Much of the discussion about Harmon has been around if the Pats reached too high for him, could they have picked him up later or after the draft, etc.
That got me thinking a little bit (a rarity) -- what does picking a player higher than predicted mean to the player? It's got to send a message of confidence, i.e. "we're committed to you for the long term", "breathe and focus on the big picture and not the day-to-day".
Just throwing this out there, but maybe the rap on Harmon was that he's a smart and heady player, but loses focus when looking over his shoulder on the depth chart. People say that painful QB competition at Michigan made Brady the fighter he is; that may not be the case for others.
Maybe Harmon has the kind of value system where if you make a big leap of faith on his behalf, he's the kind of guy who will throw himself on a hand grenade for you later. A Bruschi-esque lifer for the Pats. Maybe he takes a "hometown" discount for the Pats down the road knowing that no one else would have given him such a strong start.
In fairness, it's the NFL -- everybody is at risk of losing their job anytime, and everybody has to wear their big-boy pants and not get coddled. That said, I wonder if there is a psychological element behind the Patriots draft board, where they are actually trying to match the pick to the player's appreciation/personality?
"Wasting" a 3rd round pick on a guy who appreciates it for life may be more valuable to the team over the long term, than grabbing him "efficiently" as a free agent.
