Making a major move up the first-round board during the NFL draft often costs a bundle of picks.
This would be no different for the Patriots if they wanted to move inside, say, the top seven Thursday night. But if New England only was looking to jump a few spots higher, it could turn to its active roster to pull off a deal.
NFL insider Dianna Russini recently suggested the possibility of the Patriots trading Stephon Gilmore in order to move up in the draft. Gilmore is set to enter the final year of his current contract and he also is unlikely to play for the $7 million base salary he’s on the books for in 2021.
Russini’s ESPN colleague, David Pollack, seems to believe New England should take advantage of Gilmore’s trade value on Day 1 of the draft.
“First of all, how on god’s green earth are they paying Stephon Gilmore $7 million a year?” Pollack said Tuesday on “Get Up.” “Like, how the heck did they get that done to begin with? I mean, he’s one of the best cornerbacks in all of the NFL. It’s unbelievable. So, to me, it makes perfect sense. That’s a perfect bargaining chip because it’s not overly expensive for somebody to take on. Now, listen. Obviously, if you want to re-sign him, it’s going to cost a lot of money. But I think it makes a lot of sense for them to use that and do that.
“I don’t foresee them going, ‘Hey, we’re going to give up two No. 1s in the future.’ That just doesn’t seem like the New England thing to do, but neither does spending $159 million in an offseason. So, I think everything’s on the table. They know they got to find a quarterback. The pressure is on, but I could see them doing it at 10. I don’t see them going, ‘Hey, we’re going to get all the way up to four.’ Or, ‘We’re going to get all the way up to seven.’ I think they would do it at a nine or a 10 spot when they’re not having to give up so much.”
Pollack might have just been arbitrarily throwing out No. 10 as a potential pick the Patriots could trade for, but that might be the sweet spot for Bill Belichick and Co. Gilmore could appeal to the defense-needy Dallas Cowboys, who still would be able to land one of the best players in the draft at No. 15.
America’s Team isn’t exactly known for trading down, but stranger things have happened.
