Bring Back Antowain!

Yeah, I liked the Ron Brace pick. Solid nose tackle who can keep Wilfork rested and is a fallback plan if they don't get his extension worked out blah blah blah.

But, I was thinking even more about it.

This year, tons of NFL teams are switching to the 3-4.

Teams like the Broncos, Dolphins, Chiefs all need a nose tackle.

Ron Brace was the 2nd best nose tackle in the draft.

The 49ers were sitting there at 43 in need of a nose tackle. The Dolphins at 44 (I thought they would consider him at 25). Then, the Broncos were sitting at 48, and could have easily leap-frogged the Pats.

Instead, the Patriots moved up to 40, leapfrogging 3 potential suitors for Brace, and as a result:

Blocked several new 3-4 teams from getting their nose tackle.

I wonder if blocking these teams had any bit to do with the Ron Brace selection. I'm not saying it had a lot to do with it, but I wonder if it crossed Belichick's mind.

Thoughts?

__________________
Super Bowls with Antowain Smith over 3 Year Period: 2
Super Bowls in nearly 50 years without him: 1
Solution: Bring Back Antowain!


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CanadianPat'sFan

Interesting and I am sure it crossed BB mind (he does cover every angle). With taking three DT in this years draft really has me thinking also and to tell you the truth if we did not get Brace in the second I was still happy with the two guys they got later on day two Richard and Prior. I really think that the DL is going to be in the spotlight over the next year until they decide what they are doing with Seymour and Wilfork.

Ochmed Jones

I consider the drafting of Brace to be directly related to the Wilfork situation which unless the franchise tag is used is probably not going to end with Wilfork in a Pats uniform.

I think you are correct in that BB jumped up to take him then, because one of those other teams would have grabbed him.

I do not think BB was blocking them as much as beating them to the punch.

xmarkd400x

I think BB knew that they would be drafting him, so he took him. I think the fact that it hurt other teams was just an added bonus.

patchick

Well, strictly speaking they only blocked one other team from drafting Brace. But yes, the move up was clearly done with an eye to the 3-4 teams following. An odd side note is that the two most-mentioned remaining NT candidates (Knighton & Hill) were "overdrafted" according to consensus rankings...by 4-3 teams.

mayoclinic

The Chargers reached for athletic but raw Vaughn Martin from Canada in the 4th round. He may develop into a long term replacement for Jamal Williams at NT, but he has a long way to go. The Broncos signed Chris Baker from Hampton as a UDFA, who was ranked as high as a 2nd round pick on some boards but slipped all the way through the draft due to character issues.

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"OVER Loading at ANY position can create a Fatal Advantage. THAT is what interests ME. Attacking With Concentrated Force. THAT is what WINS. In the words ~ more or less ~ of General Patton: 'I'm fighting a WAR, here. Let the B*****ES worry about their FLANKS.' " - Off the Grid

"The key to any successful organization is to anticipate things, not react to them." - Michael Lombardi

Synovia

Absolutely not. You don't pick players to keep other teams from having them. The fact that other teams needed one may have affected which pick they used, but they absolutely did not pick him to block other teams.

patchick

Wow, I totally missed the Martin pick! That's remarkable...toss in Knighton in the 3rd and you see how starved the league is for widebodies. Makes the Brace move look savvier and savvier.

BTW, didn't a poster here from Martin's school have some unsavory things to say about his personality? Should fit right in with the Chargers.

billdog3484

I agree 100%. Why would you draft a player to keep him away from another. You worry about building your own team not others. Now, maybe we reached to get him, fine,I can accept that. We obviously coveted the player and didnt want those other teams to take him because WE wanted him.

Also, few things I noticed about Brace. He seemed to get a lot of the double teams from the OL, not Raji. That was a little surprising. Also, he seemed to be able to hold the line of scrimmage, and even though hes clearly not a pass rushing DL, thats ok, he has a good solid base. Three, I guess a negative, is that looking at the little video of him that there is out there, he seems like hes on the ground a lot. Im sure thats something the coaching staff will be looking to improve upon.

cstjohn17

I see it as more of a move to have insurance for big Vince, both in 2009 (injury) and 2010 free agency. Backup NT is a tough position to have on a 53 man roster, Brace is so one dimensional and has almost no utlity on special teams. If things go well he is on the 53 man roster and never makes the 45 man game day roster. Maybe he can hit the gym too, he looks pretty fat, even for a NT.

Smart move for the Patriots as all the teams in the division will be run first, a rotation along the D line can never hurt.