needs to look smart thing is comical. Brown wants to be a Patriot it would seem and Philly wants cap relief. They will get a second and like it.

 

[palialka]

The Eagles have zero leverage.

The base of any deal involving Brown should be no more than a 2027 2nd rd pick; take it or leave it.

If lower picks and/or role players are exchanged in addition so be it, but the Pats shouldn’t even think about dropping a first.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Pats are in dire need of OL help. It would be idiotic to trade him, plus additional picks for AJ Brown.

 

[mike_usagisan]

I was thinking that before the draft, that they could have a wink wink agreement about drafting a player. But it doesn't make sense with the Pats trading up for Lomu.

 

[hornetfb85]