The New England Patriots find themselves in a position they haven't been in for the last 20 years.
At 2-5 on the season following a crushing loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Patriots could choose to sell off some of their big-name players to stock up on future draft picks. All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore is a name that has consistently been brought up in trade rumors.
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So should the Pats look to accumulate a wealth of draft picks before the Nov. 3 trade deadline? Our Phil Perry believes so. He explained why on a brand new episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast with Tom E. Curran.
Patriots Talk Podcast: Why the Patriots are better off sticking with Cam Newton over Jarrett Stidham | Listen & subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"It was a better performance this past weekend than the previous two, I'll give you that. It should not trick anyone into thinking that they should not be trying to accumulate as many picks as they can," said Perry. "Because Stephon Gilmore, trading him away isn't necessarily with that pick getting you the franchise quarterback of the future, but what if it lands you a two (second-round pick)? What if it lands you two twos?
New England Patriots
"And you can move then from -- if you're sticking with Cam Newton and you're winning six games -- you can move from pick No. 14 to pick No., I don't know, 8? To get your guy. It matters. That stuff matters."
2020 NFL Trade Deadline Tracker
Even while the Patriots try to stay competitive, Perry says the team can set itself up for years of future success if they can collect some second and third-round picks and potentially move up the draft board.
"They're going to try to win games. But are there things you can do -- i.e. trading Stephon Gilmore, trading Joe Thuney, two of your best players -- where you can help yourself for the future in a real significant way? If you can add a couple seconds and a third, I'm sorry, that's significant. That's going to help you move up. ... You have to start thinking about the future. The reason they're in this place in the first place is they haven't done well enough in the draft."
Also discussed on the new episode: Curran explains why now is not the time to move on from Cam Newton, was Jimmy Garoppolo really the plan for the future? Belichick makes candid comments on Patriots’ cap situation and depth, and what was the rush to move on from Tom Brady?
Check out the latest episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast on the NBC Sports Boston Podcast Network, or watch on YouTube below.