To be clear: I am NOT in favor of doing this. I just think, depending on where they are picking, who is available, and who is running the draft there is are several very real scenarios where they could convince themselves that it makes sense. Even if Belichick is out when the draft rolls around, are we SURE that whoever the GM is will be able to pass on some deal similar to what the Bears got last year?
Consider this scenario: Patriots are sitting there at #3. Williams goes #1, MHJ goes #2… and a team like Arizona comes along and offers pick #5-7, a 1st next year and a legit player, say like a Budda Baker. Or maybe they offer something even crazier like #5-7, a 3rd, and Kyler Murray. Might be hard to pass up on a deal like that given how many needs the team has, especially if it’s a situation where they’re getting a whole lot in return just for moving down a few spots in the draft.
Again, I’m not advocating for this, I’m just saying that I do think it’s a real possibility and am wondering: would you be upset if they passed on a top 3 pick? Is there another trade scenario you can think of that would make you consider doing this?
Some would argue you’d be foolish not to trade down if you get some crazy offer just to move down a few picks, given how many needs the team has currently. Getting a QB won’t matter if you have 0 tackles, 0 TEs, and a team filled with marginal receivers.