Quote:
Originally Posted by VJCPatriot
It seems that the Patriots have not had much success drafting with their second rounders ever since they took Bethel Johnson with a 2nd round pick in 2003.
|
Assuming you aren't being sarcastic...are you nuts?
Hill was drafted as Seymour insurance since his future contract situation was anything but certain. Seymour re-signs so the insurance policy didn't need to be cashed in. Before he died, Hill didn't develop as expected but we will never know if he was just slow catching on with limited opportunities or if he was never going to make it (I would vote for the latter). And he was practically a 3rd round pick anyway.
CJack had a typical quiet rookie year but showed flashes. Tears ACL in mid-January and you expect him to take a big leap forward in the same calendar year? Behind Moss and Stallworth?
Even your evaluation of Bethel is off. He was drafted to inject speed into the return game and he did precisely that. He didn't develop as a receiver and injuries caught up with him. Your "curse" designation puts far more significance on him than is deserved. Useful? He was the difference-maker in a handful of games. Bust? Sure, he just didn't get it to be a consistent contributer. Curse? No way. Were you expecting Jerry Rice?
I think if you consider all the uses of a pick (selection, movement, trade) as being equal, you would see the last 5 years as being fairly successful in round 2. Not perfect, but hardly curse-worthy. Then add in why each pick (Bethel, Hill and CJack) was taken and you get a different picture of the situation.