How Commanders’ Reported Stance On Trades Affects Patriots

All eyes will be on what the New England Patriots and Commanders do in the 2024 NFL Draft, and Washington might remain steadfast in its approach.

The Commanders have told teams seeking a trade up to the second overall pick that they are not moving out of their spot, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who noted general manager Adam Peters has said Washington feels great about picking a quarterback at No. 2.

There have been mixed reports on which quarterback Washington will take. Drake Maye seemed like a lock to go second overall, but Jayden Daniels gained steam as the second-best QB in the class. The LSU product reportedly didn’t like how his pre-draft visit went, specifically the fact it was with multiple other top prospects. So there might be friction between the sides. J.J. McCarthy then was talked about at the annual NFL meetings as another contender to go second overall.

Those moving parts have an effect on what the Patriots can do with the third overall pick, but you also include the fact that the Commanders seemingly have no interest in trading down, then that means the focus for teams will be to give New England an enticing enough offer to trade into No. 3.

That hasn’t happened two days ahead of the NFL draft as the Patriots only have received “laughable” offers, according to MassLive. That could change, but with one less seller on the market, New England and the Arizona Cardinals will be popular choices as possible trade down candidates leading up to Thursday’s draft.