- Joined
- Jan 22, 2005
- Messages
- 31,002
- Reaction score
- 15,558
Registered Members experience this forum ad and noise-free.
CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.I think that the Pats are sick of seeing thier promising late round draft picks getting coached up during training camp and then scooped up off their practice squad to other teams active rosters.
In 2010, the Patriots entered the draft with seven picks in the last three rounds, four of them untradable comp picks.
This year, the Pats have been trading away a lot of low-round picks (7 for Ojinnaka, 6 as part of the Maroney trade, undisclosed pick for Page, etc.).
Coincidence, or plan?
Belichick doesn't take a dump, son, without a plan.
This draft is setting up to be very top-heavy if a majority of the top juniors declare (the CBA may or may not be favorable in 2011 but it certainly won't be better in 2012). However the talent drop-off for day 3 is considerable. We are talking 2007 bad. Having 6 picks when the getting is good and hardly any when the pickin's are slim...sounds like a plan to me.
If Light and Mankins get retained for 2011 (a distinct possibility) then this team will return essentially intact. This means that the top guys selected in April are displacing guys that helped get the best record in the league. I just don't think there will be much room at the inn for 3rd day guys and UDFAs.
QB - Nope, can't see them dedicating a roster spot for 3 at this point
RB - Yep, a likely target for a later round guy
WR - Can't even get Price on the field now
TE - No way
OT - No need for a developmental guy. Go big or don't bother.
OG - Ditto
OC - Possible since the eventual Koppen replacement may not be on the roster now
DE - No
DT - No
OLB - Possible but only if TBC and/or Ninkovich are moved out
ILB - No
CB - Possible if Wilhite is released, but would need to be a top ST guy
S - Best candidates are already on the roster
ST - No
That looks to me like RB, OC, OLB and CB are the only 3rd-day/UDFA possibilities...and I would expect OLB and CB to be addressed before day 3. So a complementary RB (either a big guy or a track guy) and a Koppen protege are in order...and the Pats will have 2 or 3 picks to use, depending on the Page trade.
QB - Nope, can't see them dedicating a roster spot for 3 at this point
RB - Yep, a likely target for a later round guy
WR - Can't even get Price on the field now
TE - No way
OT - No need for a developmental guy. Go big or don't bother.
OG - Ditto
OC - Possible since the eventual Koppen replacement may not be on the roster now
DE - No
DT - No
OLB - Possible but only if TBC and/or Ninkovich are moved out
ILB - No
CB - Possible if Wilhite is released, but would need to be a top ST guy
S - Best candidates are already on the roster
ST - No
That looks to me like RB, OC, OLB and CB are the only 3rd-day/UDFA possibilities...and I would expect OLB and CB to be addressed before day 3. So a complementary RB (either a big guy or a track guy) and a Koppen protege are in order...and the Pats will have 2 or 3 picks to use, depending on the Page trade.
On the QB front, Hoyer is only signed through '11, so BB may buy some QB insurance
I'll have to respectfully disagree.
I'll have to respectfully disagree.
Getting a true stud DE is a need.
Getting another legit OLB is a possible need. And keeping Ninkovich doesn't exclude getting an upgrade.
A RB to develop behind BJGE is a need. I'm not sure if Taylor or Morris are coming back and they are both old and injury prone.
WR is not really a need however Branch and Edelman have shown themselves to be fragile so it might not be a bad idea to develop talent there if a good player drops to the mid rounds.
Offensive line is a definite need. Light and Mankins coming back is not a lock by any means.
Safety can be improved upon. I'm not buying the theory that Meriweather 'gets it' yet when he still takes bad angles that takes out his own man from the play.
At cornerback you can never have enough talent. The NFL has become a pass first league. CBs can be fragile, and Butler is far from a certainty. Neither is Bodden guaranteed to come back 100% from his injury.
There are still plenty of positions on the roster that can be either upgraded or a future player developed for depth. If the Pats have a monster 2011 draft similar to 2010 than the NFL better watch out, because we could be talking about a second Dynasty for the Pats then.
OT - No need for a developmental guy. Go big or don't bother.
@metaphors
Between-the-tackles RBs like BGE take a lot of punishment. Always good to have duplicates/spares.
A durable, true FB to replace Morris might be another late-round option.
This is how I feel about so many positions on the roster.
With the great progress made across the board on this team (McCourty at CB, Spikes at ILB, Cunnigham/Ninko at OLB, etc.), things that were glaring needs last year actually appear filled.
Our goal in this draft is seeking upgrades, not filling holes.