Patriots push all of the chips on the table for Joe Burrow

What better way to start in dreamland than with the longest shot scenario possible? Imagine Belichick pushing all of the chips on the table and somehow pulling off a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 1 pick of the draft.

Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow ending up in a Patriots uniform would be the heist of the century. The doom and gloom talk around Foxborough would suddenly end, and the rest of the AFC East would resume competing for second place.

Of course, Burrow likely wouldn’t have the bevy of receiving targets he was gifted with during his stay at LSU. The cost of pulling off such a trade would leave general manager Belichick’s asset bank with echoes.

But the thought of landing a franchise quarterback that could potentially even outlast Belichick would be as good as any reason to do the unthinkable. Not to mention the fear it would ignite across a league full of teams hoping Brady’s departure signals the end of the Patriots’ dominance.

Another 10-plus years of salty fan tears alone might make it worth it.