12-15-2009, 10:51 PM
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#6
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In the Starting Line-up
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,061
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Re: 2000-2009: Pats 5 best/worst draft picks
Nice list, but I agree that there's no way Maroney should be mentioned here. A true first round bust wouldn't still be producing like him. I'll admit, he frustrates me. His first game in the NFL, still a vivid memory to me, he was Barry Sanders reincarnated. Still he's a decent running back; I'd rate him closer to the middle than to the worst of starting RBs. The biggest knock on Maroney is that we passed over DeAngelo Williams, but then again, it's so hard to predict these things. Bill Polian wanted to draft Maroney as well... and who is a better talent evaluator than Dr. Evil?
I'd have to put Ben Watson on the list of honorable mentions for worst picks, which may seem like a contradiction because like Maroney, he is another first rounder who is decent but not great. But Watson is one of the few players who doesn't seem to benefit from having Tom Brady at quarterback. He has all the physical tools. Brady has tapped into the potential of guys like Graham, Gaffney, Givens, and Caldwell. Watson is immensely talented but clearly is not a very good pass catcher. He's been in the system a long time, and the Patriots have had lots of ultra talented players on the field which should exploit matchups. The guy is just never going to get to the next level.
I know it's too early, and knock on wood, but I anticipate Sebastian Vollmer eventually making his way to #2 on this list.
Last edited by Ice_Ice_Brady; 12-15-2009 at 10:53 PM..
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