The New England Patriots had an active 2025 offseason, spending the most in free agency of any team and selecting 11 players in the NFL Draft. 10th in effective cap space and owning 12 selections in the 2026 draft, they may be one of the league's more active teams once again.
While cap space and draft capital are no issue for New England, the NFL may make a rule change that could give them even further capital to play with. At the moment, teams are allowed to trade draft picks just three years into the future.
In other words, New England would be allowed to trade their first-round picks in 2026, '27, and '28 in a trade for Myles Garrett, but could not make a move involving any picks in 2029.
On the Pat McAfee Show, Adam Schefter suggested that teams may seek to extend the limit from three years to five, giving the league the flexibility to trade draft picks in 2030 this offseason.
"Right now teams aren't allowed to trade draft picks beyond three years..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 9, 2026
There are gonna be people in the NFL this offseason that push to have that limit grown to five years" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/6A0924FbWT
The Patriots could take advantage of potential new trade rule
The Patriots are in a position to make the most of this new rule in two very different ways.
The first option would see New England go all in during Drake Maye's rookie deal. With the advantage of having a cheaper quarterback on the roster, the Patriots could send multiple future first-round picks for a star like Maxx Crosby.
This could alleviate the need to deal their 2026 first-rounder, allowing them to infuse their squad with youth immediately while adding one of the league's best.
Alternatively, they could seek to capitalize on other organizations' aggression. The Patriots hold the second-worst pick in the first round this season, but if an aggressive team is looking to add talent immediately, they could send future picks to be able to do so.
The league is likely to look far different in 2030 than it does now, so if the Broncos (No. 30), for example, make a move involving their pick five years from now, New England could end up with a top-5 pick!
If that seems unreasonable, just look at one of the most famous trades in Boston sports history. The Celtics sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Nets in 2013 for a handful of future draft picks. In 2016 and 2017, they netted the third and first selections, nabbing Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Combined, the pair have made 11 All-Star games.
No matter how New England would decide to approach it, the potential to trade a pair of extra first-rounders no doubt changes the trade landscape. I'd expect that if it does go through, the rule change would result in far more frequent trades.