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New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints

In the previous rumor mill edition the New England Patriots were a topic of possible trade speculation in regards to the possibility of them moving up in the draft in order to target Vernon Gholston, and while that remains a possibility, the Patriots may also consider moving down in the draft if the draft does play out in a certain fashion. If the Patriots either can not pull off a deal in order to jump ahead of the Jets or decide not to make a move on the trade, it would make sense for them to consider trade down options.
Derrick Harvey remains a possibility at pick #7, however most pundits feel that he is a better fit at the traditional 4-3 defensive end position, so his transition to a possible 3-4 defense is not a lock, nor would be anywhere near the smooth transition Vernon Gholston would make to the position, so the Patriots will likely pass on Harvey in favor of what many feel is possibly their largest area of need, and that is at the cornerback position. The combination of the facts that there are several top cornerback prospects in Leodis McKelvin, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Aqib Talib, and Mike Jenkins, and that following the 7^th overall pick the Pats do not have another pick for 55 selections, adds up to a result that may merit a trade down. So what team may be looking to move up into the 7^th spot? The New Orleans Saints. The Saints biggest need may be at the defensive tackle position, and considering the Saints made acquisitions the likes of Jonathan Vilma, Dan Morgan, and Randal Gay to help at the linebacker and defensive secondary allows them to possibly deal a 2^nd round selection in order to move up and take a stud defensive tackle prospect in Sedrick Ellis out of USC. This proposed deal makes a ton of sense for both franchises and if the Saints are indeed willing to offer the 10^th and 40^th overall picks to move up to 7^th pick I believe a deal will get done on draft day.

Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks

Look for the Houston Texans to be a team looking to trade down in the 2008 NFL Draft. The Texans have a couple positions they would like to address and they do not have their 2^nd round pick since they dealt it away in the Matt Schaub deal last off-season. I feel that the Texans may be targeting offensive tackle Chris Williams to implement in their zone blocking attack, so if Williams remains available at the 18^th selection, expect the Texans to stay put, however with offensive tackles flying off the board there is a chance that Williams is going to be gone, and if that scenario plays out the Texans will look to drop back. Who would they find as a trading partner willing to move up to the 18^th pick? Well one look at the NFL draft order and you will notice that the teams directly following the Houston Texans—the Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Washington Redskins all have a similar interest in the wide receiver position. The Seattle Seahawks are a team that needs a starting WR in the worst way, one who fits their scheme, and the prospects who fit that mold are Devin Thomas of Michigan State and Limas Sweed of Texas. If the Seahawks want to move up to target one of these two prospects, the Houston Texans are the likely trading destination. To move up seven spots will likely take their 2^nd rounder, the 55^th pick overall, but the Seattle Seahawks might be a team desperate enough to make such a maneuver, and the Texans could move down to the 25^th pick and select Sam Baker to help with their offensive line, or address another area of need, all the while accumulating the 2^nd round pick they covet. 

Miami Dolphins

Again, keep an eye on the Miami Dolphins. It was been reported by various media outlets that the Dolphins have begun contract negotiations with OT Jake Long, and while that doesn’t guarantee they select the massive prospect, it does provide at least some insight to what they are thinking. Here’s what we know—the Dolphins also want a pass rushing 3-4 outside linebacker, they have a lot of interest in free agent Calvin Pace and are considering selecting Chris Long with the #1 overall pick and transitioning him to that position. Projections in many circles for the Dolphins in regards to their 2^nd round selection, the 32^nd overall pick, has them selecting one of the young signal-callers in the 2008 NFL Draft, and that is possible, however, if the Dolphins are so sold on 2^nd year QB John Beck that they will pass on a QB in the 1^st round, why wouldn’t they pass on a QB with what essentially boils down to another pick with 1^st round type value? Quentin Groves is the best 3-4 outside linebacker prospect outside of Vernon Gholston in the entire 2008 Draft, so if Groves slips into the late 20s the Dolphins may consider making a slight move up to ensure they fill both of their top two needs.

Jerod Mayo

There are several teams that are reportedly enamored with linebacker prospect Jerod Mayo as he is viewed as one of the fastest rising prospects in the draft, and a true team leader. The San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, and Detroit Lions are just a few teams that have Mayo very high on their draft boards. As fast rising as Jerod Mayo is, still don’t expect him to be selected until the mid-late 20s in the 1^st round, so some teams may mortgage a bit of their future in regards to draft picks in order to move back into the 1^st round to add Jerod Mayo.

San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers have a need at the right offensive tackle position, so they may target prospects Gosder Cherilus of Boston College or Sam Baker of USC, however, following the 27^th overall pick the Chargers don’t have another pick until the 160^th overall pick and for a team that has been built via the NFL draft by its architect AJ Smith, who loves to utilize the draft to its fullest extent, they really may consider trading down from the 1^st round into the early portion of round 2 in order to secure another draft pick.