FanHouse

Thanks to some wheelin' and dealin' during last year's draft, the Patriots have the seventh-overall pick this April. The team has any number of needs -- mostly on defense -- but if given a choice, I'm guessing Scott Pioli and Bill Belichick would prefer to trade down, stockpile selections, and rebuild the roster that way.

And although it's easy to say, "they should just trade down," in practice, it's a little more involved than calling Matt Millen and forcing him to succumb to your will/Jedi mind tricks.

But assuming the Patriots have some offers to swap picks, the Boston Globe's Mike Reiss identifies some potential trade partners.

Dallas, with two first-round selections, should get a lot of calls from teams looking to move down. I'd also put teams potentially looking for a quarterback on the radar, such as Carolina (13), Chicago (14), Detroit (15) and maybe even Tampa Bay (20). A lot will depend on how the draft unfolds. Interestingly, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan could be indirectly tied to what type of market the Patriots potentially see for their No. 7 pick. If there is one position teams will trade up for, it's probably quarterback. If Ryan is available at 7, that would figure to drum up some action for the pick.

As Reiss points out, one of the deterrents to trading up is the financial investment involved in a top-10 pick. If it turns out to be a bust, that's a lot of the salary-cap tied up in a guy who's not on the team.

Interestingly, Matt Ryan has his pro day today and that, in large part, could determine where he'll go in April. If he performs well, you'd have to think he won't make it past the Falcons at No. 3; if he struggles, the Patriots could be in prime position to trade out of the No. 7 pick so another team can grab him.

Worst case: New England stays put and takes a cornerback. Since, you know, right now the depth chart is Ellis Hobbs, Jason Webster, Lewis Sanders and an injured Chad Scott.