mgteich

The draft is supposed to be about 2011. Consider a projected 2011 roster and tell me if the real need is defense,

DEFENSE
The defense has been in a period of transformation for awhile now. We de need 2-3 front seven folks. If we get these players. the defense is set for years. We would have a solid mix of veterans and youngsters. Consider this defense with Odrick and Hughes or Dunlop or Sapp added for the future. The defense is really 2-3 players away. We may only add two.

OFFENSE
As we look to the team of 2011 and 2012, the offense is a mess. This may see a curious statement for me, since I have said the 2010 offense is almost set at 20 positions.

However, if we look at the draft, which is supposed to focus of 2011 and beyond, the picture changes. We have ZERO guards for 2011. We have ZERO running backs. We have holes at WR. We need as center for 2011 or 2012

patsinthesnow

The pats need an even draft. Two defensive players and two offensive players with the top four picks.

OLB, DE, RB, WR in no particular order.

The 2011 raiders pick is going to be a WR to replace Moss.

bbell31

i dont think we need to take a rb or wr in the 1st or 2nd round this year unless an obvious value pick is there such as a bryant, tate, spiller, etc..the more i think about how the pats r goin to go about this the more confused i get, bc there are so many options and routes to go and its not possible to know the best way to go, but surely bb and co. with have plan a-z ready for what eva..all i know is the oline needs to be upgraded with more consistency in the run game and pass pro, and our d line needs to be better in the run game and we need an our olbs to generate sum more consisent pressure and mayo and guyton both need to have a better year sheddn blocks in the run game and meriweather has to work on better tacklin and not over running the play

livinginthe past

I think its much easier to find a WR or two through FA that Brady can use to make the offense dangerous than it is to find a legit pass rusher.

That goes for next year aswell as this year.

Pass-rushers are now the most important defensive players on the field - look at the relative success of the two worst AFC rushing attacks last year (San Diego and Indy).

Its all about getting to the QB.

With that in mind the Patriots have to hit paydirt with a 3-4 DE and a genuine elite pass rushing OLB in this draft.

No team that is a genuine contender (ie has money tied up in multiple elite players) can really afford to poach an elite pass rusher from another team.

Belichick has shown a strong ability to pick 3-4 DE's (of course it wasn't always such a sellers market for these guys) but not the OLB so much.

Like it or not, the Colts type defense is the future - I really thought this year might signal a turn against the tide and back towards a 4-3 a la Indy and New Orleans.

BelichickFan

Neal signed for 2 years so he is signed through 2011. I agree with the concept, though, that we may draft more offense than some expect and we may use more of the picks (not trading out to 2011) than we sometimes do. The other way of looking at it, though, is many of the holes that you correctly point out are of guys young enough to be re-signed as opposed to a few, like Moss, who are getting old. We could extend Koppen and Mankins and be set on the OL for a couple of years if we moved Vollmer to LT and kept Kaczur at RT. I wouldn't be surprised if we take care of RB soon (this draft or next) with one guy and let this whole crew go (and sign another low level Morris type as a backup to the new guy).

RayClay

I think we need a complete OLB and a physical DE or rotation. These will require high picks or FAs that cost, most likely.

We also need an SILB, though ahigh mileage vet might do. Smart player, not necessarily a top athlete ro ream with Mayo.

I think you're a bit in panic mode on the offense. Connolly Ohmberger, Bussey and Wendell are in the pipeline. Definitely not out of the question for a lower pick or free agent to develop into a solid guard under Dante, and Neal is signed. Good competition for the spot, let's get off the ledge and see what happens here.

I don't necessarily think the top receivers thrive over smart route runners in our system, but we have picks and hopefully a learned lesson from Galloway. We have Moss for a year, so let's get crafty, complementary guys for now.

Funny thing is, we could turn the draft upside down to pick our most successful receivers. Branch was basically a third round pick #65, Givens a 7th and Troy an 8th.

Two high 2nd rounders were el bustos. Might be a lesson there. a lesson that could save us grief and money.


I wouldn't mind bringing some low picks and free agents into camp for TE. In fact, I'd like some real battles in camp. If there is one thing that's noticeable about our more talented recent players is a lack of a nasty streak. Watson was a nice guy, but I swear he could run through an antique store, make a catch and not disturb a piece of crystal. We need nasty mean tight ends that want to kill someone to make the catch, not gazelles.

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Fencer

Agreed. The offensive players who are good bets to perform for more than the next couple of years are:

Brady
Welker (we hope!)
Mankins
Vollmer
Whichever of the unproven youngsters you think well of

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"To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness." -- Oscar Wilde

Sciz

Personally, I want to see a DE, TE, and WR with 3 of our first 4 picks. Yes, OLB and RB are issues, but we have 2 1sts next year to get an elite pass-rusher and RB. Plus, I think that the Patriots are going to have a big year in 2011. Rookie RBs and OLBs have had plenty of success, but those 3 positions would all need a year before they would be worthy of a starting job on a Super Bowl caliber team. DL seem to always need a year before reaching maximum potential. A TE has a lot to learn, and I'm sure that Brady would be a lot more comfortable having a safety blanket guy that he's been throwing to for over a year, not a few months. Rookie WRs rarely have big seasons, and if Moss is gone, we'll need somebody to be that 1000 yard guy. How many 1000 yard receivers since 2000? Three: Marques Colston, Michael Clayton, and Anquan Boldin. How many 2nd year 1000 yard receivers? 16. Get those guys now, so they have a year on the team before we take a shot at one last ring for Brady.

FoxboroFlyer

What happens if there is a lock out in 2011? Is there still a draft, and does that year count in reguards to years served on players contracts? Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I was just wondering how all of that plays out?

fair catch fryar

As easy & logical as this sounds I would bet that the same 4 picks that the Pats have in the first 2 rounds today will not be the same ones they have come draft day.