Patriots Open To Trades Involving High Draft Picks, Eliot Wolf Says

Patriots open to trades involving high draft picks, Eliot Wolf says originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Eliot Wolf isn’t imposing any limitations when it comes to improving the Patriots’ roster.

When asked Monday if New England would be willing to swing a big trade at this point in the summer — with the team’s preseason finale on Thursday and roster cutdown day looming next week — the Patriots’ executive vice president of player personnel left the door wide open.

“We’re talking to all 31 other teams and trying to do what’s best for us,” Wolf responded. “If something presents itself — I think those things are often a lot more complicated than the fans and some others like to make it believe. But if there’s something that we think can help us, we’ll definitely be open to it.”

Our Patriots Insider Phil Perry then asked Wolf if his team would be willing to part with a first- or second-round pick to complete such a trade.

The short answer? Yes.

“Sure — just doing what’s best for the team,” Wolf said. “If there’s a player out there that we feel like can help us and it costs that, then we would consider doing that.”

Several Pro Bowl-caliber players are currently in contract disputes with their teams, including Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson and Dallas Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons.

All three players would cost the Patriots at least a high draft pick in a trade. But if they’re willing to pay that price — as Wolf suggested Monday — they have the financial means to absorb those players’ contracts, with nearly $60 million in cap space (per OverTheCap).

Whether the Commanders would seriously consider trading McLaurin remains unclear, especially after they activated him off the Physically Unable to Perform list over the weekend. But the Bengals reportedly are entertaining trade offers for Hendrickson, and while the Patriots signed pass-rusher Harold Landry in free agency this offseason, they could use all the help they could get to improve on both sides of the ball after a 4-13 season.

That’s apparently the mindset of Wolf and head coach Mike Vrabel, who has said on multiple occasions that his team will explore all opportunities to improve the roster.

The Patriots’ preseason finale is set for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET against the New York Giants.