Patriots rumors: 3 intriguing trades for 49ers QB Trey Lance

2. The Patriots execute a three-team deal to land Trey Lance

The second deal is where things get spicy. Some might think an even swap at quarterback would be enough to get it done, but Mac Jones isn’t even going to come in as the surefire starter for Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers have made it pretty clear that Brock Purdy is their guy, and they have Sam Darnold as a backup.

Here, we’ve put together a three-team deal. Those types of trades rarely happen, but there have been a handful to go down in the past.

To start with, the Patriots get Lance, plus a third-rounder from San Francisco and a future fourth-rounder from the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings get Mac Jones, who could ultimately supplant Kirk Cousins next year after the veteran’s contract is up.

San Francisco gets those two second-rounders from New England, plus a third-rounder this year from the Vikings. So, in the end, Minnesota gets Jones for third and fourth-round picks, which isn’t too bad. But, the picks are split up between the other two partners.

At the end of the day, the Vikings have a future quarterback plan in place if they are unable to be in a position to draft a top prospect this year or next year. But, they still have their first-round picks to work with just in case Jones needs future competition.