I think Reiss is very much onto something with the extra conditional #1 pick(s). If the core issue here is information and valuation asymmetry--the Pats believe, based on their superior information and assumptions, that Jimmy G is way better and worth way more than the specific market buyers are willing to pay (including the insurance value to TB12 in 2017, there is a way to solve that problem and bridge the gap. It just takes a little more creativity and complexity in the deal making.
It's done all the time in business transactions like M&A. Seller thinks business is worth a lot more than the buyer is willing to pay. They agree to exchange $X now plus a contingent payment based on how the business performs under new owner.
Same concept/solution possible here. Exchange something now like a #1 or #2 plus other goodies, and based on a mutually agreed/acceptable definition of JG's "performance" for the new team over time, much more value is exchanged, such as future #1s+. Said differently, if buyer KNEW they could get 3-5 years of really good franchise level QB play from JG starting this next season, they'd willingly give up a lot more.