Former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman clearly sees the New England Patriots in an advantageous position with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
When it comes to the possibility of trading down, Spielman claimed any would-be suitor would have to pay “above a premium,” if he were the one making the decisions. The Patriots have an opportunity to land one of the top-three quarterbacks, and this is a rare draft where any of the three signal-callers could be considered the No. 1 pick.
So the cost of giving up a player of that value should obviously come at a steep price. Per Spielman, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the “pipe dream” trade for the Patriots would include wide receiver Justin Jefferson or left tackle Christian Darrisaw, along with multiple first-round draft picks.
“And if I need a quarterback, too, as New England does, then the deal better be pretty rich for me to pass up one of these quarterbacks and move down. They would have to pay above a premium,” said Spielman.
One of the main considerations is the fact that the Patriots don’t have to trade down. Quarterback is their biggest need, and they would be better off staying put and taking one of the top prospects.
A pushback has been that their roster isn’t ready for a rookie signal-caller, and they’d be setting themselves up for another Mac Jones situation. However, a clear counterargument is the fact that New England doesn’t have to start the rookie right away. They could simply get their franchise quarterback, bench him for a year and start Bailey Zappe or Jacoby Brissett under center.
What’s the rush if the team is clearly rebuilding?
That puts them in a situation where Minnesota or any other team interested in trading up will need to blow them away to make a deal happen.