Mike Vrabel New England Patriots
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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel shared that the team is considering moving their first round pick in a trade.
It’s just a few weeks ahead of the NFL Draft, and teams are working hard to figure out a plan. There are those teams that will need to be aggressive, moving up to add key talent. Others want to stockpile depth. Some teams fall somewhere in between.
Among the most interesting of those teams is the New England Patriots. Coming off a surprise Super Bowl run, the Patriots have plenty of talent to build on. At the same time, that run in the playoffs exposed plenty of weaknesses that they needed to work on this offseason, including offensive line and edge rusher.
Going into his second season as the head coach of the New England Patriots, Mike Vrabel is going to want to take advantage of this upcoming draft in any way possible. That starts with the team’s first-round selection, 31st overall, which is the most anticipated of their 11 current picks this year.
Mike Vrabel Left the Door Open to Trade the New England Patriots First-Round Pick
Mike Vrabel New England Patriots
GettyNew England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel
Most experts expect the New England Patriots to use their first-round pick to either take an offensive tackle or an edge rusher. Both are positions of need, and both have plenty of first-round talent in this draft. It’s just a matter of the players available and the team’s preference when they get on the clock.
It’s just that question of when they get on the clock. Does that come when they’re scheduled at 31st, or as Mike Vrabel recently suggested, is it possible that they trade the pick?
“Maybe we trade up. Maybe we trade out. I don’t know,” Vrabel said, being quoted by Mike Reiss of ESPN. “But I love being able to work with Eliot and Ryan and their staff, and coaches, and try to bring that together.”
Obviously, Vrabel was being a little bit vague here. “Maybe” the Patriots trade the pick, and if they do, it’s either moving up or down. Nothing is set in stone. Still, the willingness to discuss moving the pick is an interesting one.
Much of this will likely come down to how the draft is working out ahead of the Patriots. If there’s a player Vrabel and the front office love, but need to go get, they can. If there isn’t anyone they just have to have at the 31st pick, then collecting more picks for later isn’t the worst idea.
“I’m trying to bring the coach’s perspective on a player together [with] the personnel side to bring the best person in there for our football team,” Vrabel added.
The Patriots and Eagles Don’t Seem to Agree About Draft Pick Compensation for A.J. Brown
A.J. Brown Philadelphia Eagles
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown
Throughout the offseason, the biggest rumor surrounding both the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles has been the future of star receiver A.J. Brown. It seems like a trade is coming, but the exact compensation can’t be agreed upon.
Patriots insider Greg Bedard tried to explain why recently. It comes down to the Eagles wanting a first-round pick package and the Patriots being willing to give up a second.
“The Eagles have been asking for a first and a second or a first and a third,” Bedard said on NBC Sports Boston. “The Patriots, from my understanding, are looking at a second-round draft compensation.”
Despite that disagreement, most experts still expect the trade to go through, eventually. Anonymous NFL executives shared with The Athletic that they still expect a trade to be made. It will just have to wait for June, which would help Philadelphia’s salary cap situation. That will, of course, be well after this year’s NFL Draft.