A dozen 2009 draft picks on the 53

[patchick]

I thought this stat was worth appreciating. The Pats drafted 12 players in 2009. Only the final 7th rounder (Richard) looks like a likely cut a year later, and a UDFA (Hoyer) makes up the difference. Of the dozen, 2-3 project to full-time starters and several others to be very significant contributors.

That's pretty spectacular.

For those inclined to compare BB's first year without Pioli vs. the opposite: even after the Cassel trade, Kansas City entered the 2009 draft with more value-chart firepower than New England. The Chiefs selected these 8 players:

Tyson Jackson
Alex Magee
Donald Washington
Colin Brown
Quinten Lawrence
Javarris Williams
Jake O'Connell
Ryan Succop

In their rookie year, only the kicker lived up to expectations. Also, KC traded away a 2010 pick to get O'Connell, while the Patriots traded picks into 2010 and added a major haul of Gronkowski, Spikes and Mesko via their 2009 draft currency.

So far, advantage BB by a mile.

 

[MaineMan]

And Richard might still end up on the P/S.

Something tells me that the 2010 draft will turn out comparatively well, too.

 

[BritPat]

It's not just the amount either, it's the quality. Vollmer is the star of the group, no question, and so long as he keeps working hard every day, he's our LT for the next 5-10 years. That is a Draft haul in itself - but then you add Chung and Butler, two quality looking youngsters, Chung especially who looks like he can make a difference on every down and who adds leadership, you add in Edelman, who looks an utter beast of a player and a threat every time he has the ball - and a 7th round pick to boot!, Mckenzie, a smart, hard working versatile playmaker, Pryor, a good looking D-lineman who admittedly struggles when being run at, but really excels on passing downs - the absolute epitome of a sixth round "swing for the fences" pick, Tate, another versatile hard working talented young man who has really shown glimpses of his raw talent, Ingram who has come in at an unheralded yet important position and we've not lost a step.......

Tentatively, it's a fantastic looking Draft.

 

[Snake Eyes]

I look at it this way, Pioli has had 2 drafts to help put together a line to protect Cassel and even in a pre-season game the D-line went through them like they weren't even there. I don't know why they gave up that draft pick and spent all that money on Cassel when they're not going to bother to protect him.

I'm starting to think that Pioli has been holding the franchise back all these years.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I look at it this way, Pioli has had 2 drafts to help put together a line to protect Cassel and even in a pre-season game the D-line went through them like they weren't even there. I don't know why they gave up that draft pick and spent all that money on Cassel when they're not going to bother to protect him.

I'm starting to think that Pioli has been holding the franchise back all these years.

Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out WTF Pioli was thinking there.

On the flip side, if Cassel had ended up in Denver, it's at least theoretically possible that the Patriots would have wound up with Tim Tebow. . . .

 

[Snake Eyes]

Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out WTF Pioli was thinking there.

On the flip side, if Cassel had ended up in Denver, it's at least theoretically possible that the Patriots would have wound up with Tim Tebow. . . .

Cassel would have turned into a fine QB under McDaniels in Denver, and Tebow would have been fine here, we would have taken him much later though and either let him sit behind Brady for a few years learning and come online like Aaron Rodgers, or we would have let him play here and there and then just traded him off for a first round pick or two.

 

[MaineMan]

When Pioli went to KC I figured, after his history with the Pats, he'd start rebuilding with the O-line.

KC had a lot of things that needed to be fixed, but the O-line was arguably the worst. They had Croyle and Thigpen who, though never destined to be great, were serviceable, IF they had some even mediocre protection. They still had LJ. Though he was in decline, that had been greatly magnified by often useless blocking.

The front seven on defense was also pretty poor, but, outside of a couple 8-year vets, the average experience level was under two years. IOW, there was a lot of youth and some talent (all specifically acquired for a 4-3 defense) that might have improved their performance simply with better coaching.

Out of all the teams that year that switched to the 3-4, KC easily had the least appropriate personnel. But that's what they did anyway. It was obvious that this change would require 2-4 years of spending draft picks and otherwise working to swap out virtually all their front seven personnel (at the expense of rebuilding other units). With so many other things that needed work, this was a huge WTF?

Then they went out of their way (and spent upgrade ammo that could have been used elsewhere) to acquire Cassell who was NOT head-and-shoulders better than who they already had and who wouldn't perform a lot better anyway, UNLESS they made some serious upgrades on the O-line. Which they didn't. Not in the draft and not even in FA until the very end of camp (and then not very much). And then they pretty much ignored the O-line again this off-season.

I was never one who thought of Pioli as a "genius", but I did think he was at least sufficiently competent to begin rebuilding KC thoughtfully and efficiently. I'd say he's already more than proven even that lukewarm assessment to have been generous.

To be fair, maybe the direction of all this has been dictated by Clark Hunt. Having lived around Detroit for 40 years, I'm intimately familiar with ownership interference consistently screwing up a team. But still, I give it another year or two of similar moves and results and Pioli and/or Haley will almost certainly be looking for work elsewhere.

Meanwhile, yes, it seems that BB and the Pats have moved on quite well in Piloi's absence.

 

[MaineMan]

Cassel would have turned into a fine QB under McDaniels in Denver, and Tebow would have been fine here, we would have taken him much later though and either let him sit behind Brady for a few years learning and come online like Aaron Rodgers, or we would have let him play here and there and then just traded him off for a first round pick or two.

I still don't expect Tebow to become a winning NFL QB. However, if he'd come to the Pats, I think he'd easily have replaced one of our RBs by now - either BJGE or Maroney - and probably been worked successfully into a couple of other roles as well, maybe even as a "Wild Pat" QB. But I doubt he would ever have been groomed as Brady's replacement. I think Hoyer might already be that guy.

 

[Snake Eyes]

I still don't expect Tebow to become a winning NFL QB. However, if he'd come to the Pats, I think he'd easily have replaced one of our RBs by now - either BJGE or Maroney - and probably been worked successfully into a couple of other roles as well, maybe even as a "Wild Pat" QB. But I doubt he would ever have been groomed as Brady's replacement. I think Hoyer might already be that guy.

If we were going to groom him it would have been as QB, that's where the value is, teams can get any number of guys to play RB better than Tebow would have. If he was sufficient to be an heir to Brady we would have kept him. If he looked good but not sufficient for our needs we would have moved him at a profit.

 

[Richard Camembert]

I thought this stat was worth appreciating. The Pats drafted 12 players in 2009. Only the final 7th rounder (Richard) looks like a likely cut a year later, and a UDFA (Hoyer) makes up the difference. Of the dozen, 2-3 project to full-time starters and several others to be very significant contributors.

QUOTE]

Warning: Ballwashing dead ahead!

And add that from the 2010 draft, albeit in context of a very limited sample size, it looks like Hernandez, Gronk, McCourty, Spikes, and Mesko should contribute this year. Only Cunningham, Price, and the line projects have failed to impress thus far.

And we have two first and two second round picks in 2011.

I admire the energy and skill which this organization is displaying as they overhaul a football dynasty.

 

[Metaphors]

With the high draft picks next year and the likely return of the salary cap (probably not much larger than it was in 2009), the Pats could have about half of the roster on rookie deals for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Don't know what the next CBA is going to look like but the Pats seem to be in fine position for the near future.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Probably getting ahead of myself here, but the 2009 draft has the potential to be the best draft ever under BB. 8 of those picks should play significant minutes every game (I'm including Brace, who benefits from Ty's injury).

Some might say 2000 simply because we lucked out on Brady at the end, and a HOF QB is the hardest thing to find. 2001 featured Seymour and Light in the first two rounds, with a whole lot of nothing with the following 8 picks.

But you'd be hard-pressed to find a draft in the BB era with this kind of depth and immediate impact. Unless you looked at the 2010 draft, with a starting-caliber CB, two great TEs that have changed our entire offense, a starting ILB and a huge upgrade at punter, with some interesting potential guys in Cunningham and Price.

And then the draft ammo in 2011? I'm pretty stoked about the future, but so much of that future is ready to play today.

 

[AzPatsFan]

I thought this stat was worth appreciating. The Pats drafted 12 players in 2009. Only the final 7th rounder (Richard) looks like a likely cut a year later, and a UDFA (Hoyer) makes up the difference. Of the dozen, 2-3 project to full-time starters and several others to be very significant contributors.

QUOTE]

Warning: Ballwashing dead ahead!

And add that from the 2010 draft, albeit in context of a very limited sample size, it looks like Hernandez, Gronk, McCourty, Spikes, and Mesko should contribute this year. Only Cunningham, Price, and the line projects have failed to impress thus far.

And we have two first and two second round picks in 2011.

I admire the energy and skill which this organization is displaying as they overhaul a football dynasty.

You have to understand what was the object of "the line projects". Volmer was mean to be a future starting LOT. He clearly will be.

The others were meant to be groomed to be future reserves, and/or spot starters. Welch and Larsen are clearly no where near ready this season. PS candidates at best.

That leaves Wendell, Ohrnberger, and Bussey. (and Guiacuic) Bussey seems to be the 4th Tackle and adequate there. He might get some cross-training at LG but I haven't seen any yet.

Ohrnberger and Wendell are duking it out for LG reserve, behind 5th year small school trainee, Connolly, who is the clear winner and incumbent with Mankins holding out and Kaczur headed to IR. But Ohrnberger has won C reserve, and Wendell is not even being tried at RG reserve where the former 4th round trade-up has it all to himself.

From that we can deduce that the Patriot Brain Trust plans to invest a premium draft pick for the next generation tackle opposite Volmer, possibly in 2011, but maybe 2012. When th Mankins holdout ends we can see if either he or Kaczur are candidates for RT for the next 3-4 years.

I would also expect a premium pick like a late second, but probably a third to be invested in a future starting interior Offensive lineman.

BTW , Watson had a fine day in the PS2 Brown's game and amid the hoopla, it was revealed he will receive $6.35 million in guaranteed money in 2010. I believe that is 3rd round Compensation draft pick money.

So the Patriots may have 6 premium picks with double picks in Rounds 1, 2, and 3 in 2011.

AdamJt is the one to seek for compensation advice. Perhaps the Pats will have six premium picks to play with in mock drafts.

 

[Off The Grid]

BTW , Watson had a fine day in the PS2 Brown's game and amid the hoopla, it was revealed he will receive $6.35 million in guaranteed money in 2010. I believe that is 3rd round Compensation draft pick money.

So the Patriots may have 6 premium picks with double picks in Rounds 1, 2, and 3 in 2011.

AdamJt is the one to seek for compensation advice. Perhaps the Pats will have six premium picks to play with in mock drafts.

How amazingly cool would THAT be??

I have NO idea what goes into that Comp Pick Formula...But I LOVE how the Patriots work it!!