ctpatsfan77

It took a while for somebody to point out that there actually is a compensation for losing the first-rounder: the money that would go to that first-rounder can be used to help re-sign/extend some of the Pats' current players. Like, I don't know, maybe a WR who caught 9 passes for 183 yards last Sunday. . . .

I'm sure Ratgini would just love to have to game-plan for Moss twice a year for the next four or five years.

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"Momentum was quickly snatched away by New England, who once again proved that any Patriot, at any moment, can make a play." —Inside the NFL, Packers v. Patriots

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He Ban Me

Yes, but perhaps you would like to replace that aging, higher priced vet with a cost effective upper mid to late first rounder??

ctpatsfan77

Yeah, because there are just loads of 6'5" blazin'-fast-f'in-awesome receivers waiting to be picked in the draft.

__________________
"Momentum was quickly snatched away by New England, who once again proved that any Patriot, at any moment, can make a play." —Inside the NFL, Packers v. Patriots

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Patriot_in_NY

Yeah, I mentioned that somewhere. Actually, I picked it up from someone who said something about it around draft time. I think it's common knowledge though

Having two 1's is nice and all, but they are pretty expensive and they are unproven. Ties up a lot of cash on unproven players (we do seem to do well with em though).

He Ban Me

It's PAR FOR THE COURSE. Somebody look up Patriot reaction to the Colts trading our '08 first rounder so we could pick up Ugoh in '07. Seems at that time, the first rounder was gold, and we really screwed up. Now that you lost one, the rationalizing begins. And you wonder why fans and media everywhere are reveling this week.

FirstAndGoal

A 6'5'' receiver with a 1 year contract is not worth a first rounder

IcyPatriot

Like I have been saying since Lawyer Milloy was canned ... Belichick will spend the $$$ with precision. A door closed has always opened another.

What we have lost for now is the ability to draft higher in the 1st round than our record will allow. Belichick was never going to use 2 picks in the 1st round anyways.

I fully expect Belichick to now trade out of the 1st (SF pick). Then he will use the 2nd he recieves in that package to exchange for a 2009 1st and he will have the rotation going again.

We may lose the 1st but the extra player he receives in the above deal will turn out to be a stud ... and we'll all be laughing our butts off.

1976pats

I commend you for trying to look on the bright side but this one's a stretch...

If we wanted to save the $ to re-sign Moss we could have always traded it away for a future pick, like we seem to always do..

patsox23

Well, I suppose there is that slightest silver-lining, but those of you - not you, ct - who are going so far as to say it's just as well are just being silly. It's like the people saying we wouldn't want SF's #1 pick to be top 5 or top 10 because that's too expensive and there's no value there. It's ridiculous. What, we can't USE that value and TRADE from, say, #8 overall back to where there IS the level of value we like? (While picking up something extra in the bargain.)

CT's right, this situation does save the team some $$$, maybe major $$$ that we can then invest elsewhere. I think Moss was going to re-up anyway, but yes, this will make that, or other transactions, more feasible.

But let's not kid ourselves. This is a huge punishment and a big loss. This is 10 years of a Mankins, a Maroney, a Watson, whatever. That's another thing people in the media, and fans, seem to miss: that #1 was, for the Patriots, a GUARANTEED impact player for at least 5 years, based on their track record. They don't miss. Some are less productive and spectacular than others, but they're always a good, solid starter - at LEAST.

Truck

Except that teams believe the first round draft pick provides better value than using that money to sign a veteran. If they didnt, they could just release the draft pick without ever signing him. And since no one does that, that implies the draft pick provides more value.