FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots struck two trades during the final day of the NFL draft, and the way it unfolded has sparked questions from some followers on Twitter.

After sending two late sixth-round picks (196, 204) and a seventh-round pick (250) to Miami in exchange for a high fifth-rounder (147), the club then turned around and shipped the fifth-rounder (147) to Seattle for a 2017 fourth-round pick (and a swap of 2016 seventh-rounders).

The primary question followers on Twitter had was whether the Patriots had targeted a player in the fifth round, only to trade out because that player was no longer available.

Bill Belichick said no.

"The Miami trade was made probably an hour before it would have even gotten to those picks, just so that we could plan and they could plan," Belichick explained on Saturday night, adding that it was a philosophical decision to space out the team's selections. "And then really we were very close to picking and Seattle kind of came up and made us the offer into next year, so they were very independent. It’s just the way that it worked out."

Who were the Patriots going to pick in the fifth round?

I didn't expect Belichick to reveal that information (my guess was Navy quarterback/running back/receiver Keenan Reynolds), but his overall explanation makes sense given the timing of the trade with Miami.

As for the deal with Seattle, things move fast in the draft and the on-the-clock opportunity to fill in the fourth-round pick in 2017 was deemed more valuable than the prospect the Patriots were prepared to select. That was a coup for the Patriots, who would have only had five picks in 2017 (they entered without a 4 and 7), with no chance of receiving any compensatory selections.

The Seahawks, meanwhile, selected Maryland defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson at 147.