Kevin O’Connell joked he sent Robert Kraft flowers to entice Patriots

Just under a week until the NFL Draft, the discussion about the quarterback prospects has made its way to church.

At least that was the case for Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. Toward the end of a “Faith & Leadership: Coaching in the NFL” talking session that he had at a Minnesota church on Thursday, O’Connell was asked by an attendee about Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy.

O’Connell, who was asked about the teachability of a quarterback’s footwork, played along. While he didn’t necessarily give a tell on which quarterback prospect he likes, O’Connell did seem to suggest that the Vikings, who hold the No. 11 pick, are hoping to draft a quarterback.

“Ultimately, when you feel like you find that guy, then you gotta hope that 31 other teams are complicit in making sure that they can become a Minnesota Viking,” O’Connell said after sharing his thoughts on whether certain traits can be taught in a quarterback. “But we only need one team to be complicit. And hopefully, we find that team.”

The Patriots have been speculated to be that team that’s complicit in helping the Vikings get their quarterback. New England holds the No. 3 pick, potentially allowing it to draft Maye or McCarthy.

As trade rumors have swirled between the Patriots and Vikings involving the No. 3 pick, O’Connell might be sweetening the pot for New England to accept a possible deal. In a follow-up question, the same fan asked if O’Connell is working his Patriots connection to help the team land the No. 3 overall pick.

“I may or may not have sent a nice bouquet of flowers to Robert Kraft the other day,” O’Connell, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2008, said with a laugh.

It doesn’t appear those flowers have persuaded Kraft and the Patriots. They haven’t “gotten an offer yet that would wow them” to make a deal and are “prepared” to stay at No. 3, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Saturday.

Patriots director of scouting and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf indicated that was the case when he spoke with reporters on Thursday. He said that while the team is “open for business” to make a trade, Wolf responded “no” when asked if a team had offered a “bag.”

Additionally, Wolf seems to be OK with selecting one of the perceived top three or four quarterback prospects with the No. 3 pick.

“I think we’d be comfortable with that,” Wolf responded when asked if the team would be comfortable selecting any of the top quarterback prospects.