04-07-2009, 04:38 PM
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In the Starting Line-up
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,454
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Re: WEEI.com: Worst first-round picks in team history, Vol. 2
It may be unfair to include#1 draft picks before the AFL/NFL merger
on your list. The Pats were dirt poor and had fierce competition from
the NFL. The Pats #1 picks from this era were: 1960 Schwedes RB
(territorial pick), Burton RB (regular draft), 1961 Mason RB, 1962
Collins WR, 1963 Graham WR, 1964 Concannon QB, 1965 Rush, and 1966
Singer. The reason the names Mason, Collins, Concannon, and Rush
may not ring a bell is that they signed with the NFL.
A typical early draft was the 1961 draft. The Pats drafted 29 players
but signed only their #4, #6, #7, #8, #10, #11, #16, and #23 picks.
Only three of the picks made the team: #6 Larry Eisenhauer, #8
Charlie Long, and #23 Don Webb. After a few years like this, the
Pats narrowed the focus and concentrated on local players and other
players willing to sign with them for their early draft picks. They
also concentrated on players Ed McKeever was familar with in the
Southeast. They had more success drafting in this manner. In 1965,
eight draft choices made the team.
Karl Singer may not have been ranked highly nationally but was high on
the Pats list of players willing to sign with them.
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