04-26-2021, 12:01 AM
My mock draft starts with a breakdown of the trade itself and why it makes sense for both teams.
The trade:
Cincinnati trades pick 5 and a conditional 2022 pick (whichever is better Cincinnati's 4th round pick or the projected compensatory pick they will get from free agency this off-season) for the Patriots 2021 15th pick, 2021 46th pick, a 2022 1st round pick and G Shaq Mason.
Cincinnati side of it:
Dropping down 10 picks isn't just dropping down 10 picks. New England is not just paying up for a qb. They are also paying a price for Cincinnati missing out on drafting a top tier elite non-qb talent. They combined has to be a steep price.
When I started thinking about a trade down with New England, it obviously made sense to me that obtaining a bunch of picks without a proven player made no real sense. Including a guy like Shaq Mason in the trade hits the Bengals in a vital spot. Mason has played at a high level for many seasons and is under contract for 3 more seasons. His contract breakdown is right in the Bengals wheelhouse as well.
Mason's contract:
7.0M 2021 (Age 28 season)
7.5M 2022 (No guaranteed money)
8.5M 2023 (No guaranteed money)
In this scenario, the Bengals massively upgrade their IOL before they select anyone and acquire extra draft capitol in the process.
New England side of it:
They need a QB and have a roster ready to win much like Denver does. Belichick recently turned 69 and just watch Brady win a super bowl. He also endured a tough season last year and the aggressiveness shown in free agency is an obvious sign that they plan to turn it around quickly. If their QB is sitting there at 5, they are under the gun.
Miami has recently put out that they might be interested in trading down but I hardly doubt that would be with New England. Why would Miami help NE get a franchise QB? It is more likely they would trade back with a team like Denver to block NE from getting their QB.
As far as including Mason in the deal, they have one of the most complete OL groups in the NFL and have a propensity to find later round guys and develop them quickly. One of the best rookie OL from last season was a NE 6th round pick.
Mock Draft:
#15: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
#38 Payton Turner, DE, Houston
#46 Milton Williams, 3T, Louisiana Tech
#69 Spencer Brown, T, Northern Iowa
#111 Kendrick Green, IOL, Illinois
#149 Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State
#190 Tay Gowen, CB, UCF
#202 Jack Stoll, TE, Nebraska
#235 Evan McPherson K Florida
+ Guard Shaq Mason
+ NE 2022 1st round pick
The trade:
Cincinnati trades pick 5 and a conditional 2022 pick (whichever is better Cincinnati's 4th round pick or the projected compensatory pick they will get from free agency this off-season) for the Patriots 2021 15th pick, 2021 46th pick, a 2022 1st round pick and G Shaq Mason.
Cincinnati side of it:
Dropping down 10 picks isn't just dropping down 10 picks. New England is not just paying up for a qb. They are also paying a price for Cincinnati missing out on drafting a top tier elite non-qb talent. They combined has to be a steep price.
When I started thinking about a trade down with New England, it obviously made sense to me that obtaining a bunch of picks without a proven player made no real sense. Including a guy like Shaq Mason in the trade hits the Bengals in a vital spot. Mason has played at a high level for many seasons and is under contract for 3 more seasons. His contract breakdown is right in the Bengals wheelhouse as well.
Mason's contract:
7.0M 2021 (Age 28 season)
7.5M 2022 (No guaranteed money)
8.5M 2023 (No guaranteed money)
In this scenario, the Bengals massively upgrade their IOL before they select anyone and acquire extra draft capitol in the process.
New England side of it:
They need a QB and have a roster ready to win much like Denver does. Belichick recently turned 69 and just watch Brady win a super bowl. He also endured a tough season last year and the aggressiveness shown in free agency is an obvious sign that they plan to turn it around quickly. If their QB is sitting there at 5, they are under the gun.
Miami has recently put out that they might be interested in trading down but I hardly doubt that would be with New England. Why would Miami help NE get a franchise QB? It is more likely they would trade back with a team like Denver to block NE from getting their QB.
As far as including Mason in the deal, they have one of the most complete OL groups in the NFL and have a propensity to find later round guys and develop them quickly. One of the best rookie OL from last season was a NE 6th round pick.
Mock Draft:
#15: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
#38 Payton Turner, DE, Houston
#46 Milton Williams, 3T, Louisiana Tech
#69 Spencer Brown, T, Northern Iowa
#111 Kendrick Green, IOL, Illinois
#149 Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State
#190 Tay Gowen, CB, UCF
#202 Jack Stoll, TE, Nebraska
#235 Evan McPherson K Florida
+ Guard Shaq Mason
+ NE 2022 1st round pick
![[Image: 4CV0TeR.png]](https://i.imgur.com/4CV0TeR.png)
