Defense only -this draft please

[carolinatony]

After watching the game against the g-men last night it looks like our defense needs to be addressed nexrt draft. We have great experience but need to bring in more speed. A pass rusher would be nice too.

 

[Crazyeechrispats1]

Only positions I see needed being filled on offense is, Offensive tackles, I prefer fourth round at the earliest.
Wide receiver fifth or later rounds, Hey we don't know what's gonna happen with Gaffney, Stalworth, or Moss for that matter.
One of these guys will more than likely leave.
I want at least 3 linebackers out this draft.
I think it was dryheat who was so high on Stewart bradley man man he looks good.
I don't mean to nitpick but imagine if the Patriots would of drafted both Jon Beason and David Harris we certainly had the chance to do so.

 

[carolinatony]

Our defense is older and I do believe they can tired and can't always have that effort for the whole game. I love Tedy and Junior but time is catching up to them.
Please BB, draft a LB or two.

 

[dryheat44]

After watching the game against the g-men last night it looks like our defense needs to be addressed nexrt draft. We have great experience but need to bring in more speed. A pass rusher would be nice too.

After watching Light get abused so often, I double my call for Jake Long if he's on the board. Don't give me that 2-time Pro Bowler garbage...Brady's been making him look good for years. Get Long on the left side, and move Light to the right.

 

[ayjackson]

After watching Light get abused so often, I double my call for Jake Long if he's on the board. Don't give me that 2-time Pro Bowler garbage...Brady's been making him look good for years. Get Long on the left side, and move Light to the right.

Matt's struggled against speed rushers this year from Indy, Philly, and NYG. I've read in places that this is Long's weakness as well and might be better off on the other side of the line. How do you rate some of the others that may be available like Clady, Otah, Oher, Loadholt and Cherilus (sp?)?

I think a trade down to the middle of the round and take whomever falls out of a group of Clady, Gholston, Laurinaitis, Otah and Jenkins (SFU) might be the way to go. A bit early for me to say though.

 

[VJCPatriot]

After watching Light get abused so often, I double my call for Jake Long if he's on the board. Don't give me that 2-time Pro Bowler garbage...Brady's been making him look good for years. Get Long on the left side, and move Light to the right.

Problem is that Jake Long will probably be a top 3 pick. Franchise LTs tend to go early nowadays. If he lasts to #8, I have no problem with the Pats scooping him up.

 

[ayjackson]

Problem is that Jake Long will probably be a top 3 pick. Franchise LTs tend to go early nowadays. If he lasts to #8, I have no problem with the Pats scooping him up.

A guy like Long could slide because teams at the top of the draft will look at the depth of LT's available and deduce that they could get a good one at the beginning of the second round (Williams from Vandy, Cherilus from BC). These teams have a lot of holes and could decide to try to fill a different one with their first pick - like DL or LB. For this reason, I could also see guys like Ellis, Gholston, Campbell, Laurinaitis and Rivers going a bit earlier than expected. But again, it's early for me to committ to such an argument.

 

[carolinatony]

quote"Problem is that Jake Long will probably be a top 3 pick. Franchise LTs tend to go early nowadays. If he lasts to #8, I have no problem with the Pats scooping him up."

When the 9ers won those last 2 games and moved us back I think we lost out on picking Long.

 

[Silverquick]

Look for BB and Pioli to trade down into the first round and grab a second round pick in return. Then who knows what will happen. My bet is that we will go for an offensive lineman with that later draft pick, the most likely candidates being Jeff Otah or Roy Schuening (a reach, but he is another Logan Mankins in the making).

Then we can pick a couple of linebacks in the mid rounds. As for guys who could shift positions in our system and seem to have good size and good athleticism, we probably should think about DE Jason Jones (270 pounds, 4.7 40 time) who just had a very solid senior season and is moving up boards quickly. If we can nab him in the 3rd round, we could have a very serious and versatile weapon on defense.

 

[Jimke]

Look for BB and Pioli to trade down into the first round and grab a second round pick in return. Then who knows what will happen. My bet is that we will go for an offensive lineman with that later draft pick, the most likely candidates being Jeff Otah or Roy Schuening (a reach, but he is another Logan Mankins in the making).

Then we can pick a couple of linebacks in the mid rounds. As for guys who could shift positions in our system and seem to have good size and good athleticism, we probably should think about DE Jason Jones (270 pounds, 4.7 40 time) who just had a very solid senior season and is moving up boards quickly. If we can nab him in the 3rd round, we could have a very serious and versatile weapon on defense.

If the Pats do not draft a linebacker with one of their first few picks,

the player will suffer the same fate as Justin Rodgers. The Pats need

to spend one of their first three picks on a linebacker. Then, they have

to expend a lot of effort coaching and developing the player.

 

[mgteich]

We seem to have done very well in getting our top linebackers free agents in free agency, rather than through the draft. This has also been true for backup linebackers.

There are few natural 3-4 linebackers in the draft, who aren't at least as valuable at DE or OLB.

But in the end, I agree with you. For the 5th consecutive season (or is it 6 or 7), I would like the patriots to use a top pick for a linebacker. HOWEVER, how can I argue with 2007 resuts. We could have drafted Harris. Instead we signed Thomas and turned the draft pick into a 2008 #7. I guess if we pick a linebacker, I would very happy with the strategy.

Late round draft choices are much fun for posters here. They are projected as starters, and usually end up on IR or cut. Who was the last linebacker drafted who gave us more than a year as a starter during their rookie four year contract?

If the Pats do not draft a linebacker with one of their first few picks,

the player will suffer the same fate as Justin Rodgers. The Pats need

to spend one of their first three picks on a linebacker. Then, they have

to expend a lot of effort coaching and developing the player.

 

[Jimke]

We seem to have done very well in getting our top linebackers free agents in free agency, rather than through the draft. This has also been true for backup linebackers.

There are few natural 3-4 linebackers in the draft, who aren't at least as valuable at DE or OLB.

But in the end, I agree with you. For the 5th consecutive season (or is it 6 or 7), I would like the patriots to use a top pick for a linebacker. HOWEVER, how can I argue with 2007 resuts. We could have drafted Harris. Instead we signed Thomas and turned the draft pick into a 2008 #7. I guess if we pick a linebacker, I would very happy with the strategy.

Late round draft choices are much fun for posters here. They are projected as starters, and usually end up on IR or cut. Who was the last linebacker drafted who gave us more than a year as a starter during their rookie four year contract?

With regard to your last paragraph, only Tully Banta-Cain contributed

anything at all during BB's tenure as coach. I can't remember any late

round linebacker picks before BB that contributed very much either.

 

[borg]

IMHO
Weakest link of the starting 22 is Hobbs.
Biggest offseason loss (potentially) will be Assante
Positions that can justify a rookie salary in the $5 mill range includes CB.
So #7 will be a CB....there you have it.

 

[Remix 6]

IMHO
Weakest link of the starting 22 is Hobbs.
Biggest offseason loss (potentially) will be Assante
Positions that can justify a rookie salary in the $5 mill range includes CB.
So #7 will be a CB....there you have it.

i rather resign Samuel than pay a rookie anything over $5mill/year

Samuel is proven..and hes better than CB coming out imo. Malcolm Jenkins is good but hes not really a huge playmaker.

Our biggest weakness is run stopping. We cant run stop because were slow and dont tackle well. Bruschi getting older wont help that cause.

Logic: You get a young/fast/athletic LB and have him learn from some good ones while they are still here

 

[mgteich]

The weakest links of the signed team for 2008 are ILB, ILB, CB, nickel
Hobbs is not the weakest.

SIGNED CORNERS
Hobbs, Spann, Richardson

SIGNED ILB's
Thomas, Alexander, Lua

IMHO
Weakest link of the starting 22 is Hobbs.
Biggest offseason loss (potentially) will be Assante
Positions that can justify a rookie salary in the $5 mill range includes CB.
So #7 will be a CB....there you have it.

 

[RayClay]

IMHO
Weakest link of the starting 22 is Hobbs.
Biggest offseason loss (potentially) will be Assante
Positions that can justify a rookie salary in the $5 mill range includes CB.
So #7 will be a CB....there you have it.

If you can manufacture one that's worth #7. From the little I've read this draft is deep in CBs. Low 1st and beyond. Trade down, take two.

 

[sebman2112]

i rather resign Samuel than pay a rookie anything over $5mill/year

Samuel is proven..and hes better than CB coming out imo. Malcolm Jenkins is good but hes not really a huge playmaker.

Our biggest weakness is run stopping. We cant run stop because were slow and dont tackle well. Bruschi getting older wont help that cause.

Logic: You get a young/fast/athletic LB and have him learn from some good ones while they are still here

Cason just happens to be a playmaker, and NE could land him by trading down. I've been saying I want them to draft Rey Maualuga since the 2007 draft, but I'm not sure they'll draft a LB in the first.

 

[DaBruinz]

With regard to your last paragraph, only Tully Banta-Cain contributed

anything at all during BB's tenure as coach. I can't remember any late

round linebacker picks before BB that contributed very much either.

Well, one of the reasons you probably can't remember any late round picks who contributed prior to BB is because there were so few drafted in the late rounds.

http://www.drafthistory.com/teams/patriots.html

If you look back at the 20 years and 128 possibly picks (5th round and later)PRIOR to BB, the Pats only drafted 8 LBs beyond the 4th round. They were Ron Merkerson (1998 - 5th round), Marty Moore (1994-7th round), Dwayne Saab (1992-5th round), Eric Lindstrom (1989 - 7th round), Aaron Chubb (1989 - 12th round), David Windham (1984 - 9th round), Jeff Roberts (1982 - 7th round), Ken Collins (1982-8th round).

Marty Moore - Mr. Irrelevant. Was a special teams ace for the Pats and filled in decently a couple of times.

Dwayne Saab - You might remember him. Was pretty decent for the Pats.

So, I am not surprised that you don't remember any late round linebackers contributing.

 

[rbreg7]

I don't see the Patriots drafting a linebacker in the early rounds, especially with their first round pick. Bill and Scott do not like project linebackers, and if they are going to take one they believe they can find the same raw talent in the third or even fourth round. I feel as though the Patriots do need a linebacker or two for the future, specifically in the middle linebacker position. I believe this will be addressed via free agency or trade.

If the Patriots can get Moss with a fourth round pick, who knows what they could get trading out of the seventh overall pick?

 

[VJCPatriot]

If you can manufacture one that's worth #7. From the little I've read this draft is deep in CBs. Low 1st and beyond. Trade down, take two.

I could possibly see the Pats trading down and taking some cornerbacks in the mid to late 1st. I do think Hobbs is the weakest link though. I shudder at the thought of him as the Pats #1 CB after Samuel departs.