VrabelJr
Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2011
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you could pretty much do the same thing with the Pats drafting r.e. defensive backs - DB's are probably more of an indictment on Belichick the GM. Felger brought up a pretty sobering, disappointing item yesterday - against Oakland the Patriots starting offensive lineup had ONE first round draft pick (Solder, and he was f#cking terrible). Is that how you surround one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL?
Our biggest issue wasn't drafting bad DBs, it was drafting DBs that play man and making them play zone and vice versa. Donald Butler was clearly a man corner. We tried to force him to play zone and he sucked. Now he looks more than decent playing in Indy.
We almost had the same catastrophe happen to McCourty. Had a Pro Bowl rookie season playing zone. Then we switched to man in 2011 and he played really bad. You have to play players to their strengths.
As for Ras-I Dowling... we should have known better. With the types of injuries he was suffering, and how he got them, it was clear his body just wasn't meant for pro football.