AzPatsFan
Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2004
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Fans are predictable and some types never seem to change. The first type falls in love with some FA star who may or may not fit the Patriots, and dream of him wearing the Flying Elvis.
The Second type is the self annointed draft guru, and unacknowledged GM genius, in their own eyes. These types of fans can always find a unheralded collegian who is virtually certain to be a super duper star when taken as a UDFA. Or fall in love with a collegian who will not fall outside the Top Ten. These fans then complain that Belichick will not trade away all his picks and wreck his economic roster, to go up and get him.
Both of these types of fans consider Belichick a dolt, or an incipient Alzheimer's patient, and a failure in not seeing or sharing their genius, and trading an entire draft to secure their favorites.
They are always doomed to be disappointed.
Belichik never does so, because he knows he has a limited pot of money that must stretch in order to have average or better than average players for 53-65 positions. He wins that way, especially late in the season as rosters get decimated with injuries, and he still has capable substitute players.
These fans never consider that at all. They think the team should be made up of only superstar starters and never realize you can't do that with a limited pot of money.
Belichick's genius lays in fitting that many players who can play, into the available pot of money.
Belichick knows he will always be picking late, since he wins. So more then most, he takes advantage of every opportunity includng obtaining more picks, and harvesting a draft year position that is in surplus, expecting to pick up a player that would ordinarily never be available to him.
For example. Wilfork fell to him and he snatched him up. Seldom can you obtain a Probowl quality Left Tackle or QB without spending a Top Ten draft selection. But Belichick found two Left Tackles in Seabass and Solder, the past few years and neither one cost anywhere near a Top Ten pick. One has already been to a Probowl, as a Right Tackle, and the other as a rookie showed he is sure to go.
If Ryan Mallett were coming out this Draft, instead of last, he would have been a sure Top Five pick, after seeing what the Redskins paid to have a chance at RGIII. I consider Mallett to be a great and rare physical talent, who may or may not have the IQ and/or leadership skills to excell as a QB. However, he does appear to have the right work habits at least, and I will certainly defer to Belichick in warranting his QB knowledge.
In that sense, he is similar to Matt Casse, in having the talent but maybe not the head or experience. Hoyer was also a target of opportunity, as a UDFA, who appears to have a QB's mind, but maybe not enough of a QB's arm.
This season it seems that OLB is a position of draft surplus, after many years of drought. I expect Belichick will harvest a couple, if they fall to him, even though he has developed a few himself, missed on a few, and gave up too soon on Jeremy Mincey who went to the Probowl this past season.
Similarly there are a few DE who are not superstars, but can probably play, and he may grab one, if he falls. He needs some Safeties but there are few to none. I expect he might consider drafting a big but less highly regarded CB, and convert him. Trumaine is an example of someone who has some CB coverage ability, but is big enough to play Safety. Or he may simply wait till next year, for a better selection.
Of interest, there are several very good ILBs, with size, and one may fall. Will Bill take one even though the position is now pretty well stocked?
The Second type is the self annointed draft guru, and unacknowledged GM genius, in their own eyes. These types of fans can always find a unheralded collegian who is virtually certain to be a super duper star when taken as a UDFA. Or fall in love with a collegian who will not fall outside the Top Ten. These fans then complain that Belichick will not trade away all his picks and wreck his economic roster, to go up and get him.
Both of these types of fans consider Belichick a dolt, or an incipient Alzheimer's patient, and a failure in not seeing or sharing their genius, and trading an entire draft to secure their favorites.
They are always doomed to be disappointed.
Belichik never does so, because he knows he has a limited pot of money that must stretch in order to have average or better than average players for 53-65 positions. He wins that way, especially late in the season as rosters get decimated with injuries, and he still has capable substitute players.
These fans never consider that at all. They think the team should be made up of only superstar starters and never realize you can't do that with a limited pot of money.
Belichick's genius lays in fitting that many players who can play, into the available pot of money.
Belichick knows he will always be picking late, since he wins. So more then most, he takes advantage of every opportunity includng obtaining more picks, and harvesting a draft year position that is in surplus, expecting to pick up a player that would ordinarily never be available to him.
For example. Wilfork fell to him and he snatched him up. Seldom can you obtain a Probowl quality Left Tackle or QB without spending a Top Ten draft selection. But Belichick found two Left Tackles in Seabass and Solder, the past few years and neither one cost anywhere near a Top Ten pick. One has already been to a Probowl, as a Right Tackle, and the other as a rookie showed he is sure to go.
If Ryan Mallett were coming out this Draft, instead of last, he would have been a sure Top Five pick, after seeing what the Redskins paid to have a chance at RGIII. I consider Mallett to be a great and rare physical talent, who may or may not have the IQ and/or leadership skills to excell as a QB. However, he does appear to have the right work habits at least, and I will certainly defer to Belichick in warranting his QB knowledge.
In that sense, he is similar to Matt Casse, in having the talent but maybe not the head or experience. Hoyer was also a target of opportunity, as a UDFA, who appears to have a QB's mind, but maybe not enough of a QB's arm.
This season it seems that OLB is a position of draft surplus, after many years of drought. I expect Belichick will harvest a couple, if they fall to him, even though he has developed a few himself, missed on a few, and gave up too soon on Jeremy Mincey who went to the Probowl this past season.
Similarly there are a few DE who are not superstars, but can probably play, and he may grab one, if he falls. He needs some Safeties but there are few to none. I expect he might consider drafting a big but less highly regarded CB, and convert him. Trumaine is an example of someone who has some CB coverage ability, but is big enough to play Safety. Or he may simply wait till next year, for a better selection.
Of interest, there are several very good ILBs, with size, and one may fall. Will Bill take one even though the position is now pretty well stocked?
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). I think at this stage of the game most discerning Pats fans understand they don't know enough to accurately guess what BB's board looks like for both the draft and FA. And Pats fans who think that BB is a "dolt" are very rare..
