Trade down with Denver or Phoenix?

After getting stripped of some picks for Deflategate the Patriots have quietly restocked their draft.
They have:
1 2nd
2 3rds
2 4ths
1 5th
4 6ths
1 7th

If there is still a blue chip wide receiver on the board when we pick I could see them making a trade with us.

the pats always get a bunch of comp picks.

Comp picks being tradeable start this year or next year? I'm looking forward to that, more trades in the draft are a good thing.

I'd just about assume SM is trading down, maybe more than once. He wants that magic number 12 picks.

Maybe it's because I want to win now like the impatient bastard that I am, but I get nervous when we're adding a ton of solid guys. I want a few stars here and there. I totally trust Scot, and this is coming from a place of cynicism, but maybe stay put with our first and trade down later? :/

Maybe it's because I want to win now like the impatient bastard that I am, but I get nervous when we're adding a ton of solid guys. I want a few stars here and there. I totally trust Scot, and this is coming from a place of cynicism, but maybe stay put with our first and trade down later? :/

Given how deep the draft is at certain positions (DL for example), I'm fine trading down the first rounder.

Maybe it's because I want to win now like the impatient bastard that I am, but I get nervous when we're adding a ton of solid guys. I want a few stars here and there. I totally trust Scot, and this is coming from a place of cynicism, but maybe stay put with our first and trade down later? :/

Keep in mind development could be coming. Reed was a great example this year, and look at Cousins. Those two are definitely the biggest reason we were 9-7. Breeland has been good for us, he's still young, could he take another step? I think there's a high ceiling on Kyshoen Jarrett, if the dude can get his arm nerve healthy. Could Crowder be the next Welker?

And I'm convinced Galette is our disruptive force off the edge, which makes a massive difference.

If Scot just keeps doing what he's doing we'll get some very good contributions from places we might not expect right away.

JG has to show he's back from the acl, but here's hoping. it can go the other way on development too though - after amerson's 1st year he looked like he was stepping up... and then he fell off a cliff. I don't think that's the case with the guys you mentioned though. reed was always good, he just could never stay healthy.

Good point, that's why you stay away from free agency. Established vets can go south too. If one of our young guys goes bad at least it's before we've paid out a big deal.

Keep in mind development could be coming. Reed was a great example this year, and look at Cousins. Those two are definitely the biggest reason we were 9-7. Breeland has been good for us, he's still young, could he take another step? I think there's a high ceiling on Kyshoen Jarrett, if the dude can get his arm nerve healthy. Could Crowder be the next Welker?

And I'm convinced Galette is our disruptive force off the edge, which makes a massive difference.

If Scot just keeps doing what he's doing we'll get some very good contributions from places we might not expect right away.

Not every star in this league is a first round draft pick or had an instant impact (Richard Sherman was a 4th Rounder). Sometimes it just takes a few years for stars to "happen." Just keep taking lots of shots and developing your own. At some point, the combination of cheap, solid young players creates a situation where stars will arise.