The New England Patriots are reported to be considering a blockbuster trade into the Top 10 of the NFL Draft on Thursday (April 29) night.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reports that the Patriots "have sniffed around on a trade up into the top 10, presumably for a quarterback" in his latest mock draft published on Tuesday (April 27.)
While Breer's mock draft has the Pats staying at No. 15 and selecting former Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, he acknowledges that New England has connections with the Carolina Panthers "and some groundwork has been done on what a deal might look like."
If the Pats do trade into the top 10, it will likely be because former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields is still available, according to Breer.
Earlier this month, ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper had the Patriots trading up to the No. 10 spot -- currently held by the Dallas Cowboys -- and selecting.
Kiper has Fields pegged as the fifth quarterback selected in the top 10, which would be the quickest five passers were drafted since 1999 and, with Dallas having invested in Dak Prescott, not needing a quarterback.
Former NFL MVP Cam Newton joined the Patriots on a one-year "prove it" deal last season, but struggled before being brought back this offseason.
Newton and the Patriots agreed to a one-year contract "worth up to close to $14 million," with "about $6 million of the deal" being tied to incentives, sources confirmed.
The Patriots have also been reported to be interested in a possible reunion with Jimmy Garoppolo, who was selected by the Patriots in the second-round of the 2014 NFL Draft and spent the majority of his tenure in New England as the backup to former Patriots and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, starting just two games while Brady served a four-game suspension in 2017.
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