Revolution GM: “More Rumors Than Truths” About Club Trading up in 2017 Draft

On Thursday evening, a rumor linking the Revolution to a draft-day trade—and an opportunity to acquire Syracuse center back Miles Robinson—sent shock waves through Foxboro.

Revolution fans had waited months for a move of this magnitude. And this time, the rumor made sense. Robinson, an FC Boston alum and native of nearby Arlington, Mass., could have filled one of many glaring needs along the Revs’ back line.

Of course, the move never happened, as Atlanta United stuck to its guns and drafted Robinson second overall.

What went wrong? One report from Kyle McCarthy blamed a high asking price. Others pointed toward the rumored acquisition of several international defenders, which made Robinson more of a luxury than a necessity.

But on Tuesday, The Far Post Podcast brought new evidence to the table. As discussed in the show’s latest episode, Revolution General Manager Mike Burns, in a comment to club writer and online host Jeff Lemieux, said he believes the draft-day rumors—which included Teal Bunbury leaving New England—were more heresay than fact.

Here is Burns’ full quote:

“We had some conversations, but I can assure you there were a lot more rumors than there were truths about our position about us moving up. I heard a lot of different things today about our current roster and our future roster and about our draft picks this year. I’m not sure where they all stem from. There was some truth to that, but it was far from completely true.”

Though it’s tough to decipher Burns’ comments, one thing seems clear: the Revolution did not doggedly pursue Robinson. Instead, the club likely inquired about the price of a top two pick and then quietly backed away, choosing to continue assessing the international market instead of trading valuable assets. That decision may prove wise, as NYCFC gave up $250,000 in allocation money—a significant sum in MLS—to acquire the draft’s third overall pick from Chicago.

If the price was right, Burns may have jumped into action. But like many MLS executives, he seemingly views the draft as a supplementary method of building a roster.

Now, his staff needs to follow through on its primary method: acquiring MLS-ready talent though the international market.