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With the NFL draft concluding this weekend, interesting anecdotes are coming out in regards to the New England Patriots and how they were going to handle their first round selection.
By all accounts, they weren’t going to trade in the first round. They were committed to taking that draft pick, and decided to stand pat, even as a name like Justin Fields came off the board.
As Albert Breer noted in his Monday Morning Quarterback column, the Patriots and Bill Belichick had a backup plan if another team took Jones. It appears that the organization was prepared for several scenarios, as they waited for other dominoes to fall.
“And when the Giants went on the clock at No. 11, even with Belichick’s strong connection to owner John Mara and coach Joe Judge, the Patriots didn’t even call New York as it worked out the trade with Chicago that set up the Bears to take Fields. All of which confirms that New England was committed to taking a disciplined approach and if, say, Washington leapfrogged the Pats to get Jones, they probably would’ve just pivoted and taken someone like Zaven Collins (seen as a 3–4 fit and a potential Dont’a Hightower by some, and a bigger Jamie Collins by others) at No. 15, and doubled back with maybe Stanford’s Davis Mills in Round 2.”
New England was ready for all situations in the first round. Ultimately, the Patriots were able to get their man, as they look to find stability at the quarterback position for the future.
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