IDK about trading our first 2nd rounder but would defiantly trade our 2nd one. NE had been successful doing this because they have been consistent contenders with fewer needs to fill. They had the luxury of taking a quality over quantity approach. That is a luxury we haven't had in recent years.
You wouldn't get it for a bottom 2nd rounder. It's just very unlikely to happen. Look back at all the trades that HAVE occurred for a future 1st rounder. Most, if not all (excluding the NE one, because that was a huge gamble for them but a brilliant one at that) of the trades for future 1sts involve a 2nd rounder in the first 10 picks of the 1st round.
Lucky for Miami they are currently #10 in the second round, just at the very end of that cut off point. If Miami were to get that offer from a team like Seattle, Indy, Washington - a young team that is on the upswing, confident that they will not only be at the same position the following year but EXCEEDING that position in the following year thanks to the play of this coveted player, then you take it. The risk is WELL worth the reward.
You're delaying a single season of a selection for the gain of likely 20-32 spots in the first 42 selections. That's beyond massive. That's earning an extra 2nd, and quite possibly an extra 3rd, just for waiting a year. It's very realistic a team like Indy or Seattle comes back down to earth simply due to their "lucky breaks" or play that may not be sustainable. You now have their 1st round pick after they have a disappointing but understandable 7-9/8-8 season. That pick is near 16-17. What would it take for you to trade back to 42 from 22? Well, going by some of the trades we've seen in the new rookie cap age - it'd be huge. Middle to bottom 2nd round, possibly extra 4th rounder huge. That's a ton of picks, and more ammo. Exactly what the Patriots do.
How did that all start? Because they saw an asset they had (WR) and they let him go knowing the system and the back ups were in a similar vein. Ireland did the same. Rather than string out and use up all the benefit of the asset, he opted to let it go for a return.
You're looking at an return of interest that you'd only see in a pyramid scheme. You had to do it. And in response to the "Jeff Ireland must win now!" stuff, I think if he were to walk away from this draft with 3 guys that everyone agrees were playmakers, good value, quality etc (basically, a similar draft to 2011, like it or hate it) AND an extra 1st round pick for 2014... he'd be popping champagne in his office with Ross.