Lions have discussed trading No. 3 pick; could Patriots come calling?

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The 2020 NFL Draft won't feature actual fireworks, but we could see some virtual ones right off the bat.

Lions general manager Bob Quinn told reporters Friday he's had discussions with teams about trading Detroit's No. 3 overall pick ahead of the draft.

Quinn didn't reveal if he's already received offers from clubs, but admitted the Lions would probably trade the pick before going on the clock at No. 3, according to the Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett.

LSU's Joe Burrow and Ohio State's Chase Young are virtual locks at the No. 1 and No. 2 picks, respectively, but No. 3 is still a toss-up, with Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa among the potential targets.

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The Patriots are a potential dark horse for Tagovailoa, and New England has plenty of connections in Detroit: Quinn spent 15 years in the Patriots' personnel department, while Lions head coach Matt Patricia is Bill Belichick's former defensive coordinator.

So, could New England trade with Detroit for its No. 3 pick and draft Tagovailoa or another top-end quarterback, as NFL Media's Ian Rapoport suggested Thursday?

A Patriots-Lions trade has been floated before, with wide receiver Julian Edelman rumored to be a trade chip (before our Tom E. Curran debunked that Edelman rumor).

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New England owns just two picks in the top 90 (No. 23 and No. 87), so the club likely would need to include a quality player or a future first-round pick to land the Lions' No. 3 selection.

Such a trade would be an aberration for Belichick, who is more inclined to trade down in drafts (28 times since 2000) than up (11 times).

But if the Patriots really feel they need another QB to compete with Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer following Tom Brady's departure, perhaps they'll at least reach out to their old friends in Detroit about a draft day blockbuster.

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