What I continue to hear from team officials is that despite the Patriots working out a number of quarterbacks, they truly feel like that Tom Brady only has a few years left. So what the Patriots really want is a major receiving threat for him so they can take that last shot or two at the Super Bowl.
Mike Freeman/Bleacher Report (h/t @DougKyedNESN)
Mike Freeman’s 10-Point Stance: Attacks on Clowney Stink of Draft Propaganda | Bleacher Report
I’m not ruling out the Patriots taking a wide receiver in the first couple rounds of this draft, but I find it hard to believe they’ll be trading up to get one, regardless of how badly BB wants a top receiver for Brady. This is, by quite a few accounts, one of the deepest drafts in years, and the Patriots have a number of holes at important spots, both short-term and long-term.
You want to get Brady a shot at a last Super Bowl? How about solidifying the interior of his line, the weak spot in most of the recent playoff exits. There’s no linebacker or defensive end depth either. And there are many questions around the defensive tackle spot as well.
So to say the Pats will mortgage multiple picks to move up to take a receiver, a position they’ve whiffed on far more than they’ve hit on in both the draft and free agency, seems extremely risky.
Maybe they’ve met with a high-ranked WR who they really believe can “get it” but I am skeptical that unless they think he has Moss-like football intelligence that they’ll spend a first round pick on a WR, much less trade up for him.