It's not often that a former starter on the Patriots goes to a new team and could somehow help New England on draft night, but that appears to be the case with quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who is looking for a new contract with the Cardinals.
After suffering an injury that eventually placed him on injured reserve, Kyler Murray was a thing of the past for the Cardinals, who appeared content with what they got from Brissett in his place. Although they didn't win many games, they didn't make a move for another quarterback, nor have they done anything significant for the position this offseason.
Now, they are stuck at a crossroads with Brissett going into the draft, as the veteran wants a reworked contract for more money, or better yet, an extension, which could lead to a standoff between the two.
NFL analysts now believe there's a chance that Brissett will force the Cardinals' hand and they will trade up for a quarterback from the second round into the first, with the Patriots as the perfect partner to get a deal done.
That might not be a scenario Patriots fans want to see, since that means they'd give up No. 31, but there is a lot to like about the potential move.
Jacoby Brissett could give another parting gift to the Patriots on draft night
There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the Cardinals' apparent interest in quarterback Ty Simpson, as he could fall into their lap at the top of the second round. They currently hold the No. 34 pick, and if they want to ensure they get the guy they believe is their future franchise player, they could easily trade with the Patriots to No. 31.
It's just three spots, but that could be enough for Arizona to land Simpson, and the Patriots would get more draft capital in the process.
While it would mean they don't get a first-round selection, they would be picking only three spots later than they were supposed to, while adding more picks to their near league-leading stockpile for this year's draft.
There has already been speculation that they could use some of their mid-round picks, like their two fourth-rounders or four sixth-rounders, to move up and get a better player than they were initially penciled in for.
So if they manage to add another selection from a trade with the Cardinals, that's a bonus.
Even better, only moving down a few spots still puts them in contention for the players they were mock-drafted to land, especially pass rushers. That makes the trade far more sensible and digestible for Patriots fans, even if it's not exactly what they were hoping for.
Perhaps the way the board is looking will ultimately dictate whether Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf feel the trade would be worth it. Or they aren't interested in adding more picks to their draft, we'll have to wait and see. But at first glance, this looks worth seriously considering, and we can thank Brissett for the possibility that it happens.
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