The Patriots may not have been able to hit all of their primary targets in free intervention, which should come as no surprise. After last year’s hype, they were always going to play conservatively in the open market for established veteran talent.
Of course, in free agency, they still have room to improve their team. It’s safe to assume that priorities will include cornerback, wide receiver and fullback. Adding free agents like Malcolm Butler at the corner or Marquez Valdez-Scantling at wide receiver will help the Patriots fill the holes before they get to draft weekend.
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But there’s another way the Patriots can acquire real pieces before they jump into the rookie pool at the end of April: a trade.
At this time of the year when NFL teams are spending real money on members, there are players who are about to fly off their respective depth charts. Of this group of people, whose role may decrease in 2022, those in the last year of their rookie deals (from the 2019 draft class) may be particularly attractive trade candidates.
They are often treated as rentals and can be obtained for a small profit. And if they work in their new places, they can either be candidates for re-signing, or they can get a team as compensation if they leave through free agency.
The Patriots have shown over time that they like to pick players who have a year left on their rookie contracts and see what sticks.
Back in 2018, they made a pick-swap deal with the Niners to get Trent Brown in the last year of his rookie contract. As a result, Brown started for the team with a left tackle, won the Super Bowl, and then left via a free agent. As a parting gift, he gave them a third-round comp-pick.
That same year, the Patriots entered into a pick-swap deal with the Browns for Danny Shelton while he was in the final year of his rookie contract. Shelton re-signed and played a total of two seasons with the team, which is factored into their 2021 comp selection formula as a sixth-round value.
In 2017, the Patriots acquired Brandin Cooks in the final year of his rookie deal. He played one season with the team, scored over 1,000 receiving yards, helped the Patriots win the Super Bowl, and was traded back to the Rams the following offseason for a first-round pick and a day three draft trade.
That same offseason, the Patriots made a far less productive trade for a player in the final year of his rookie contract when they traded a second-round pick for a third and Coney Ely. By the start of the regular season, Ely was out of the team.
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Barkevius Mingo was acquired by the Patriots in the last year of his rookie deal in 2016. Kyle Van Noy — one of Bill Belichick’s best low-cost finds in New England — was picked up from Detroit later that year with just over a season left on his rookie contract. Keshon Martin (2015), Akim Ayers (2014) and LeGarrett Blount (2013) were also brought to New England in the final year of the rookie deals.
Usually these are inexpensive transfers. They have the potential to provide excellent production (Brown, Van Noy, Blount) and even if not kept for a few years they can compensate in the future. Acquisitions like this also don’t cancel out potential off-season partners when a team (such as this year’s Patriots) lost valuable free agents, since trades don’t count towards the partner selection formula.
The Patriots are certainly budget-conscious at the moment, so we need to pay attention to deals like this.
Regardless of position, if there is inexpensive help in the trade for the Patriots, it looks like the off-season is when they will be more interested than ever in such action.
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Among the recipients, there is one name that fits this form and may be of interest, and that is Darius Slayton of the Giants. Selected in the fifth round of the 2019 draft from Auburn, Slayton was an impressive athlete. At 6’1″ and 190 pounds, he ran the 40 yards (86th percentile) in 4.39 seconds on that year’s combine. He also jumped 40.5 inches vertically (93rd percentile) and 11 feet 3 inches vertically (97th percentile).
In his first two seasons with the Giants, he had over 1,400 yards and 11 touchdowns. He didn’t see as much playing time last year after New York added Kenny Golladey (free agency) and Kadarius Tony (draft). Slayton finished with just 26 catches and 339 yards from 58 targets.
Slayton could be in line for another disappointing year if he stays with the Giants as he stays behind Golladay, Tony and the recently re-signed Sterling Shepard. The Giants currently have 11 wide receivers on the roster.
Slayton has had serious shooting problems – he lost 22 percent of the balls thrown to him last season, according to Pro Football Focus – and has had hamstring and shoulder problems. But he’s had the opportunity to work closely with Joe Judge over the last two seasons, so the Patriots should get an idea of how he’ll fit in with Foxborough.
On the face of it, since Slayton would give the Patriots some size and speed — what they’re looking for this offseason in this spot — and since he could only be worth somewhere in the fifth-round trade range, he would make sense. as Belichick’s target.
In the corner, arguably New England’s most needy position, there’s another member of the 2019 draft class who looks set to see a seriously downsized role in 2022 and may be available: Raiders’ Trayvon Mullen.
Mullen was an impressive prospect for size and speed, coming out of Clemson at 6’2″, 200 pounds and running his 40s to the draft in 4.46 seconds. In early 2019, he was the National Title Game Defensive MVP with a pick, sack, forced fumble and six tackles in a win over Crimson Tide Nick Saban.
Mullen started in 26 games in his first two seasons with the Raiders but only played five games in 2021 with a toe injury. Then, this offseason, under former Patriots HR director Dave Ziegler, Vegas added two corner starting calibers via a trade (Rock Ya-Sin) and a free agent (Anthony Averett).
For the Patriots looking for frontier cover with some starting experience, Mullen would be a good option to roll the dice on. The corner room in New England currently includes Jalen Mills, newly added free agent Terrence Mitchell, slot machines Jonathan Jones and Miles Bryant, as well as Jojuan Williams, Sean Wade and special teams ace Justin Bethel.
Calling old friends Ziegler and Josh McDaniels – if they’re willing to part ways with Mullen for a late-round pick – could be a good way for Belichick to shore up his corner group.
There are other moves the Patriots can make to fill in some obvious holes. Perhaps they could come up with a pick trade move that would encourage the Ravens to send defenseman Ben Powers, who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, to them. Powers started 12 games as an injury stand-in last season in Baltimore’s big lead game (somewhat similar to the Patriots). But he could be available in a deal because veteran Kevin Zeitler, Tyre Phillips (3rd in 2020) and Ben Cleveland (3rd in 2021) could lead Powers on the Ravens defensive depth table.
Regardless of position, if there is inexpensive help in the trade for the Patriots, it looks like the off-season is when they will be more interested than ever in such action.