Getty Head coach Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.
A week ago, Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah admitted that nearly all trade conversations with other general managers never get past a five-minute cursory phone call. Most of those proposals never see the light of day.
But a week before the draft, the New England Patriots fired flare to the rest of the league.
Patriots director of scouting and acting interim general manager Eliot Wolf said in an April 18 news conference that the Patriots are “open for business” in trades for the No. 3 overall pick, according to The Athletic’s Chadd Graff.
Wolf confirmed that trade talks have taken place and that they’re looking to add more draft capital to fill holes in the roster.
He also hedged that he’s “comfortable” selecting a quarterback at No. 3 overall and that the roster is ready to support a rookie quarterback starting this year.
However, ESPN’s Mike Clay argues otherwise. He graded the Patriots offense as a bottom-three unit for the 2024 season following the first wave of free agency.
Patriots Could Fear Another Bust After Mac Jones
GettyMac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots.
Three years ago, the Patriots selected Alabama’s Mac Jones 15th overall in the 2021 draft. Jones was considered an NFL-ready prospect who was garnering buzz to be selected third overall by the San Francisco 49ers.
It seemed like a steal at the time. Jones showed promise, earning a Pro Bowl nod his rookie year after helping the Patriots return to the playoffs after a one-year hiatus in the post-Tom Brady era.
However, New England did not build up the offense around Jones and years of dysfunction from a carousel of offensive playcallers smothered Jones’ development.
Repeating the same mistake with a rookie quarterback could lead the Patriots to stray from sticking and picking.
Tom Curran, who covers the Patriots for NBC Sports Boston, appeared on the Star Tribune’s Wednesday’s “Daily Delivery” podcast and stated that New England’s roster, which did not improve significantly during free agency, is prone to repeating its struggles to support a rookie quarterback.
Wolf stating his comfort in throwing a rookie quarterback into the Patriots offense could be a bluff to drive up the price of the trade approaching the final days before the draft.
Vikings Pushing for Trade Before Draft Day
GettyGeneral manager Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah of the Minnesota Vikings.
The same day of Wolf’s comments, ESPN’s Kimberly A. Martin reported that the Vikings have been on the phones trying to maneuver a trade-up.
“[The Vikings have] been on the phone to actively move up… in a perfect world they would start Thursday with that top-5 pick already in hand,” Martin said on an April 18 airing of ESPN’s “Get Up.”
However, a deadline-driven league like the NFL is going to continue adding more pressure for the Vikings to get a deal done — with the moment the Patriots are on the clock as the prime moment for New England to secure a “Godfather” offer.
Ideally, the Vikings get a deal done before then and avoid any rash decisions, but that would likely require a massive offer upfront that would satisfy the Patriots and prevent them from pushing the deadline to the very final seconds.