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I'm fine with not drafting linebackers early because these players need NFL training as long as we bring in free agents to meet our needs as Belichick has done in the past. The patriots have not wanted to spend a high pick on a developmental linebacker. That is the Belichick's choice. He has to live with not drafting Laurinitis, not us. It is Belichick who needs to answer for the decreased performance from the linebackers from 2001-2004 to 2005-2007, not us.
HOWEVER, in the past, Belichick had brought in veterans because the need was there, and players are indeed available every year elsewhere than can help. Some of the players brought in by Belichick include:
here when Belichick came: Bruschi, McGinist, Johnson, Katzenmoyer and Slade
2001 Phifer, Vrable and Cox (Phifer was our #1 tackler over his three years)
2003 Colvin
three Super Bowl in four years and then
2005 Beisel, Chad Brown
2006 Seau
2007 Thomas
2008 Hobson
2009 Banta-Cain
Where are the replacements for McGinist, Johnson, Phifer and the developmental players to replace the reduced reps of Vrabel and Bruschi? In 2001-2004, Belichick gave us our best linebacker corps ever. Only one of five remain, and he is in his last year. We have replaced the five with Thomas and Mayo. Are we really to expect that Crable, Guyton and McKenzie are the replacements for the other three with competition from Redd, Craig and Appleby? After all, Woods and Banta-Cain will likely be gone after the season.
While it true that taking a flier on a 2nd round is risky, so is taking a flyer on an UDFA. Are you really thinking that the expected outcomes should be the same? Should we really expect that the patriots coaches would produce the same result whether they are given Laurinitis or Appleby to work with?
Just BTW, Belichick CHANGED his strategy in 2008. The situation was so severe, and the competition for 3-4 linebackers so extensive, that Belichick started using top 100 picks for linebackers: Mayo, Crable and McKenzie.
I have to believe that Belichick thinks a lot of Banta-Cain to make him the only addition so far.
HOWEVER, in the past, Belichick had brought in veterans because the need was there, and players are indeed available every year elsewhere than can help. Some of the players brought in by Belichick include:
here when Belichick came: Bruschi, McGinist, Johnson, Katzenmoyer and Slade
2001 Phifer, Vrable and Cox (Phifer was our #1 tackler over his three years)
2003 Colvin
three Super Bowl in four years and then
2005 Beisel, Chad Brown
2006 Seau
2007 Thomas
2008 Hobson
2009 Banta-Cain
Where are the replacements for McGinist, Johnson, Phifer and the developmental players to replace the reduced reps of Vrabel and Bruschi? In 2001-2004, Belichick gave us our best linebacker corps ever. Only one of five remain, and he is in his last year. We have replaced the five with Thomas and Mayo. Are we really to expect that Crable, Guyton and McKenzie are the replacements for the other three with competition from Redd, Craig and Appleby? After all, Woods and Banta-Cain will likely be gone after the season.
While it true that taking a flier on a 2nd round is risky, so is taking a flyer on an UDFA. Are you really thinking that the expected outcomes should be the same? Should we really expect that the patriots coaches would produce the same result whether they are given Laurinitis or Appleby to work with?
Just BTW, Belichick CHANGED his strategy in 2008. The situation was so severe, and the competition for 3-4 linebackers so extensive, that Belichick started using top 100 picks for linebackers: Mayo, Crable and McKenzie.
I have to believe that Belichick thinks a lot of Banta-Cain to make him the only addition so far.
I'm certainly not sold on Redd, Woods or Guyton, and I have no opinion of Craig at all. I'm very concerned with all our LBs, with the exception of only Mayo and Thomas.
But if you're going to take a flier and invest in a player who have potential but really isn't what you're looking for, its far better to get them as un-drafted free agents than spending by a 2nd rounder on them. Smart is spending the 2nd on a guy that you're actually confident will contribute to the team.
Belichick has proven to be incredibly picky about his linebackers. He passed on David Harris, who I thought was the bomb and has played well, and Jon Beason, who's already gone to the pro-bowl. He passed on Demeco Ryan, another young pro-bowler, and Mattias Kiwanuka, even tho they both have the size he seems to want.
I actually believe that some of the LBs he passed on this year will be outstanding pros. I dont know why Patrick Chung is was rated so high-- higher than someone like Laurinaitis. But if BB has decided to be patient and only draft LBs early that fit the mold of Willie McGinest, Lawrence Taylor and Jerod Mayo, then maybe that explains why so many drafts pass and he's slow to pull the trigger at LB early. He seems content to fill the position with JAGs until he finds his guy.