FreeTedWilliams

This entire draft class is already looking a bit iffy... But here's Chung barely seeing the field and not looking good on special teams, and seriously outplayed by McGowan.

Vollmer seems to be a starter in waiting for at the very least right tackle, Endleman looks like a good back-up for Welker, but what happened to the rest of them? Where was Butler, why can't he at the very least return kicks? Was there anything less threatening than the Patriots return game Sunday? Where is Brace????

The Pats need to stop trading down and start trading up, they have plenty of depth, what they lack now is high impact players. Can you name any on defense? That is because there are none (now that Mayo is out).

12 draft picks, and only the 7th rd "project" pick contributes in a positive way in the game. It may be time to re-evaluate why so many undrafted free agents out play our draft picks.

Seriously how many safties and Cornerbacks does this team need? How bout a playmaker? It is painfully obviously that the Pats need a star Runningback, they need 2 outside Linebackers, (I will give them a pass on not having a replacement for Mayo, because they did draft one, he just got hurt) and the desperately need a 3 WR, a TE who can stretch the field, and oh yeah, Kick Returner...12 draft picks and not 1 improves the team......
Plus they wasted 2 more draft picks on trades of players that they ended up cutting (Smith and Lewis) not to mention releasing O'Connell when clearly he had some trade value. There is something rotten in the Patriots scouting/player development department.

The only real hope for this draft class is the steal they got with Brandon Tate, IF he can come back this year, he could solve the kick returner/3WR problem.

The Pats have the ability to move up in next years draft by trading their picks plus those 2 extra 2nd rounders to get at least 2 top 20 picks that can really help this team From day one.

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thodoks

This thread is as bad as the internet gets.

mayoclinic

Hello? Hello? Are you in there?

Come on, get real. We're 2 games into the season, and you're already saying that "this entire draft class is already looking a bit iffy"?

First, this draft class looks like the deepest and best that we've had since 2003, and possibly in the BB era. All 12 drafted players are either on the 53 man roster, on PUP/IR, or on the practice squad. Plus an UDFA on the roster:

1. 2a Chung - no reason not to see him as a future starter opposite Meriweather. Meriweather was eased in his rookie season. Expect the same thing for Chung. Only those with unrealistic expectations thought he would be a starter this early. BB prefers to ease in rookies if possible. There's nothing "iffy" about this pick so far.
2. 2b Brace - looked great in the preseason, looks like a great backup/possible future replacement for Wilfork, as well as a possible 4-3 DT next to Wilfork or even a 3-4 DE. Nothing "iffy" about this pick so far.
3. 2c Butler - has looked like a stud so far, with terrific athleticism. Was playing in the 4th quarter against Buffalo, so the coaching staff has confidence in him. Should get more playing time over the course of the season, could be a starter by the 2nd half of the season, looks like a sure future starting CB for us. Nothing "iffy" about this pick so far.
4. 2d Vollmer - looks much more agile and athletic than predicted, looks like he will be our starting LT by next year. Already our swing tackle. Nothing "iffy" about this pick so far.
5. 3a Tate - on PUP, could be on the roster by the 2nd half of the season. Nothing "iffy" about this pick so far.
6. 3b McKenzie - on IR, looked good in OTAs before getting injured. Would have added a lot of depth and versatility. Nothing "iffy" about this pick so far.
7. 4. Ohrnberger - developmental prospect, made the final 53. Needs work. Fine at this stage for a 4th round pick.
8. 5 Bussy - developmental prospect, on IR which will give us another year to assess him. Fine at this stage for a 5th round pick.
9. 6a Ingram - starting LS. Nothing "iffy" about this pick.
10. 6b Pryor - looked phenomenal for a late 6th round pick in the preseason, showing terrific strength and penetration. Made the final 53. Has had some minor injuries. Nothing "iffy" about this pick.
11. 7a Edelman - made the final 53, may be competing for #3 WR, looked excellent subbing for Welker against the Jets. Fabulous 7th round find. Nothing "iffy" about this pick.
12. 7B Richards - made the PS, which is fine for now.
13. UDFA Hoyer - beat out 2008 3rd round pick Kevin O'Connell and veteran Andrew Walter for backup QB. A possible find.

Second, BB is notoriously conservative about bringing along rookies. McGowan has been a pleasant surprise. Obviously BB is more comfortable with him than Chung right now as the #3 safety. That's not terribly surprising. Same thing for Butler. These guys will be playmakers for us, possibly this season.

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FreeTedWilliams

Richard Seymour
Logan Mankins
Vince Wildork
Daniel Graham
Ty Warren
Lawrence Maroney
Jerod Mayo

Everyone of them started from day one! This is what this team needs, they do not need more depth, they need more impact players. These are no longer the Booby Grier Patriots, this roster has plenty of depth to it, what it needs are some more stand-out players. Ask yourself this who would you rather have all four of Chung, Brace, Vollmer, and Butler OR two of the following: Maybin, Orakpo, Moreno, Harbin, or English......

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thodoks

yikes.

seymour only started 10 games in his first season, and did NOT start "day one." bobby hamilton and anthony pleasant say hello.

wilfork only started 6 games in his first season, and did NOT start "day one." keith traylor says hello.

graham only started 6 games in his first season, and did NOT start "day one." christian fauria says hello.

warren only started 4 games in his first season, and did NOT start "day one." bobby hamilton and anthony pleasant say hello.

maroney did not start AT ALL in his first season, and only played in 14 games. corey dillon says hello.

mankins and mayo are the exception, not the rule. acquaint yourself with some facts and watch the game; you may learn something (fun fact: eugene wilson DID start day one - how'd that turn out?).

mayoclinic

Mayo and Mankins started all year, partly by necessity. Seymour played in 13 games and started 10 his rookie year. Warren played in 16 and started 4. Vince "Wildork" didn't start most games as a rookie (he played in all 16 and started 6), but shared time with Keith Traylor and recorded a respectable 42 tackles. Lawrence Maroney didnt start as a rookie, but shared time with Corey Dillon. Dan Graham played in 12 games, started 6, and caught a whopping 15 balls in 2002. And Brandon Meriweather, who you omit from your list, started 0 games as a rookie. I omit Ben Watson, as he was injured his rookie year.

I'll gladly take Butler, Chung, Brace and Vollmer at this point over any 2 of the players you list. Time will tell how they develop, but right now there's no reason to suppose that any of our 4 guys won't be in the same class as any of those other guys. I'll take 4 over 2 (of equivalent players) any day.

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BelichickFan

We're fairly strong at Safety, with McGowan looking solid as a backup, I would have taken Darius Butler at #23, not sure who I would end up taking to replace him at #41. With some issues at LB right now I'd be lying if I wasn't wishing we had someone making more of an instant impact than Chung but it's difficult to not like the draft right now with Butler and Vollmer looking like future good starters at premium positions and Chung and Brace looking like a starter at a non premium position and a rotational big body.

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Don't Give Me a Defensive Player Who Can't Tackle . . . What Am I Going to Do With Him ? --- Bill Belichick

BritPat

It says that Belichick went for the proven veteran rather than an untried rookie.

A bit of radical blue sky thinking, I know.

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captain stone

The last time that Bill moved up to acquire a top-40 pick, he drafted Chad Jackson.

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mayoclinic

Ouch.

He moved up to draft Dan Graham, bypassing Ed Reed in the process in 2002. He moved up to draft Ty Warren, who has worked out great, but also bypassing Troy Polamalu in the process.

I personally wouldn't have drafted Chung at 34 either, though I think he will be solid for us. If the bleeping Commish hadn't taken #31 from us in 2008 we could have drafted Kenny Phillips, who was great with Meriweather at the U, and then used #34 on a pass rusher.

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