Rumor says Patriots and Vikings have already engaged in trade talks

The rumors involving the Patriots and Vikings just keep coming. From the potential availability of Justin Jefferson via trade to the Vikings' moves to acquire more draft capital to pull off a blockbuster draft day trade to select their next franchise quarterback, it looks like these teams will remain connected until either one makes a move.

It has been reported that Minnesota plans to make a big push to move into the top 3 picks, which they seemed to confirm with their trade with the Texans over the weekend. They are said to have their eye set on Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye to replace Kirk Cousins, and the Patriots are viewed as the most likely trade candidate.

The assumption remains that the Bears will stick with the first overall pick, even more so since they traded Justin Fields to the Steelers over the weekend, and the Commanders will stay put with their No. 2 pick due to shipping Sam Howell to the Seahawks.

So that leaves the Patriots at No. 3, who have been reported as open to a trade down or insistent on staying put. They are believed to be planning to take a quarterback with their pick, which makes sense, but they could be swayed to trade down with a team like the Vikings due to the haul of picks they'd receive in return.

Because the draft is still just over five weeks away, a definitive answer will unlikely be revealed until then. The Patriots might want to wait until they're on the clock to decide about the quarterback who falls to them.

However, rumors suggest they have already engaged in trade talks with the Vikings, presumably laying the groundwork for a potential trade even before the draft is here.

It might be the smartest move, especially if Jerod Mayo and Co. aren't 100% comfortable with which quarterback might be available to them at pick 3.

There are other teams the Vikings could trade with instead, like the Cardinals at 4 or the Chargers at 5. This would mean New England misses out on a big haul that would consist of multiple first-rounders or even, in their case, Justin Jefferson.

It won't be an easy decision, and it could really set the tone for the new era under Mayo for years to come. That's quite a risk to take so early in his tenure as a head coach, but there is a lot to consider regarding whether it would be worth it.

Fortunately for fans, this will surely not be the last we hear of this.

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