Ron Brace released

[Deus Irae]

That's not a bad draft at all given that the Pats picked last in every round and had no #1s. I don't get this random criticism of a team that doesn't even get a shot at to 20 players because they win so much.

12 picks overall, with 6 picks in the first 3 rounds, and it's yielded one quality starter, one quality STer who's got regular position potential but can't stay healthy, and that's it. It's turned out to be a lousy draft, when it could have been a great one if they'd made the right decisions with their picks. Why should we pretend otherwise? Just going mostly position by position and not looking at long shots or major drops:

Chung - Byrd
Butler - Smith
Brace - Laurinaitus/Barwin
Vollmer - Vollmer
Tate - Wallace

Most of those players had significant followings here on the board, so it's not as if we're talking about hindsight selections here.

 

[Patjew]

HA!!!!! I told you so after the first season. I got KILLED by the douches on this site for calling him a disaster but I was a right. A Big Cheeseburger....

Congratulations on predicting the misfortune of another. Well done.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

2006-2009 was a very down period of Patriots drafting.

I won't argue that they couldn't have done better, but there were only a few cases where you can look at a player and say that there was no logical basis for that pick at the time. That said, Ron Brace was one of those picks that made me think WTF?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

To think people wanted to let Wilfork go because of Brace being drafted lol. I have a buddy who partied with Brace at BC said he was a pretty chill dude. Shame he didn't make it. Wish him well wherever he goes unless its on a rival.

I don't think too many people here saw Brace as anything more than a Wilfork backup.

 

[Deus Irae]

I won't argue that they couldn't have done better, but there were only a few cases where you can look at a player and say that there was no logical basis for that pick at the time. That said, Ron Brace was one of those picks that made me think WTF?

A lot of the picks were head shakers even when made. The folly of the O'Connell pick will always epitomize that stretch of drafts to me. I've always considered 2006-2007 defensible on some grounds, but 2008 was mostly a disaster, and 2009 has turned ugly when it could have been awesome.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

How many teams have had the type of success the Pats have had for more than a decade now?

This nitpicking a particular draft pick is getting pretty old and "stoopid" to boot.

I think the Pats are drafting well and solid in FA too because the keep winning, and winning, and winning, and...............

Here's my philosophy: picks that don't work out fall into two broad categories:

(1) Missed opportunities. A player who would have helped more could have been picked, but you can't really fault the team for the selection. I'd put Tyrone McKenzie as a classic example of this: who knows what would have happened had he not gotten injured in rookie mini-camp.

(2) True failures. There was no logical basis for the pick at the time; the team should have picked someone else. These are actually relatively rare, IMO. I'd include Ron Brace in this list, because there really was no good reason to draft him at the time. In retrospect, I would argue that, based on experience, drafting a "redshirt" receiver falls into this class as well.

 

[Lavictoire]

I seem to remember drafting Brace was kind of an insurance/panic move because of Wilfork's contract situation. It even seemed the Pats were saying to Wilfork, "you can be replaced" but realized later he could not be replaced so easily.

 

[jsull87]

2006-2009 was a very down period of Patriots drafting.

Very true. Seeing how BB has gone without Pioli has been interesting. Especially in relation to Pioli's performance in KC.

Not all his fault but still, he had the power to mould that team exactly how he wanted and 3 years later they have the worst record in the league. It's not like they have been absolutley ravaged by injuries either

 

[patsinthesnow]

The difference between the 2007-2009 and the 2010-2012 draft is amazing. Deus is right, that draft period was terrible! We're in the golden age right now though.

2007-2009:
-Meriweather
-Jerod Mayo
-Matt Slater
-Sebastian Vollmer
-Julian Edelman
-BJGE
-Hoyer

That's it. In 3 years. I guess you could throw in Chung and Pryor, but that's pushing it.

2010-2012:
-Gronkowski
-Mccourty
-Spikes
-Hernandez
-Mesko
-Deaderick
-Love
-Fletcher
-Solder
-Ridley
-Mallett
-Cannon
-Jones
-Hightower
-Dennard
-Ebner
-Bolden


That's with leaving Cunningham, Tavon Wilson, Shane Vereen, Ras-I-Dowling, and Bequette off the list.

 

[captain stone]

Chuckle why? Are you unhappy that we drafted two Pro Bowlers that year or happy that we did?

"Pro Bowler" (snicker) Matt Slater is unfit to fasten the sandle straps of Larry Izzo & Steve Tasker
(both UDFAs, not trade-ups in the 5th round, BTW).

 

[jah]

The difference between the 2007-2009 and the 2010-2012 draft is amazing. Deus is right, that draft period was terrible! We're in the golden age right now though.

2007-2009:
-Meriweather
-Jerod Mayo
-Matt Slater
-Sebastian Vollmer
-Julian Edelman
-BJGE
-Hoyer

That's it. In 3 years. I guess you could throw in Chung and Pryor, but that's pushing it.

2010-2012:
-Gronkowski
-Mccourty
-Spikes
-Hernandez
-Mesko
-Deaderick
-Love
-Fletcher
-Solder
-Ridley
-Mallett
-Cannon
-Jones
-Hightower
-Dennard
-Ebner
-Bolden


That's with leaving Cunningham, Tavon Wilson, Shane Vereen, Ras-I-Dowling, and Bequette off the list.

You're counting Fletcher, Cannon, Ebner, and Bolden but not Cunningham or Wilson?

 

[captain stone]

And as far as Busto is concerned, I only have 2 words to add:

Connor. Barwin.

 

[Joey007]

The difference between the 2007-2009 and the 2010-2012 draft is amazing. Deus is right, that draft period was terrible! We're in the golden age right now though.

2007-2009:
-Meriweather
-Jerod Mayo
-Matt Slater
-Sebastian Vollmer
-Julian Edelman
-BJGE
-Hoyer

That's it. In 3 years. I guess you could throw in Chung and Pryor, but that's pushing it.

2010-2012:
-Gronkowski
-Mccourty
-Spikes
-Hernandez
-Mesko
-Deaderick
-Love
-Fletcher
-Solder
-Ridley
-Mallett
-Cannon
-Jones
-Hightower
-Dennard
-Ebner
-Bolden


That's with leaving Cunningham, Tavon Wilson, Shane Vereen, Ras-I-Dowling, and Bequette off the list.

You can throw the 2006 draft with 07-09. That might have been the worst of all. We got an inconsistent running back who showed flashes early but was injury-prone and did nothing but fumble and dance around as time went on. Then, we passed on guys like Greg Jennings, and instead drafted the injury-prone Chad Jackson who did absolutely nothing over his career. Third round was David Thomas, who was serviveable but never really did much for us. The only keeper in that draft was Gostkowski, who's a kicker, unfortunately.

What also really hurt was Jeremy Mincey, our 6th rounder went off to Jacksonville and became pretty productive.

Overall, I think 2006 was by far our worst draft we've had.

 

[Sciz]

And as far as Busto is concerned, I only have 2 words to add:

Connor. Barwin.

I loved Barwin as a prospect, but thanks to his 3 sacks this year, he's very possibly in the (I think) Vollmer category of being a contributor but not getting a second contract.

 

[reflexblue]

...according to NESN, to make room for Cunniungham.

Its about time, i had hopes for him but he hasn't done anything since he was drafted except eat a lot of hamburgers

 

[JMarr]

I seem to remember drafting Brace was kind of an insurance/panic move because of Wilfork's contract situation. It even seemed the Pats were saying to Wilfork, "you can be replaced" but realized later he could not be replaced so easily.

I think you're right--not a completely wasted pick if it helped get Vince to sign for reasonable money, I guess. Still, drafting basically just a big body as Vince insurance at #40 was, and still is, one of the biggest WTF picks I can remember. O'Connell-esque.

 

[italian pat patriot]

i always hoped that he could 'emerge' but, unfortunately, it has not gone well and ,so, the move now does not surprise me

i have to admit i expected much more from him, pity...i wish him all the best for his future

 

[Patjew]

"Pro Bowler" (snicker) Matt Slater is unfit to fasten the sandle straps of Larry Izzo & Steve Tasker
(both UDFAs, not trade-ups in the 5th round, BTW).

I liked Izzo but Slater is the best Pats STer that I've seen.

 

[Patriot Missile]

I liked Izzo but Slater is the best Pats STer that I've seen.

Izzo, Whigham and Slater have been pretty special over the years. The changing of the guard has been excellent in that area.

 

[Rob0729]

Every team goes through bad periods of drafting. Certainly 2006-2009 was the Pats bad period. I don't know if 2007 is as bad as it looks since three picks went to acquiring Welker and Moss and most of their picks that year were in the sixth and seventh rounds.

2009 did produce Edelman who was a home run based on his draft position. Pryor was a good pick based on his draft position. Vollmer was a good pick. Chung prior to this pick was an ok pick, but certainly not the best pick for the spot he was taken. The rest was crap.

Is it coincidence that 2010 was the first draft the Pats had totally post Pioli. Yes, Pioli was gone by the 2009 draft, but the Pats used his staff's scouting reports from the 2008 season. So he had his handprint on that draft.

I gotta hand it to Nick Caserio and Jon Robinson (director of college scouting starting in 2008 after Dmitroff went to Atlanta) for turning around the Pats' college scouting. The Pats went from some of the worst drafts in Pats' history (ok, maybe a bit of an overstatement, or may not) to some of the best (again, maybe a bit of an overstatement, but maybe not).