WEEI.com: Best late-round bargains in Patriots history

[Christopher_Price]

Hey all ... with the draft edging closer, this week's Hot List looks at the best late-round draft bargains in Patriots history. Send me your list.

Christopher Price | The Hot List: Best Late-Round Bargains

 

[Zeus]

I don't think I'd put Mosi - a part time RB and STer - up there ahead of established long term starters Grogan and Coates.

There was a guy back in the Fairbanks era named Sam Hunt who was drafted in the 14th round (I think) and was a pretty good LB for the mid 70s Patriots. He was huge (for the time) and battled weight problems, but could move pretty well and was an absolutely ferocious hitter.

 

[Ring 6]

Hey all ... with the draft edging closer, this week's Hot List looks at the best late-round draft bargains in Patriots history. Send me your list.

Christopher Price | The Hot List: Best Late-Round Bargains

Hard to buy Koppen in the 5th as a better bargain than Coates in the 5th or Grogan in the 5th.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Disagree on Brady. He's merely a one hit wonder and a system QB. Won't be nearly as good once Weis leaves to ND. etc etc

 

[Christopher_Price]

I set the bar pretty high -- you had to be taken 150th or later overall to qualify for the list, so Grogan and Coates didn't fit. Grogan was 116th overall in 1975 and Coates was 124th overall in 1991. (Put them in "honorable mention/missed the cut")

 

[gomezcat]

Disagree on Brady. He's merely a one hit wonder and a system QB. Won't be nearly as good once Weis leaves to ND. etc etc

He's also not very good throwing with his left hand, which is a serious weakness...

 

[Garbanza]

LOVE that story about Troy Brown annoying Coates and Armstriong so much they put him in a barrell and roll him down a hill in Foxboro. Priceless because I just can't see Troy being annoying....but I can imgaine him rolling down that hill with ease and precision!

 

[Christopher_Price]

He's also not very good throwing with his left hand, which is a serious weakness...

He's also not that fast. (rolling of eyes....)

 

[jmt57]

From the 6th round or later:

Nick Buoniconti - 13th round, 1962
Jim Nance - 19th round, 1965
Ray Hamilton - 14th round, 1973
Sam Hunt - 15th round, 1974
Mosi Tatupu - 8th round, 1978
Lin Dawson - 8th round, 1981
Fred Marion - 8th round, 1982
Craig James - 7th round, 1983
Ronnie Lippett - 8th round, 1983
Troy Brown - 8th round, 1993
Tom Brady - 6th round, 2000
David Givens - 7th round, 2002
Matt Cassel - 7th round, 2005

In my opinion the top late-round picks would be Brady, Nance, Buoniconti, Hamilton, Hunt and Brown.

On a side note, top undrafted free agents would include Adam Vinatieri and John Smith, among others.

 

[Patriot_dynasty]

Where is Curtis Martin on this list? Him and Terrell Davis were late round picks in 1995 and became studs. I was crushed when Tuna took lured him away from the Pats.

 

[Patriot_dynasty]

Nevermind...I think Martin was a 3rd round pick. My bad.

 

[Christopher_Price]

From the 6th round or later:

Nick Buoniconti - 13th round, 1962
Jim Nance - 19th round, 1965
Ray Hamilton - 14th round, 1973
Sam Hunt - 15th round, 1974
Mosi Tatupu - 8th round, 1978
Lin Dawson - 8th round, 1981
Fred Marion - 8th round, 1982
Craig James - 7th round, 1983
Ronnie Lippett - 8th round, 1983
Troy Brown - 8th round, 1993
Tom Brady - 6th round, 2000
David Givens - 7th round, 2002
Matt Cassel - 7th round, 2005

In my opinion the top late-round picks would be Brady, Nance, Buoniconti, Hamilton, Hunt and Brown.

On a side note, top undrafted free agents would include Adam Vinatieri and John Smith, among others.

JMT, that's a helluva a list. I agree with you on a lot of them--Buoniconti is a great call. (The Patriots also took Frank Tarkenton in the fifth round in 1961.) I wasn't sure what to do with the USFL guys like James -- he left SMU after the 1982 season and played for the Washington Federals. Didn't join the Pats until 1984.

 

[AzPatsFan]

The best late round draft pick bar none, was Jim Nance in the 13th round.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

He's also not very good throwing with his left hand, which is a serious weakness...

And Cassel outpunts him by 20 yards......

 

[jmt57]

JMT, that's a helluva a list. I agree with you on a lot of them--Buoniconti is a great call. (The Patriots also took Frank Tarkenton in the fifth round in 1961.) I wasn't sure what to do with the USFL guys like James -- he left SMU after the 1982 season and played for the Washington Federals. Didn't join the Pats until 1984.

Yeah, you almost need to remove the USFL players from this type of list. Could say the same for anyone taken in the '60's due to the AFL vs NFL competition for players, plus the fact that scouting and drafting was not remotely close to being as sophisticated as it is today.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Disagree on Brady. He's merely a one hit wonder and a system QB. Won't be nearly as good once Weis leaves to ND. etc etc

Yeah, and what is Belichick thinking to keep that loser Cassel as his number one backup? It all starts with the HC and these guys are going nowhere fast. :singing:

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

From the 6th round or later:

Nick Buoniconti - 13th round, 1962 Pre' 86 SB STARTERS
Jim Nance - 19th round, 1965
Ray Hamilton - 14th round, 1973
Sam Hunt - 15th round, 1974
Mosi Tatupu - 8th round, 1978
Lin Dawson - 8th round, 1981
Fred Marion - 8th round, 1982
Craig James - 7th round, 1983
Ronnie Lippett - 8th round, 1983
Troy Brown - 8th round, 1993
Tom Brady - 6th round, 2000
David Givens - 7th round, 2002
Matt Cassel - 7th round, 2005

In my opinion the top late-round picks would be Brady, Nance, Buoniconti, Hamilton, Hunt and Brown.

On a side note, top undrafted free agents would include Adam Vinatieri and John Smith, among others.

All too often these "Patriots History" threads totally miss the 60s and 70s with scant memory of the 80s pre SuperBowl.