After Matthew Judon's trade, it's easy to predict what comes ahead for the Patriots

How can a trade be a win-win ? Mostly, because different teams operate under different circumstances and have different roster-building timelines. That’s how the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons finalized a deal to move edge defender Matthew Judon for a third-round pick .

Executive Eliot Wolf and head coach Jerod Mayo took the New England Patriots over this year. And while the team's modus operandi might have some similarities to what it did under Bill Belichick, it's a new structure, a new way to find, develop, and retain talent. And it's year 1 for all of this.

It's easy to get lost on this because Drake Maye will be a backup , so starting a veteran like Jacoby Brissett and several experienced defensive pieces can offer a different vibe around what this team is and can be. But it's truly the first season of a rebuild, and Matthew Judon's trade to the Atlanta Falcons is a major indication of that.

What's the point

Judon is still a really impactful edge defender. Trading him for a third-round pick in a vacuum could be a questionable move, but the Patriots are (and should) not operate in a vacuum. Instead of keeping Judon, and possibly giving him a new or an adjusted contract, the Patriots put themselves in a position to have even more flexibility moving forward.

At the same time, the Patriots have extra draft ammunition for next season, when Wolf and Mayo will have more information about Maye and the rest of the roster. It's not necessarily about Judon or about the player whom the Patriots will select with that third-round pick. It's about who can be useful and important for the team two, three years from now.

What's ahead

The Patriots are telling you to not fool yourself. They will not compete for a Super Bowl — and probably not even a playoff spot either — this year. The 2024 season is a recalculation of route for New England, and the main goal is to understand who can be around when the team has a realistic shot at competing.

The first and most important step is Drake Maye, obviously. Getting a good (or better) quarterback on a rookie deal is huge in today's NFL, and the Patriots spent the third overall pick on Maye because they trust he might be that guy.

Second, the team has to be competent enough for Wolf and Mayo to have a real possibility to evaluate the players. This includes defenders, the offensive line, offensive weapons. And that's why New England extended so many players.

Now, it's step three. The Patriots are creating flexibility, which includes future cap space, yes, but also moving away from veterans so younger players can show up — it's something Eliot Wolf learned from his time in Green Bay .

The next step will be in the regular season. The top decision makers will see who can be a part of the roster moving forward and who needs to be replaced. With extra draft capital and tons of cap space, the extra information is even more important, and it will determine how the Patriots will round out the roster around Maye for the next few years.

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