R_T26

Ive recently seen people say that the pats should trade down from their first pick or 1st second pick, for more picks in later rounds, due to either salary cap or just cause to stock more picks. Im sorry but i have to disagree. First off 2nd round pick money does not kill your cap and third with the recent trend of our drafts we dont need more players to hide on IR or cut. Basically the last few years has shown the pats have got virtually nothing from the later rounds. I would like to see them trade 1 pick for next year and use the other picks to move up in different rounds.


2008

Jerod Mayo - STUD
Terrence Wheatley-Playing ok until IR
Shawn Crable-IR (possibly fake IR to avoid cutting him)
Kevin O'Connell -?
Jonathan Wilhite -OK
Matthew Slater-Special Teamer
Bo Ruud -IR

2007

Brandon Meriweather-Lead the team in INT's last year, will only get better
Kareem Brown-Cut
Clint Oldenburg-Cut
Justin Rogers-Cut
Mike Richardson-IR/IR Probably get Cut
Justise Hairston-Cut
Corey Hilliard-Cut
Oscar Lua-Cut
Mike Elgin-Cut

Laurence Maroney -Jury is Out, think he will breakout this year
Chad Jackson -Cut
David Thomas -Non Factor (dissapointed in him, thought he would be better)
Garrett Mills -Cut
Stephen Gostkowski -STUD
Ryan O'Callaghan -Backup
Jeremy Mincey -Cut
Dan Stevenson-Cut
Le Kevin Smith-Backup
Willie Andrews -Cut

fair catch fryar

Wasn't Bruschi a ST when he first came on with the Pats?

upstater1

This is a deep draft. The Patriots don't have the depth they used to. And given the record of missing on players so much in the mid-rounds, I'd say: use all your picks. The chances are excellent this year, given the high quality of the draft and the Patriots roster, that anyone who is any good at all will be on the 53, no matter how many picks we have. The Patriots have not shown that they can maximize value in the 2nd through 5th round. They've done well in the first round and the last two rounds.

bobbybigdrum

I know what your saying, but the question of value comes into play. If when pick # 23 rolls around BB feels that he can get the same value in the second round as he can at pick #23, why not set ourselves up for next year. That way maybe we can make a trade with a team that may yield us a higher pick than #23 next year (such as the SF trade which we ultimately aquired Mayo).

NEGoldenAge

Good fourth post.

JMarr

Good points. I don't see the Pats holding onto all their picks this year, nor do I see much point in stockpiling picks in 2010, regardless of a potential uncapped year. We need to win THIS YEAR, period. BB throws convential wisdom out window and goes for broke this year imo.

If you have to trade up using a couple of first day picks in order to get an available pass rushing stud, cant-miss DB or OT, or difference-making WR, you do it in a heartbeat.

amazinPats

I agree with the idea of moving up as well, unless a situation as bobbybigdrum mentions occurs.

patsfaninpittsburgh

The Pats have moved up and traded picks during the BB era. As booby points out:

VALUE, VALUE, VALUE

I see nothing wrong with the Pats philosophy. Get the guy you want. If you don't want any of the dudes, trade away.

Who says we can't win it all this year and years down the road?

JMarr

With our current roster and a draft consisting of developmental players, I put our odds of winning the SB this year at way less than 50/50.

Brettlax3434

We have the best roster in the NFL and are clearly the favorites to win the bowl.

__________________
Bill Belichick on being introduced as a team (2001): "The players wanted to do it that way; they wanted to come out as a team. We've been doing it since October. ... That's the reason we won. Because we played the game as a team."