The NFL Combine has dominated headlines all week long for various reasons, primarily due to how impressive many of the incoming rookies have performed during drills. But mixed in with the Combine talk has surrounded the futures of pending free agents and some top names being floated as possible trade targets, one of whom was Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The Super Bowl winner had been rumored to potentially be on his way out of Los Angeles, leading to the Giants and the Raiders expressing interest in acquiring him. It even brought Tom Brady into some drama, which he is accustomed to now, right?
Both teams being in on Stafford was terrible news for the Patriots and their hopes of teams wanting to trade into the top-3 to draft one of the few quarterbacks considered to be top prospects this year, especially if the Giants were to land Stafford and keep the No. 3 pick right ahead of them.
Fortunately, that is no longer in the cards, as the Rams are planning to keep Stafford and work out a new deal to keep him around long-term.
The Rams and Matthew Stafford have not yet finalized their deal. That should be done shortly. But he’s back. https://t.co/5EVrWfSSmD
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 28, 2025
The Patriots could be in the perfect position with pick No. 4 to land one of their top two desired players
On a number of levels, this is some of the best news that the Patriots could have received this week, with free agency right around the corner.
With the Giants now out of contention for Stafford, they could become even more interested in one of the top quarterbacks with their pick. The current rumor suggests the Browns and the Giants are interested in the same player, Miami's Cam Ward, implying that both will be interested in getting a quarterback in the first round.
New York will have a problem if Cleveland takes him, however, since they have the second overall pick. But no matter what happens, the Patriots benefit because that means Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter or Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter has a bigger chance of falling into their laps.
Related: Eliot Wolf's assessment of Travis Hunter might be hint to Patriots plans
There's also the chance that if the Browns take Ward, the Giants could decide to take the other top quarterback available, Colorado's Shadeur Sanders. This would be the best-case scenario for New England, as that means only the Titans stand in their way of either Carter or Hunter, assuming they are their most desired picks for the first round.
It's hard to say what will inevitably happen, especially at the beginning of March, and how free agency goes will dictate a lot of how the draft ends up. But the Patriots might have an easier time getting a franchise-altering player than most believed when they dropped to the fourth overall pick, which is a huge relief after how the 2024 season went.