The New England Patriots should trade Raghib “Rocket” Ismail to the highest bidder.

There. I’ve said it. What amounts to blasphemy in the minds of many Patriot fans makes perfect sense to this longtime Pats follower.

Come on, let’s face it. New England’s judgment with regard to No. 1 draft picks is as flawed as Saddam Hussein’s comprehension of diplomacy and military tactics.

Let’s look at the track record. The Pats have had three No. 1 picks in their 31-year history. All have been disappointments at best.

In 1971, it was Jim Plunkett, the “savior” quarterback from Stanford who would lead the franchise to the Super Bowl promised land. Okay, he did win Rookie of the Year honors, but he never really rose to that kind of level again, until he resurfaced from anonymity for the Oakland Raiders in 1978 after having been cut by the Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers.

Neexxt…. Kenneth Sims in 1982. The only record this “can’t miss” defensive end from Texas set was for time spent on the disabled list. A major bust, and an expensive one at that.

And whoever said the third time’s the charm obviously didn’t have the New England brain trust in mind, unless of course you consider Irving Fryar charming.

Yes, “choir boy” Irving was the product of New England’s eup in the 1984 NFL Draft. Since that fateful day, Irving has done his best to make the off-field antics of every other Boston professional sports star look minuscule by comparison. There’s still hope that with age, Fryar will mellow and concentrate on living up to his immense potential. But then I’m also hoping the Red Sox win the World Series this year.

With that illustrious history of high draft pick ineptitude – I really don’t need to mention New England’s trade of the 16th overall pick (a slightly talented wide receiver named Jerry Rice) in 1985 for offensive center center Trevor “he did start at least one game, didn’t he?” Matich – the possibility for disaster with 1991’s top pick should be obvious.

I know what you’re thinking. The Pats have made some good high-round picks. Their first-round picks in 1973 – Hall of Fame guard John Hannah from Alabama, USC running back Sam “Bam” Cunningham, and fleet-footed Purdue wide receiver Darryl Stingley, whose career was tragically cut short – represented maybe the best draft in team history.

Unfortunately, drafts like the one in 1973 are more the rare exception than the rule for the New England Patriots.

With that in mind, Patriots CEO Sam Jankovich and director of player operations Joe Mendes would do well to trade the pick and let somebody else worry about whether the Rocket is too fragile for NFL defenses, too expensive, or simply too much of a gamble.

New England needs a lot more than a player like Ismail can give. As exciting and multi-talented as he is, he can’t win games single-handedly when the other team has already scored seven points by the time he steps on the field.

Besides, how can Ismail score points if there’s no offensive line talented enough to open holes for him or protect the quarterback long enough for him to get a pass off in the Rocket’s general direction?

The Patriots have a crying need for offensive line help, defensive backs, and an impact quarterback.

They can get a head start on solving these areas of immediate need by trading Ismail for a combination of first and second round picks and/or an established player.

The rumor mill says Atlanta, Detroit, and Dallas are hot after the right to draft the Rocket.

If that’s the case. Trade Ismail for the best offer. It may not be the popular choice, but it’s the best one in the long run.

The Rocket may attract scores of fans to Foxboro Stadium initially, but if the team continues to lose, those fans will soon tire of an exciting player on a bad team.

A trade for a bunch of less-heralded players could lay the foundation for a winning team, a team that continues winning for years to come and a team that attracts scores of fans to the stadium year after year after year.

Inside Sports, a monthly national sports publication, sums up my point best in its 1991 NFL Draft preview when it details the Patriots’ needs:

“Caution: These are still the Patriots, even if the upper management has changed. Count on them to do something stupid.”

Picking, and not trading, the Rocket might be the stupidest thing they could do.