The trade of Tate is right out of the Patriots playbook. They don’t just want to “win now”, they want to win every year. We weren’t going to pay Tate next year, so instead we trim fat off the cap and stockpile picks. Tate’s popularity didn’t figure into the equation. Even Brady and Gronk make exceptions for the Patriots bottom line.
Low cap/high picks lets us build our roster with younger/cheaper players and middling vets. It ensures depth of talent father down the roster.
I really like Tate, but I’m not knocking this strategy because I’ve seen it work in New England.
Edit: for grammar