Lifer

I guess Belichick and Pioli deserve a little more credit for that years draft, right people?
Maybe Bill Belichick is a little smarter than you all?

First Brady, now Cassel, the 2 best QB's in NFL history? not bad, eh?

MoLewisrocks

Just stop Lifer. You're not part of the solution and you're increasingly just another aspect of the problem here.

jbb9s

what they should do is trade all their 2nd round picks for 6th round picks straight up on draft day.

PatsFanInVa

The Pats have a "system" draft. It's only the coaching and play that makes their drafting look good. Put the Pats' draft day on any other team and it wouldn't look nearly as good.

BennyBledsoe

Does anyone honestly think that when they drafted Brady or Cassel that they thought either would be as good as they have been for the Patriots? At best, I'm sure a sixth or seventh round draft pick would be expected to be a good backup and a serviceable starter.

I mean, there's plenty of other draft picks they've whiffed on lately to be that quick to forgive them for all of their misses because of one (albeit excellent) very late round draft pick.

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Up until 1993, I didn't know the nickname 'Patsies' was an insult... that's what I grew up with during the late 80's and early 90's.

Go PATRIOTS!

PatsFanInVa

I remember they asked Belichick something about Carson Palmer during/after the draft, and his response was "I kind of like the quarterback we got out of USC," meaning Cassel. They're obviously serious about constantly looking for prospects at the position, primarily in the bargain rounds (given that they had no reason to believe any of these guys would be pressed into service.)

It's not like they just use a dartboard.

Every year people here whine about how it's dumb to go trolling for QBs when you have Tom Brady.

So yeah, kudos to the draft team. Looks to me like they got another one right, at least as of these last couple games.

BennyBledsoe

Yeah but 'bargains' tend to be hit or miss. I doubt they go into the later rounds and honestly think, "Well, here's where we get some Hall of Famers!"

Not saying they're not good at what they do but just that we as Pats fans shouldn't forget that you need to make EVERY pick count, not just rounds 3-7.

Unless you're saying finding Cassel trades off for whiffing on Maroney, Jackson, Watson...

__________________
Live in the Connecticut/SW Massachusetts area? Need a tutor for you or your kids? PM me!

Up until 1993, I didn't know the nickname 'Patsies' was an insult... that's what I grew up with during the late 80's and early 90's.

Go PATRIOTS!

PatsFanInVa

Yah I might throw in Mayo, Seymour, Warren, Wilfork, and one or two others. It's all hit or miss, but after almost a decade of the current brain trust doing the work, you can say a couple of things:

1) they believe you never truly have enough tight ends
2) They do about as well as you expect with defensive backs (1 star in Samuel)
3) They have done exceptionally well along the D-line and at linebacker (when they finally got around to it,) and at quarterback.
4) Thus far their attempt to draft a "back of the future" or a "receiver of the future" has been pretty bad compared to their free agent work at said positions.
5) Their O-line picks have been quite good as well... We can fight every week about whether they have been the most overrated "best O-line in the league" or underrated by being called "not in the top 5," but they have been high performing by full-league standards, and they have all be draftees.

Maroney I still hold out hope for. Chad Jackson is obviously a dead loss to the Pats, duh. But that's a pretty skimpy list of misses from what we all agree is a "hit or miss process" to begin with.

They've had a lot of early round hits, I would say a very good number of them. But those really public positions -- RB and WR -- haven't been great for the old home team on draft day. Almost embarassingly, the most public of all positions, QB, "seems" to fall into our laps.

PFnV

patsox23

I'm as big a homer as there is when it comes to BB/Pioli's drafting, but this is ridiculous. If they were so smart about Cassel, they would've taken him in the 4th or 5th round. A flyer in the 7th shows SOME insight, I guess, but let's not overplay it.

I think this speaks a bit to their drafting prowess - there are certain things they look for and they are willing to be risky and creative - but just as much (if not more) credit should be aimed at the ability of the coaching staff to mold players and make optimal use of each player's skill-set.

MoLewisrocks

It never ceases to amaze me how an OP's sarcasm goes over so many heads here. Lifer is trying to diss two camps with 1 post - those who bash this FO's drafts and those asking if Cassel is poised for off season accolades - and you all just fell over yourselves to play along... Which is why this place can't self moderate either.