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1. I guess this would be the appropriate time to do my second guessing on this draft, which btw, I'm pretty happy with and will comment on later.
a. I am now completely happy with our first pick. The more I hear the more I like it.
b. I would have let the Ravens have Gronkowsi, even though I'm glad he's here, and taken Kindle. He's going to be a great TE, but I feel that there were several guys who would have been available in the first 4 rounds who would have filled the bill for us in the TE position, which was ESPECIALLY deep this draft. Pitta, Graham, Hernandez, etc all would have been available to us later on.
c. Now we could have taken a Golden Tate type WR
d. I would have thought that we could have waited on Spikes until the 3rd round, and picked another potential pass rusher like Worlidis, or a DE with pass rush abilities.
e. On the second day I have a problem with the punter in the 5th. Here again I would have addressed the DL and pass rush issues, maybe going for a small college flyer like Arthur Moats.
f. Finally at the end of the draft I probably shouldn't be surprised to see additions to Dante Scarnechia's Hitler Youth corps when we could have used a throwaway pick to grab a guy like RB Blount, or former basketball player TE prospect who just had a few games in college, whose name I can't remember.
g. Also I think we need to think about the end of the Dan Koppen era, and I don't his future replacement on the roster...or in this draft.
2. OK, now that I have THAT off my chest, let me tell you how I think some of the picks fit.
a. McCourty - I actually see him as the starting CB opposite Boddin this season. I see Butler as the nickle with Wheatly Springs and Wilhite as depth McCourty's physicality makes him the more likely to start on the outside. Butler's cover ability makes him the perfect nickel to match up on other team's slot receivers. Wilhite and Wheatly give us experienced good depth, which as we know all to well is essential, and Springs' size can be used in certain match ups with big WRs and in the red zone.
b. Gronkowski - Clearly the best all round blocker/receiver TE in the draft, so I understand why BB chose him. At worst he is Daniel Graham II, which isn't a bad thing. At best he's a notch better Receiver, which, at his size, will make him a real 2 way threat....and hopefully make the TE position in the Pats offense relevant again.
c. Cunningham - I'm not sure he's the guy who can beat pass blockers one on one, or if he will end up being a solid all round OLB in a few years who can set the edge, get 5-7 sacks and be a consistently good tackler. Not a bad pick, but one that doesn't stand out to me on paper. My hope he's good enough to get on the field in pass rush situations and prove pressure, while he learns the position.
d. Spikes - Again, I'm pretty sure he would have been there in the 3rd, which would have allowed us to pick a better WR in the 2nd. But he's here and if he has the quickness of a 4.6-7 ILB, I won't care if he ran a 5 flat 40. One of the objects of this draft was to become better at stopping the run and being more physical. He fits that bill....if he has the quickness in the 10 yd box that he will be operating in as an ILB.
e. Price - Never heard of him, but he seems to have the quickness and speed to develop into an outside WR with decent size. Only time will tell if he pans out. With Holt on board, its less of pressing issue. Plus I believe that one of the reason's the Pats have invested so heavily in NEXT year's draft is be in position to take one of the top 4 impact WRs that are reportedly coming out in 2011. Its supposedly the one area of that draft that will be deep.
f. Hernandez - Again I would have gone with a DE or OLB flyer at this spot or maybe a WR, but I understand the Hernandez pick. I makes more sense when you think of him more in the Dallas Clark mode. Not so much a stereotypical TE, but a big WR who can spread wide and be a big target underneath and occasionally splitting a seam route. Think Dallas Clark. With him as the 3rd TE, it is less likely we need a 6th WR.
g. I made my feelings known on Mesko earlier, and the rest of the draft is just a shot in the dark anyways. I might have taken DIFFERENT shots, but who knows. Last season, I never expected anything out of the last 4 rounds of THAT draft, and it got us 3 key players for this year. I can only hope that we get 3 more.
3. I'm OK with the Warren pick up. It is what it is. However this guy has started for the last 3 years on an NFL team. He gives us more depth and more time to develop our younger players. And don't underestimate the value of keeping those BIG guys fresh over the long NFL season.
4. I'm sure in his post draft presser, BB emphasized that the team building process IS NOT over. Who knows what will transpire over the next 4+ months before the season starts, and the final 53 will be determined.
5. However as of right now, the team just got deeper and more talented....unfortunately so did the rest of the 31 teams in the league.
6. In parting, I'm getting comfortable and less irate when I see the media thinking that the Pats are no longer one of the AFC's leading contenders to be in the superbowl. It is not unfair to think that teams like the Chargers, Jets, Ravens, and Colts should be preseason favorites. First it makes sense, and second what does it matter. The teams like the Giants, Jets and Cardinals have proved once you are in the playoffs anything can happen. I CERTAINLY can see us being a 10-12 win team, and that is all that will take to get us into the second season.
a. I am now completely happy with our first pick. The more I hear the more I like it.
b. I would have let the Ravens have Gronkowsi, even though I'm glad he's here, and taken Kindle. He's going to be a great TE, but I feel that there were several guys who would have been available in the first 4 rounds who would have filled the bill for us in the TE position, which was ESPECIALLY deep this draft. Pitta, Graham, Hernandez, etc all would have been available to us later on.
c. Now we could have taken a Golden Tate type WR
d. I would have thought that we could have waited on Spikes until the 3rd round, and picked another potential pass rusher like Worlidis, or a DE with pass rush abilities.
e. On the second day I have a problem with the punter in the 5th. Here again I would have addressed the DL and pass rush issues, maybe going for a small college flyer like Arthur Moats.
f. Finally at the end of the draft I probably shouldn't be surprised to see additions to Dante Scarnechia's Hitler Youth corps when we could have used a throwaway pick to grab a guy like RB Blount, or former basketball player TE prospect who just had a few games in college, whose name I can't remember.
g. Also I think we need to think about the end of the Dan Koppen era, and I don't his future replacement on the roster...or in this draft.
2. OK, now that I have THAT off my chest, let me tell you how I think some of the picks fit.
a. McCourty - I actually see him as the starting CB opposite Boddin this season. I see Butler as the nickle with Wheatly Springs and Wilhite as depth McCourty's physicality makes him the more likely to start on the outside. Butler's cover ability makes him the perfect nickel to match up on other team's slot receivers. Wilhite and Wheatly give us experienced good depth, which as we know all to well is essential, and Springs' size can be used in certain match ups with big WRs and in the red zone.
b. Gronkowski - Clearly the best all round blocker/receiver TE in the draft, so I understand why BB chose him. At worst he is Daniel Graham II, which isn't a bad thing. At best he's a notch better Receiver, which, at his size, will make him a real 2 way threat....and hopefully make the TE position in the Pats offense relevant again.
c. Cunningham - I'm not sure he's the guy who can beat pass blockers one on one, or if he will end up being a solid all round OLB in a few years who can set the edge, get 5-7 sacks and be a consistently good tackler. Not a bad pick, but one that doesn't stand out to me on paper. My hope he's good enough to get on the field in pass rush situations and prove pressure, while he learns the position.
d. Spikes - Again, I'm pretty sure he would have been there in the 3rd, which would have allowed us to pick a better WR in the 2nd. But he's here and if he has the quickness of a 4.6-7 ILB, I won't care if he ran a 5 flat 40. One of the objects of this draft was to become better at stopping the run and being more physical. He fits that bill....if he has the quickness in the 10 yd box that he will be operating in as an ILB.
e. Price - Never heard of him, but he seems to have the quickness and speed to develop into an outside WR with decent size. Only time will tell if he pans out. With Holt on board, its less of pressing issue. Plus I believe that one of the reason's the Pats have invested so heavily in NEXT year's draft is be in position to take one of the top 4 impact WRs that are reportedly coming out in 2011. Its supposedly the one area of that draft that will be deep.
f. Hernandez - Again I would have gone with a DE or OLB flyer at this spot or maybe a WR, but I understand the Hernandez pick. I makes more sense when you think of him more in the Dallas Clark mode. Not so much a stereotypical TE, but a big WR who can spread wide and be a big target underneath and occasionally splitting a seam route. Think Dallas Clark. With him as the 3rd TE, it is less likely we need a 6th WR.
g. I made my feelings known on Mesko earlier, and the rest of the draft is just a shot in the dark anyways. I might have taken DIFFERENT shots, but who knows. Last season, I never expected anything out of the last 4 rounds of THAT draft, and it got us 3 key players for this year. I can only hope that we get 3 more.
3. I'm OK with the Warren pick up. It is what it is. However this guy has started for the last 3 years on an NFL team. He gives us more depth and more time to develop our younger players. And don't underestimate the value of keeping those BIG guys fresh over the long NFL season.
4. I'm sure in his post draft presser, BB emphasized that the team building process IS NOT over. Who knows what will transpire over the next 4+ months before the season starts, and the final 53 will be determined.
5. However as of right now, the team just got deeper and more talented....unfortunately so did the rest of the 31 teams in the league.
6. In parting, I'm getting comfortable and less irate when I see the media thinking that the Pats are no longer one of the AFC's leading contenders to be in the superbowl. It is not unfair to think that teams like the Chargers, Jets, Ravens, and Colts should be preseason favorites. First it makes sense, and second what does it matter. The teams like the Giants, Jets and Cardinals have proved once you are in the playoffs anything can happen. I CERTAINLY can see us being a 10-12 win team, and that is all that will take to get us into the second season.