Future Picks

From the Boston Globe. The Patriots trade picks for future considerations - 3rd rounders this year for 2nd rounders in a subsequent year. The Patriots have done it the most times since Belichick became coach. The Eagles are right behind them. I can't help but wonder how many times the Patriots have traded out of the first round. That is a Reid hallmark draft move.

When it comes to the draft, coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots have been futures traders. Like Dillon, nose tackle Vince Wilfork, wide receiver Randy Moss, and linebacker Jerod Mayo, the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, were acquired from deals in which the Patriots flipped picks forward into future years. With a surplus of picks this season - the Patriots own 11, including three in the second round - it's a safe bet that Belichick, who touted his team's flexibility, could swap a selection or two for future picks in hopes of cashing them in at a later date.

An analysis of information provided by the NFL on draft-day deals since 2000, Belichick's first year with the Patriots, shows that 41 trades have been made in which a team got a future pick in return. During that span, no team has done it more than the Patriots, who made 11. The Eagles were next with eight.