Debunking the New England Patriots Smoke Screen 2012 NFL Draft Trade Rumors

Second verse, same as the first.

Every year, like clockwork, the New England Patriots are connected to draft day rumors that they are looking or "interested" in moving up.

Last year, there were rumors from The Boston Globe and ESPN connecting the Patriots to potential trades with both the Cleveland Browns and the Dallas Cowboys respectively.

This year, the rumor mill is spinning according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, who says the Patriots are among teams willing to trade up "if the right player is there."

More specifically, the rumor mill is spinning with the winds of Seattle, Wa. according to NFL Network's Albert Breer.

"

Per league sources, Patriots have inquired with Seattle about what it would take to get to 12. Could be just info gathering. Could be more.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 26, 2012"

Although the old draft value chart may be outdated in the eyes of some, it's still a good starting point for negotiations. With the No. 12 pick worth 1,200 points, the Patriots could package No. 27 (680) and No. 48 (420) to get near that point value. Or they could package the 27th pick with the 31st pick (600) to exceed the value by 80 points.

Enough math for now. It may be futile, anyway. 

While the Patriots could very well be in the market to move up, and have the ammunition to make a trade if they desire, it would go against the grain for the Patriots of recent memory. Jeff Howe of NESN.com notes that while the Patriots have traded up in the draft more often than they've traded down since 2001, they have moved down in the first round five times and up just once.

Heck, when they moved up, they only did so by one pick to grab defensive linemen Ty Warren in 2003.

If the rumor is true, the Patriots could target any number of players including Alabama safety Mark Barron, defensive linemen Michael Brockers or Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones, all of whom have been projected to be selected a bit higher than the Patriots might be able to grab them.

Any of the three would help improve a defense that struggled against the pass to the tune of the 23rd-ranked defensive passer rating (86.1) and the second-highest gross passing yards allowed in NFL history (4,977) behind only the 2011 Packers.

The trend of trading down only began in 2008, though for Patriots fans, it probably feels like a lot longer ago than that. And though these recent reports may be cause for some excitement, don't be surprised if it's another in a long history of smoke-and-mirrors draft day tactics by the Patriots.

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