Pats Pulpit
The latest edition of our Patriots mailbag answers questions about trade rumors, the draft, and more.
The 2025 coaching staff has been finalized for the New England Patriots and now the real fun begins: player acquisition. With the NFL Combine later this month and free agency shortly after, trade rumors and draft speculation are heating up.
So let’s talk about it all and get right into this week’s #PostPulpit mailbag.
What should be our best offer for Myles Garrett? - Matt1102
The star Cleveland pass rusher officially requested a trade this week — one that the Browns have publicly said they have zero interest in corresponding with.
From a Patriots perspective, pass rusher is obviously a big need this offseason and their might not be a better one in the league than Garrett, a four-time first-team All-Pro with 102.5 sacks to his name. After spending a year in Cleveland, Mike Vrabel is familiar with the player while Eliot Wolf also spent two years in the Browns front office early in Garrett’s career.
The connection makes sense but the price is tough to get behind for New England. Looking back at the Khalil Mack trade, the Bears gave up two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick for the then 27-year-old pass rusher in addition to a second-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick.
Any deal for the 29-year-old Garrett, who has been more productive than Mack throughout their respective careers, likely starts with two first-round picks.
For a Patriots team with holes all over the roster in the middle of a rebuild, surrounding significant draft capital for a 29-year is a tough sell even for a player as dominant as Garrett. I’ll take my chances on 21-year Abdul Carter at the top of the draft in hopes that he becomes a key piece on my next contending team.
If we did have to put together some sort of package, it’d be built around No. 38, Joe Milton, and some other Day 2 picks or pick swaps. That wouldn’t come close to getting it done anyway.
What are your thoughts on a possible Milton trade with the Giants? - Sportzballer
Speaking of Joe Milton, I would not be rushing him out the door. There’s too much value with his upside on a rookie contract as the backup to Drake Maye next season. If someone wants to blow the team away and offer an early Day 2 pick, however, I would reconsider.
***Thanks for helping fill the “what-if” portion of offseason. It seems clear that under Williams the defensive line philosophy will be changing from 2 gap read/react to 1 gap/penetrating type. There are also different responsibilities for the LB in this system as well. Two part question if allowed. 1) Which members of projected front 7 are not great fits for the new system? and 2) Does Mason Graham duplicate what we already have in Barmore (if healthy) and Keion (who doesn’t want to play edge)? -...
