Felger struggles to stay positive about the Pats...but fails in the end

[LloydBraun]

I agree with Felger in a sense that we have missed on some key picks the last few years. This team would be incredible if the picks for Watson, Maroney, Jackson, Hill, etc had panned out better.

But, we have also hit on some late picks and UDFA. Players like Woods, Cassel, BJGE, Wright, Guyton, Redd (I expect him to be solid), and Gostkowski.

For some reason, I see the following for next weekend, this could change with a Peppers deal:

1- Darius Butler
2- English
2- Delmas
2- Donald Brown

 

[BionicPatriot]

He is usually just a whiner, but here he is saying the blunt truth. Yes the 06 draft sucked, sure it wasn't THAT great in 04, but what team never had bad drafts?

He's right, if Wilhite or Wheatley do not develop we'll have a 2008 secondary all over again. I don't know why when someone says anything not so positive we get all offensive and ****.

 

[jmt57]

I don't see what the problem is, I thought it was a fairly well balanced article. Pats haters bashing them for doing poorly in the draft would never bring up the fact they used draft picks to acquire Wes Welker and Randy Moss, or how flawed and absurd the draft critique done by Forbes magazine was, or the selection of Gostowski like Felger did. The reality is that he is correct in his assertion that the Pats have not received as much production as they were looking for from several draftees in the last few years.

I'm really looking forward to next week's draft. With all the early picks available, hopefully the 2009 draft will go down as one of the best in NFL history.

 

[Deus Irae]

I don't see what the problem is, I thought it was a fairly well balanced article. Pats haters bashing them for doing poorly in the draft would never bring up the fact they used draft picks to acquire Wes Welker and Randy Moss, or how flawed and absurd the draft critique done by Forbes magazine was, or the selection of Gostowski like Felger did. The reality is that he is correct in his assertion that the Pats have not received as much production as they were looking for from several draftees in the last few years.

I'm really looking forward to next week's draft. With all the early picks available, hopefully the 2009 draft will go down as one of the best in NFL history.

Well, the problem is that his argument is silly and his attack on the defense is just plain wrong. This has been gone over time and again, and someone who gets paid to write about the Patriots should know what he's talking about by now.

Other than that, it's a fine morning and I'm sure the day will get even better.

 

[Sicilian]

Of course we don't accept things like this from Felger that we might accept from Reiss. Felger has a reputation for illogical arguments for the sake of making a story (instead of just reporting one).

It's not like we don't give Felger the benefit of the doubt because he's of a certain political party, or religion, or any other factor aside from his deplorable reputation as a sensationalist sports writer.

 

[eom]

yeah, that's really a crock of **** hanging everything on the defense.

didn't look like the offense was exactly carrying them against the giants, and I remember a few key dropped balls to kill drives and blow td opps against indy in the playoffs.
blahblahblah....
they need to coach better and play better in '09.

 

[Deus Irae]

Patriots draft haul, 2005-2008:

2008
Mayo
Wheatley
Crable
O'Connell
Wilhite
Slater
Ruud

Every one of those players is currently still with the team. Mayo was DROY, Wheatley and Wilhite both became starters before their seasons ended, Slater was a special teams focal point.

2007
Meriweather
(Welker)
(Moss)
Brown
Oldenburg
Rogers
Richardson
Hairston
Hilliard
Lua
Elgin

2006
Maroney
Jackson
Thomas
Mills
Gostkowsi
O'Callaghan
Mincey
Stevenson
Smith
Andrews

2005
Mankins
Hobbs
Kaczur
Sanders
Claridge
Cassel
Stokes

How can anyone possibly be sober and complain about that draft haul?

Mankins, Hobbs, Kaczur, Sanders, Cassel, Gostkowsi, Maroney, Meriweather and Mayo are all clearly starters in the NFL. That's 8 clear starters in 4 draft years NOT COUNTING WELKER AND MOSS, and not giving the benefit of the doubt to Wheatley or Wilhite. So, in 4 drafts, this team has come away with 10 starters, at the bare minimum, and that's even with losing a pick due to sanctions.

Legitimate backups still on the team:

O'Callaghan
Wilhite
Wheatley
Smith

Questionable backups still on the team:

Ruud
Slater (but a special teams leader)
Crable
O'Connell
Thomas

There's not a single player take in the top 4 rounds that is out of football, and most of the other players are still on the rosters of other teams.

The probable "worst pick" of the 4 years is Jackson, a wide receiver that blew out his ACL in his rookie season.

Now, match that success up against other teams and you'll find that Felger is talking out of his ass, especially given the actual location of so many of the draft picks. Of the 33 picks in 2005-2008, 18 were in the 5th round or later and another 5 were in the 4th round, leaving only 10 picks in rounds 1-3 (it's 11 out of 35 when you toss in Moss and Welker).

to be continued....

 

[Deus Irae]

Now, let's look at what was drafted from 2001 - 2004:

2004
Wilfork
Watson
Hill
Scott
Reid
Cobbs
Sam
Morton

2003
Warren
Wilson
Johnson
Klecko
Samuel
Koppen
Kingsbury
Nead
Banta-Cain
Kelley

2002
Graham
Branch
Davey
Green
Womack
Givens

2001
Seymour
Light
Williams
Jones
Holloway
Akbar
Love
Myers
Pochman
Turner

Clearly there were upper round misses and late round hits, just as there have been since 2005. 34 players is also darned close to what they've had since 2005, as well.

14 picks below the 4th round plus another 8 4th rounders means 22 of the 34 were 4th round or below (vs. 23 of 33 in 2005-2008). So, 2001-2004 featured more picks in rounds 3 and up, has had more time for the players to develop, and had players competing to get on a team with less talent. Is it any surprise that a couple more players managed to succeed with the Patriots in that environment?

Seymour, Light, Graham, Branch, Givens, Warren, Wilson, Samuel, Koppen, Wilfork and Watson all became starters, along with TBC and Jones (for 1 year).

Would TBC or Jones have been starters had they been drafted in the past couple of years? Would Givens had survived and thrived had he been drafted in 2007 or 2008? It's not that the team has drafted poorly in recent years. It's that the team has had 2 absolutely tremendous draft years (2003, 2005) and that, along with ignoring the trades of 2007, has unfairly skewed peoples' thinking about the other years. Toss in the still developing players from last year's draft and the two eras are a lot closer than Mr. Felger would have you believe.

 

[Jimke]

Felger is correct when he says that this is a huge draft for the

Patriots. If a new CBA is agreed upon, the Pats stand to lose

eight or nine starting players plus Faulk and Gostkowski after the

season. If the CBA runs out, they could lose four or five starters

plus Faulk.

 

[Deus Irae]

Felger is correct when he says that this is a huge draft for the

Patriots. If a new CBA is agreed upon, the Pats stand to lose

eight or nine starting players plus Faulk and Gostkowski after the

season. If the CBA runs out, they could lose four or five starters

plus Faulk.

Or, they could end up keeping every single one of those players. It's an unknown.

 

[Ice Cold Bruschi]

what he said is true.

 

[ALP]

This is absolutely the truth. I'm not a Felger fan but how could anyone possibly
have a problem with his statement?

so he exxagerates our mistakes in the draft....big deals

most of the rest is right on

 

[APatrioticVirginian]

I don't have any problem with what he wrote. He is giving both the best and worst case scenario. If Mike Reiss wrote this (and he has written similiar things), no one would bat an eye.

Reiss wouldnt write this because he has more tact. I mean just how much complaining can you do about Belichick? Its the tone of the piece that stinks on ice.

 

[MrTibbs]

Felger starts off positive entitling this draft as huger than huge, but in the end he seems to forget our wheeling and dealing on the Moss trade...

Michael Felger | The Mailbag: This Draft Is Huger Than Huge For Patriots

Say what you want about this article but I agree 100%. They have bombed in the draft since 2005. I don't want to hear about Moss and Welker blah blah, i'm talking picking rookies and evaluating college talent.

 

[MrTibbs]

Oh and nobody can hold a candle to Parcles in the draft. That guy gets it right more often then he gets it wrong. I'd also have to give what's his face in San Diego a bit of credit also.

 

[Deus Irae]

Say what you want about this article but I agree 100%. They have bombed in the draft since 2005. I don't want to hear about Moss and Welker blah blah, i'm talking picking rookies and evaluating college talent.

Great, so you're just completely wrong then. Thanks.

 

[JoeSixPat]

The only thing I'd take issue with is his suggestion that this is somehow a make or break year for the Patriots with 6 picks in the top 100.

First of all I'd pretty shocked if Belichick used all of those... I expect a fair amount of wheeling and dealing that results in fewer picks and better value for this year or next.

Also, though he references the Welker and Moss picks as we did in picking apart Forbes draft rating, Belichick knows that by stockpiling draft picks he can turn those into proven veterans rather than rookies with unanswered questions.

Overall Belichick does the best he can assessing talent, intelligence and heart. There's no one I'd trust more to pick for this team. Deficiencies in any one of those areas are often masked by rookies heading into the draft - or new problems arise later. No team is immune.

 

[Joker]

awww...the hell with it....let's bring back Booby Grier....Felger and the rest of the C. Littles will finally get their wishes fulfilled

 

[Deus Irae]

awww...the hell with it....let's bring back Booby Grier....Felger and the rest of the C. Littles will finally get their wishes fulfilled

Yep..... the team would suck ass, but at least they could get their interviews.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

I see nothing wrong with that quote. In fact, Felger is 100% right. The pressure is on the Pats in this draft having 4 picks in the first two rounds. I said this a long time ago that this is a make or break draft for the Pats if they want to get back winning super bowls. I'm probably the minority when I say this, but the window is closing. I'm not really worried about Wheatley and Whilite because of the additions in free agency. Also, the Pats need to lay off any position that won't contribute any time soon in the first couple of rounds. I want to see draft picks that are going to compete for playing right away. So I don't want to see a TE or DL. If they have the nerve to draft a DL or TE in the first round, their setting themselves up for failure. I'm sorry, but you can't keep stockpiling one position and neglect others that are a glaring need. The outside LB is a glaring need and if they don't address it, you can forget a super bowl. Yes, the pressure is on the Pats.