Bills crush Patriots fans' dreams with petty move in NFL Draft

The general reaction to the Patriots 2024 Draft has been shockingly positive, which is not something that has historically happened. From analysts to fans, the consensus is that the new guys in charge, Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf, put together a solid class and appeared to build around their new quarterback, Drake Maye.

Although there is an overall positive reaction to this past weekend, there have been some lingering questions stemming from Mayo's comments ahead of the first round.

While speaking to those in attendance at Gillette Stadium for opening night, the head coach revealed they would be sticking and picking at No. 3, despite the continued speculation of the team entertaining a trade down, and he also hinted they would be trying to trade back into the first round with their high second-round pick.

Because they had already gotten their quarterback of the future with Maye, the assumption was the new regime wanted to snag one of the top left tackles or wide receivers. Many remained on the board throughout the first round due to a record-breaking six quarterbacks taken during the night.

But when the final pick was made and the Patriots didn't make the trade back into the round, fans were left wondering what happened.

Luckily, Patriots insider Mike Reiss got the scoop and revealed the somewhat disappointing news in his latest piece for ESPN.

Bills crush Patriots fans' dreams with petty move in 2024 NFL Draft

The revelation Reiss revealed was the Patriots' attempt to make a trade for the 32nd overall pick with divisional rival the Buffalo Bills. The team acquired the pick via a trade back with the Chiefs, who moved up to select receiver Xavier Worthy, but a deal was never made for the Patriots to move up two spots.

A deal from the Patriots to the Bills to complete the trade was on the table, and after consideration, Buffalo decided to crush the dreams of New England fans by trading their pick to the Panthers instead. The Panthers held the 33rd pick ahead of the Patriots in Round 2.

The swap ensured two top receiver targets for New England were off the board before they could even get a chance to consider them, prompting Mayo and Wolf to trade back to pick No. 37.

"The Patriots had a trade offer on the table to the Bills late in the first round on Thursday night, according to a source. The Bills were at pick No. 32 (after a trade back with the Chiefs), but instead of dealing with their AFC East rival Patriots for No. 34, they chose Carolina's offer to slide back one spot to No. 33.

"Receivers Xavier Legette and Keon Coleman were selected at 32 and 33 before the Patriots traded back from 34, so one can deduce the Patriots had either Legette or Coleman as their target -- or possibly both. My hunch is Legette."

The Bills seemed to make the decision out of spite due to their longtime losing streak during the Bill Belichick and Tom Brady era. It was a way for them to make sure the Patriots didn't get one of the receivers they likely wanted, who also happened to be one of the best in the class, instead allowing the Panthers to draft him.

Although it stings a bit to learn this information after the fact, the good news is that the Patriots still left the 2024 draft with two explosive receivers, Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker.

And now the new staff can remember this in the future if the Bills want to trade up for a player with the Patriots, maybe declining their offer for another team to match what they did this year, just to be petty, too.

More Patriots coverage: