Patriots Predicted to Land Major Trade With Raiders

As expected, the New England Patriots have been very busy in NFL free agency, as they entered the offseason with the most cap space in the league.

The Patriots have spent a considerable amount of money on their defense, but haven't really addressed their offense, which was probably football's worst this past season in terms of raw talent.

New England will likely have to depend on the NFL Draft to add some significant offensive pieces, and with the fourth overall pick next month, the world is its oyster, particularly considering the Pats already have a quarterback.

But could the Patriots actually trade down to acquire more draft capital? David Helman of Fox Sports thinks so, predicting New England to swing a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders to acquire the No. 6 pick in the draft (Helman doesn't specify what else the Pats would land in the deal).

He then projects that the Patriots would select Missouri Tigers tackle Armand Membou with the first-round selection they received from the Raiders.

"What an ideal scenario for the Pats, courtesy of their old friend Tom Brady," Helman wrote. "By trading with Las Vegas, they gain another pick or two without losing their target — a franchise tackle for Drake Maye. With a crazy combination of frame and athleticism, Membou fits the bill. He's also just now turning 21 years old. "

New England is in desperate need of offensive line help, as the Pats signed Morgan Moses and didn't do anything else to address the issue in free agency. As a matter of fact, a legitimate argument can be made that they further compounded the problem by releasing center David Andrews.

Nevertheless, the Patriots will have some options in the draft, and while selecting a wide receiver with their top selection may be tempting, they may actually be better off providing some protection for Maye up front.