3 major changes New England Patriots can make going forward

The team can make a major QB trade next offseason

If the New England Patriots do not want to draft a QB in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, there might be a franchise QB on the trade block, as weird as that sounds. One could argue that franchise quarterbacks don't get traded, but this might be different. Currently, the 1-8 Arizona Cardinals have the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and are just now getting Kyler Murray back into the lineup.

If the Cardinals do still have a pick in the top two, they might be inclined to take Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. Why would they do this? Well, the Cardinals are rebuilding; that's abundantly clear. The roster is bad, and the head coach and GM are both in their first years with the team. The previous regime were the ones who paid Kyler Murray a very rich contract.

There's really no indication that the Cardinals would keep Murray beyond this year. In fact, his contract is very tradeable. Arizona could save nearly $40 million on their cap in 2024 by trading Murray. They'd get a ton of cap relief, and a rookie QB for that team falls more in line with their rebuild than keeping Murray.

So, with the Patriots having their draft picks and a ton of cap space, could they acquire Murray? I don't think it's out of the question. What other team makes more sense to acquire Murray than the Patriots? It'd be a new beginning for the team and they'd get a true dual-threat QB to work with for years.

It would also give them a fighting chance in the AFC East playing against Josh Allen, Tua Tagovailoa, and Aaron Rodgers. I know you are probably rolling your eyes at this, but the Pats might prefer to acquire a QB like Murray instead of drafting one.