Now let me start by saying I was happy with our overall draft. The trades while frustrating at the time watching were fantastic moves. This is just a fun exercise to see what alternatives we could've come up with.
22 - I would have taken Dez Bryant. The talent was too great to pass up IMO. Randy Moss said himself he likely won't be a part of this team next year. The WR class might be better next April, but the need for another deep threat is NOW. Granted this kid Taylor Price looks like a burner, so who knows.
44 - Rob Gronkowksi. Pat's nailed that selection IMO. He may need time to develop, but in the long run he could be one of the greatest TEs of all time.
Trade 47 & 119 to AZ for 58 & 89 as they did.
Trade 53 to NO for 64 & 94
58 - Jared Veldheer
64 - Jon Asamoah
89 - Corey Wootton
94 - Austen Lane
6th rd comp - Kyle Calloway
7th - Max Hall QB BYU
7th rd comp - Brandon Deaderick
7th rd comp - AJ Jefferson
7th rd comp - Brandon Lang
Obviously I felt the OL needed to be addressed more than most.
What would you have done different?
Hindsight is indeed 20/20.
It is also obvious that everyone was wrong in what was the Patriot diagnosed major weakness. Belichick thought a position other than OLB Pass Rusher was the most important. He took several actions, all with his own diagnosis in mind, so he viewed it as extremely important, too.
When you analyze it, he was correct.
Belichick viewed the Run Defense as an area that needed the most urgent correction, not Pass Rush. To beef up Rush Defense that ranked 16th, and allowed 4.4 YPC, was the unspoken theme of both draft and offseason acquisitions. Not being able to stop the Run is a glaring weakness, that could have led to a 4-12 record, and did lead to a 10-6 and early Playoff exit. So Belichick took several coordinated actions to close that self-diagnosed weakness.
1) He drafted a CB who is noted for his good rush defense and tackling ability, as much as his Pass Defense, McCourty.
2) The first veteran additions to the Team were a pair of former First Round Defensive linemen, who are both more noted for their Run rather than their Pass Rush Defense in Lewis and Warren.
3) Then he drafted a strong SILB LB in the second round, in Brandon Spikes. Someone who is noted for containing the run, and yielding fewer YPC.
4) Only then did he draft an OLB candidate, in Jermaine Cunningham; but even there, he selected one who is "complete", and has a good run Defense backround as well.
5) He added the best Punter, in Mesko. That is a defensive addition, too.
Bill's Defense and defensive strategy is based on requiring long sustained drives for the opponent to score. He expects that they will get stopped as often by their own screw ups, as by the Pats Defense, but in either case, they don't score. He is correct too; the Expected Value function for scoring is inversely related to the length of the drive.
Mesko may add another First down requirement and 10 yards further to go, with additional chances for the opposition to mess up, especially when they can't just run repeatedly, with success, like they did in 2009.
The balance of Belichick's draft was adding quality players to a talented squad, whenever his choices came up. Grounkowski but even more, Price and Hernandez, along with Larsen and the tradeup for Welch, was depth building and reconstruction on Offense.
A next generation Offensive line is already shaping up, all hand selected candidates by Scarnecchia. Featuring Volmer the critical LOT already in place, Larsen/Ohrnberger at C ,and the other and Bussey and/or Connolly at G, along with Levoir and/or Welch at RT.
The only change I might have made, never had a chance of occurring, as things turned out. If Roland McClain had slid to 16 or so, I would have traded up for him; but he didn't, so the question is moot. Spikes still fits the bill, and he can be platooned, if necessary. Belichick has ensured there are other quality players aboard that allow such a scenario.
All in all, I think it was a magnificent virtuoso display of offseason player acquisition, using both Draft and Free Agency. There is nothing I could criticize, except possibly some resignings; but the offseason is not yet completed, and these may yet occur.
