New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is known in NFL circles as something of a mastermind.
In 15 seasons at the helm of the Pats, Belichick has led the franchise to a nearly unparalleled run of consistent success. As the football czar - meaning he has full control of the roster in conjunction with his coaching duties - Belichick has proved equally adept at playing trades and the draft as he has at conjuring defensive schemes and creative, rule-bending offenses.
It's no surprise then that in the days leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft, rumors have begun to swirl that Belichick and the Pats are eyeing a potentially big move in the first-round.
"One scenario I'm hearing for the New England Patriots is a trade out of the 32nd pick, something the team has had a lot of success with in the past, and moving down a few slots to select offensive guard AJ Cann," reports Tony Pauline of Draft Insider.
With team captain and starting right guard Dan Connolly languishing on the free agent market, Belichick and the Pats are in need of an infusion of talent along the interior of their offensive line.
"This would fill a big need at guard for the team. I've been skeptical of Cann's movement skills but was told the big offensive lineman, who has been struggling with a calf strain since the end of the season, worked out for several teams on Monday and ran both the short shuttle and 3 cone at the request of coaches. He timed 4.51s in the short shuttle and 7.37s in the 3 cone, both terrific marks. Only two offensive linemen, Jake Fisher and Ali Marpet, ran faster times during the combine," Pauline revealed.
Cann, 6-foot-3, 313-pounds, lacks ideal height but is able to overcome it via a good level of athleticism and a steady, consistent demeanor.
"Nothing about him gets you really excited and nothing about him gets you really down. He's just a steady player and will probably be a 9 or 10 year starter. I'll take that." an NFL offensive line coach said of Cann, via Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.
While it still seems possible for New England to bring the 32-year-old Connolly back - it was reported in March that the two sides were keeping an "open dialogue" - the addition of Cann in the draft could save the somewhat ample cap space they'd be forced to commit to Connolly while at the same time bringing in further draft ammo with which to snag fresh NFL talent.
