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The New England Patriots may be interested in trading up to the No. 4 spots to get one of the draft’s top QB prospects. If they’re interested, they could be competing with offers from two other teams.
The Atlanta Falcons can field the best offers on the board from teams who are a bit QB thirsty. They could draft a QB, but they already have a very capable–if aging–veteran in Matt Ryan. The Falcons may be inclined to delay the complete rebuild until 2022, and that means they can stockpile draft picks while keeping their former MVP under center for another year.
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The Patriots have their former MVP under center, but Cam Newton is only signed for the next year, and most believe he isn’t the long-term option at the position.
If the Patriots are convinced that either Josh Fields, Trey Lance, or Mac Jones is the guy to lead the next era of Patriots football, we might see Bill Belichick make Atlanta an offer to move up from No. 15 to No. 4.
The Patriots probably won’t be the only team calling the Falcons about the No. 4 pick. According to several accounts, at least two other teams are serious about moving up to draft one of the top quarterbacks.
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The Denver Broncos Could Make an Offer
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport identified the Broncos and the Patriots as the teams most likely to trade up for the No. 4 pick.
Rapoport says the Broncos like Drew Lock, but he acknowledges they may still be looking to upgrade at the position if they decide to move away from Lock. In addition to the No. 4 spot, Rapoport also called out the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 5 as a potential target for the Broncos should they decide to chase a QB.
Here is a look at Rapoport’s short spiel on the subject:
The Chicago Bears Are Said to Have Serious Interest
While picking five spots lower than the Patriots at No. 20, the Chicago Bears are another team that might be looking to trade up to get one of the top QBs in the draft.
They just signed Andy Dalton and posted an egregious tweet adorning him as their “QB1,” but basic logic suggests the Bears can’t consider themselves set at the position.
Bears insider Jeff Hughes suggests Chicago is serious about potentially trading up to No. 4. Hughes cites the friendship between the Bears’ GM Ryan Pace and the Falcons’ head man Terry Fontenot as fuel for the fire.
On a recent Da Bears Blog podcast Hughes said:
I believe the Bears are now trying actively to get up to the fourth pick. What you have to know is that Ryan Pace and Fontenot down there in Atlanta are best friends. I don’t think Pace has a closer friend in the league than Fontenot. The Bears like these quarterbacks. Now, is that a good thing? I’m not sure. Is it going to happen? I’m not sure. But the smoke is real. The Bears are actively trying to get to the fourth pick in the draft.
The Bears were reportedly pursuing Russell Wilson aggressively in a trade, but the Seattle Seahawks didn’t accept Chicago’s offers. Because of their aggressive pursuit of Wilson, it’s not impossible to believe the QB-hungry Bears would be willing to go to great lengths to solidify a position that has rarely been a strength of the franchise.
Can the Bears come up with a more competitive offer than the Patriots, or will Belichick even bother to compete? So many questions and just under three weeks to wait for the answers.
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Patriots’ Biggest Threats in Race to Trade up for a QB