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Travis Hunter Update Gives Patriots Best Reason To Trade Fansided

Bonisiwe Shabane
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travis hunter update gives patriots best reason to trade fansided

Travis Hunter is the unique NFL Draft prospect that has a chance to play multiple positions at a Pro Bowl level. The former Colorado standout is an intriguing wide receiver prospect but he has a chance to be a generational superstar at cornerback. As such, it's no surprise that Hunter is heading to the NFL Combine to potentially participate in drills with other defensive backs. The news that he is not currently listed as a wideout prospect will influence some team's opinions of where he should be drafted. The Patriots currently hold the No. 4 overall pick and are likely going to be the team most impacted by Hunter's decision to move forward as a cornerback.

New England's top offseason priority is to find a new No. 1 wide receiver capable of making life easy for second-year quarterback Drake Maye. The Patriots hired Mike Vrabel to overhaul the team's culture, but helping his young quarterback succeed is also a big part of his remit. The No. 4 overall pick represents a golden opportunity for the Patriots to land a young, cost-controlled pass catcher who can grow alongside Maye. A high-ceiling prospect like Tetairola McMillan could really unlock the team's passing game for years to come.

Of course, the Patriots might choose to risk trading out of the fourth spot to gain valuable draft capital and still land a talented wide receiver. They could make that sort of deal with a team that is interested in moving up to grab Hunter. He projects to be the sort of difference-maker who can elevate a playoff team to the heights of being a true Super Bowl contender. To put it simply, the Patriots aren't in the right position to draft a cornerback at No. 4 given the rebuild they are currently involved in. The New England Patriots need to find help for quarterback Drake Maye, whether it be on the offensive line or skill positions.

However, what was thought to be two of their ideal options entering the offseason may already be off the table. Maye showed flashes last season, and the Patriots brought in a new and accomplished head coach, Mike Vrabel, to oversee the next stages in his development. Again, what Maye is lacking is help, which the Patriots hope to provide him with this offseason. That all starts in the draft and eventually free agency, where New England has already been linked to Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Higgins has long played robin to Ja'Marr Chase's batman. Still, he is valued by the Cincinnati front office and quarterback Joe Burrow, so much so that Burrow has sent multiple warnings to Bengals ownership not to let talented players like Higgins walk away.

It seems to be working. “The pie is not going to grow,” Bengals owner Mike Brown said, h/t ProFootballTalk. “It's only going to be a certain size, but when you reach a point with your quarterback that you have to pay him a big contract, that takes a disproportionate piece out of the... Which means you have less left to pay the others. Sometimes that impacts whether you can get the others signed. You can't just pay people willy nilly.”

That is not a good sign for New England, which hoped to poach Higgins away once he reached free agency. They have been consistently linked to the Clemson product. It's been six years since New England Patriots won the Super Bowl. Since then, they have fallen on hard times. Tom Brady left the team a year after and signed with Tampa Bay, they parted ways with Bill Belichick in 2022, and fired former player Jerod Mayo in his only season as the head... The Patriots are now handing the keys over to Mike Vrabel.

But unlike Mayo, he was a head coach with Tennessee Titans from 2018-23, with a record of 56-48 including postseason. Vrabel himself is eager for redemption after his last two seasons in Tennessee ended with a 13-21 record and was fired though many believe he lost a power struggle with then general manager Ran... Vrabel's past experience and being a former player with three Super Bowl rings under Belichick should serve him well and buy some time as the Patriots look to rebound. However, Vrabel will find that the current Patriots lack star power on this roster. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, defensive tackle Christian Barmore, and quarterback Drake Maye are a solid foundation to build on. But they need a lot more talent.

The upcoming draft is where the Patriots better hope they have luck on their side. Travis Hunter, a Heisman Trophy winner, would be a perfect addition to a team that is lacking star power. Hunter played both CB and WR at Colorado under Deion Sanders. And like Sanders, Hunter wants to play both positions in the NFL. The Patriots would be a perfect place for Hunter as he can play both positions and become the NFL version of Shohei Ohtani. He and Gonzalez could become a dangerous CB tandem that would help elevate their defense while Vrabel and his offensive staff can come up with creative ways to get Hunter the ball from Maye.

Tuesday's report on the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants receiving trade calls for the No. 2 and No. 3 picks on the draft board has some wondering if the New England Patriots would consider a trade-up scenario for a player like Colorado's Travis Hunter. Most have assumed the Patriots would be looking to trade down, accumulate more draft picks and fill the many holes already on their roster. But would they consider getting aggressive by trading up with the Browns to go after a generational talent like Hunter? More importantly, what would it cost them to make that kind of blockbuster move?

I spoke with Browns Wire editor Cory Kinnan to get his thoughts on a hypothetical trade between the Patriots and Browns. He pointed to the 2018 draft trade between the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts. The Jets traded the No. 6 overall pick, two second-round picks in 2018 and one second-round pick in 2019 to move up to No. 3 on the draft board for quarterback Sam Darnold. "I think it'd probably be something similar [to that trade]," said Kinnan.

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