Can The Revolution Trade Up In The 2017 MLS Draft?

This is purely a hypothetical exercise, I do not know any inside information about the New England Revolution draft plans for tomorrow afternoon.

I can however, play a little game of connect the dots, even if I really don’t like one of the dots. But bear with me for just a second.

There are several MLS teams in the top five who want to move down in the draft. Minnesota is probably staying at number one to take Jeremy Ebobisse from Duke, but after that it can get a little messy.

Both Atlanta United and the Chicago Fire are in unique situations, they have a high first round pick and a middle first round pick, and both could be looking for additional assets by trading out of the top five. Both teams can still get a solid prospect in the first round while at the same time stockpiling more MLS stuff like future draft picks and allocation monies at the same time.

So there’s the first part of the equation, the Revs would need a trade partner to move up. But who would they move up for...

There’s really only one answer and that’s Massachusetts native and Syracuse defender Miles Robinson. The grain of salt that comes from the @MLSTransfers account aside, logically this makes sense. Robinson is a local prospect from Arlington, Mass., and played with PDL side FC Boston Bolts in addition to his time at Syracuse. He’s a USYNT player having represented the USA at the U-20 level and is widely considered the best centerback prospect in the 2017 class.

Robinson is also apparently a Revs fan, having attended games when he was younger, and got to play with one his idols in Shalrie Joseph while in the PDL. New England is desperately thin at centerback currently and Robinson would likely compete immediately for a starting role, perhaps regardless of additional signings to the roster.

But does New England have enough assets stockpiled to move up almost a full round? When the Revs moved from #4 to the top pick in 2013 to draft Andrew Farrell, it only cost them allocation money in a deal with Toronto to move up three spots. In this scenario, the Revs would be moving up at most 18 spots, almost a full round. But there is draft pick New England has that may come into play here.

The 2018 first round draft pick from the Union acquired in the Charlie Davies trade.

Any trade package that would move the Revs up from #20 and into the top five would likely have to include what would be the Union’s natural pick next year. Since the Revs have two picks, perhaps the deal will include the “higher” of the two picks, similar to how the Kei Kamara trade played out with the Columbus Crew. The Revs natural pick at #9 ended up being better than the pick New England acquired from the Colorado Rapids for Jermaine Jones. Since that Rapids natural pick ended up being #20 thanks to the Rapids trip to the Western Conference finals this year, the Crew acquired the Revs’ natural pick at #9.

Either way, the Revs would be able to put together a strong trade package with the following foundation:

• One of the Revs two 1st Round Picks in 2018
• The #20 pick in this year’s SuperDraft
• Allocation Monies (GAM/TAM)
• 2017 4th Round Pick/Future Lower Round Picks

Whether or not this would be the best offer Atlanta and/or Chicago would get is another issue. Ideally I’d also want to be the first team to move up, preferably to #2 with Atlanta, to guarantee a shot at Robinson and to avoid the potential bidding wars for the third and/or fourth pick as other teams might decide to move up for a chance to select forward Abu Danladi and midfielder Jackson Yueill.

Robinson, Danladi and Yueill are all Generation Adidas players, while Ebobisse left college early but played in the USL for the Charleston Battery. All four players are highly touted and expected to be taken in the first five picks in tomorrows MLS SuperDraft.

Will the Revs move up to take Robinson or another of the GA class? Do you think the price of moving up is too high? Let us know in the comments below.