patsfan-1982

i dont think thats a good argument because brady was not a need (drew bledsoe) was set as the starting QB and if it was not for Mo Lewis all most killing him brady would not have played in 2001

and you just said it your self brady was the best player left on there bord thats not drafting for need

but i do get what your saying they dont just draft the best player on the bord sometimes they do go for need like mayo maybe he was the best guy on the bord but he was a big need

Wildo7

The Pats most certainly drafted for need last year and the year before.

ctpatsfan77

Except you're missing my point: if selecting the "best fit in the system" were the sole criterion, and need plays no role, how could they possibly pass on Brady as many times as they did? Once I could see, but over and over again?

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Terry Glenn is a cowgirl

Pats drafted for need AND for the best player.

Chew on THAT for awhile...

Deus Irae

Use the 3 #1 picks and the 4 #2 picks to put together a package that nets Calvin Johnson.

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Patspsycho

I could argue that the CB situation was just as much of a need as the LB situation was when they had that #10 pick for '08, and the best talent that was out there that fit their system was Mayo who was an ILB. They could easily have gone after a CB, SS, or OLB.

Big-T

A WR like Julio Jones would be great - if the Pats can get him he could end up being the replacement for Moss, big & physical from what I've seen of him this year.

StraightCashHomey81

-I think drafting a QB in the First Round in 2011 is way too early. First, lets assume Brady plays until he's 38. That would mean this drafted QB (for argument's sake, Jimmy Clausen, Ryan Mallett, or Jake Locker) would sit behind Brady for at least 3 years. I don't know about you guys, but I don't want a Favre/Rodgers type situation (I don't means any absurd retirement issue w/ Brady, but just the strain of having an impatient guy seemingly "rushing" Brady into the sunset, or worse to a West Coast team).
More importantly, with a new rookie wage scale that most of us hope will be in place for the projected top-ten Raiders pick in 2011, there will probably be a rule that limits the length of rookie contracts, probably to 3-4 years, as the players union and agents will want some give back for the lesser dollar numbers. As a result of that, our waiting-in-the-wings QB may be a free agent or have only one year left on his deal by the time he ascends to the starting role. That's way i think we hold off for a few more years before we draft our Steve Young.
-However, if you want to find an eventual Moss replacement in 2011, I'm all in and his name is Julio Jones of Alabama. Watch their game against Ole Miss this saturday, 330 on CBS, and you will see that he is the best college WR since Calvin Johnson or Moss himself. He has the strongest hands I have ever seen.

patchick

This is getting to be like one of those urban legends that never die.

Need is a clear factor in the Patriots' drafting. How big a factor depends on makeup of the specific team and its current levels of need. In the rare cases that there's been a hole in the starting lineup the Patriots have moved aggressively to fill it, drafting a player well above where he was projected: Mankins, Gostkowski, Mayo.

mayoclinic

Those are 3 very different situations you are talking about. Let's address them one by one:

1. Adalius Thomas.

Thomas is signed through the 2011 season, at which time he will be almost 35. I certainly don't see him being a factor beyond then. He could be cut or traded earlier, but his salary cap situation will be a major factor. He is still on the books for almost $9M in signing bonus money after this season, so cutting him is costly.

Mayo and Guyton are solid at LB. Tyrone McKenzie has potential, and we will want to see what he does next year. I see us drafting 1 and possibly 2 LBs in 2010. Someone like Eric Norwood would be a terrific future replacement for Adalius Thomas, and offers a lot of the same positional versatility. Someone like Sean Weatherspoon offers the ability to play in both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes.

2. Randy Moss

Moss is signed through 2010. He has showned somes signs of not being quite the same unstoppable force that he was in 2007, but he is still one of the top WRs in the game, and very crafty. I think he's the kind of player who could be productive for a long time. I think there's a good chance he stays a Pat after 2010.

We certainly need to start grooming an eventual #1 replacement, and a #2/3 guy to go along with Moss and Welker. Brandon Tate may fill the 2nd role, and we should no a lot more by the 2011 draft. There should be some very talented junior WRs coming out in 2011 - AJ Green, Julio Jones, and Michael Floyd - and we may have a high 2011 1st from Oakland, with the possibility of a rookie salary scale to keep the cost down. I could easily see us going after a top WR to groom as Moss' successor in 2011.

3. Tom Brady

Peyton Manning will be 34 in March, and no one seems to be talking about the need to replace him at the moment. I think Brady has at least 5 good years left, especially as his arm had no wear and tear last year. He will almost certainly extend his contract beyond 2010.

I don't see us looking to draft a replacement in the next 2 years. With that said, if an opportunity presents itself, we may be open to looking at a QB. For example, if Jake Locker doesn't come out in 2010 and our Oakland 2011 1st turns out to be a high pick, that could be an option. A long shot right now, but not out of the question. Again, a 2011 rookie salary cap could make a difference.

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