Pats/Bears deal in the works?
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Boomer from FanSided’s “Bear Goggles On” is reporting that there are possibly some talks between the Bears and the Patriots about a trade for at least one of the Patriots’ three second-round picks. The Bears would like to move into the second round (they don’t have any second-round pics) and GM Jerry Angelo and Bill Belichick have been frequent trade partners in the past. With the Patriots needing a tight end and questions in Chicago about Greg Olsen’s fit in Mike Martz’s scheme, a swap could indeed be in the preliminary stages. With the value of second-round picks being high, especially in this draft with plenty of first-round talent available in round 2, the Pats could likely get something in addition to Olsen. The Pats are without a third-round pick, so depending on which of the three number two’s Chicago gets, the Bears’ third-round pick could get packaged in. Other possibilities being discussed in the article’s comments section is the inclusion of one of the Bears’ several quality linebackers, as they have plenty of depth at the position while the Pats do not. You may recall that a possible Olsen-to-New England trade was discussed just a couple of months ago.
But there’s more to this that may add some validity to this rumor.
Just a few days ago, Bill Belichick discussed that the Pats have received several phone calls from teams to discuss their picks, namely their second-rounders. Could the Bears have been one of those teams? They very likely could be.
Here are some snippets from Belichick:
“I’m not saying that anything will or won’t happen (a trade for one of their second-rounders). I think that’s pretty common at this point in the process, a week or so before the draft, where you start to talk to teams and try to get a feel for whether they would or wouldn’t be interested in moving a particular pick. It expedites the process a little bit when you get to draft day.
“It’s not so much a specific trade of ‘I’ll give you this, you give me that. It’s more of ‘Would you be interested in moving this pick, moving up, or moving down in the first round, or whatever it happens to be?’ It’s more in that nature.”
A trade for Olsen would have to be considered a coup for the tight-end-needy Patriots. The top tight ends in the draft, Jermaine Gresham and Rob Gronkowski, both have injury concerns. Greg Olsen is a proven pass catcher in the NFL. Adding his talents to Alge Crumpler’s blocking ability would make a nice tight end combo.
With a day’s break between rounds 1 and 2, this could be one of those late night/early morning trades that you learn about when you wake up at 8 am and start brewing some coffee. It would be a nice way to start Day Two of the NFL Draft. It will be interesting to see what deals are made before and after Round Two gets underway. This draft could set the record for trades. It should be an exciting draft!