If you could redo last years 1st pick, would you still take Meriweather?

[brady199]

24New EnglandBrandon Meriweather - S25CarolinaJon Beason - OLB26DallasAnthony Spencer - DE27New OrleansRobert Meachem - WR28San FranciscoJoe Staley - OT29BaltimoreBen Grubbs - OG30San DiegoCraig Davis - WR31ChicagoGreg Olsen - TE32IndianapolisAnthony Gonzalez - WR

 

[slash83]

Im not sure id trade Meriweather for any of those players only cause I havent seen enough of him yet, im sure thats going to change next season. If I didnt have any faith that he could become a really good saftey id give him up for Beason quick, but I like what I seen from him late in the season, just needs to hold on to the damn ball....

 

[ALP]

the only player that i would even consider would be beason...but hes too small for our scheme...so nope, meriweather was fine

i just hope we had used the second 1 pick

 

[Canada's #1 Pats Fan]

Hell, I'll go into the 2nd round and take David Harris instead of Merriweather right now.

 

[Mangold74]

Harris should have been the pick. I still don't understand why they didn't take him.

 

[cstjohn17]

I would take Spencer, LaMarr Woodley, Staley, Weddle before Merriweather. But most of all David Harris.

 

[sebman2112]

Really, it's a stupid question, and for a few different reasons.

1) We don't actually know how good of a Pro Meriweather will eventually develop into. He could develop into one of the top 2-4 FS's in the league, or just a good starter. I think he'll eventually be mentioned as a top 3-5 FS, but I obviously don't have a crystal ball...

2) Some of the players who put up better rookie numbers could go into a slump, and their rookie season ends up being their best as a pro. Injuries have also derailed a number of promising careers.

3) The Patriots could have selected any number of the players who went after Meriweather, if they truly wanted one of them. David Harris is a good example, as the Patriots could have selected him at 28th overall, and had both Meriweather and Harris on the roster. The rumor circulating the day before the draft had NE selecting him too, but they obviously didn't see the value. Remember, at the time their trade with the 49ers looked like a discount in San Fran's favor, but they stunk it up in 2007, and NE turned that 4th into Randy Moss, so everyone forgets NE (at the time) took a discount to trade out of the pick.

 

[Seels]

Saying it now: Meriweather will be a top 5 safety in this league within 2 years. I wouldn't trade him for anyone, and really the only player that's anything to brag about after him in the first round was Beason.

 

[DaBruinz]

Hell, I'll go into the 2nd round and take David Harris instead of Merriweather right now.

Why would you take Harris? Because he got a lot of tackles playing in a garbage defense? Sorry, thats a pretty poor excuse.

 

[sebman2112]

Why would you take Harris? Because he got a lot of tackles playing in a garbage defense? Sorry, thats a pretty poor excuse.

Yea, it seems a lot of Patriots fans are forgetting a number of those tackles came 10 yards plus downfield, too. I'd like to have David Harris on the Patriots roster, but not at the expense of dropping Meriweather. Also, they would need to draft a Safety in the first two rounds this year, and last year was the stronger Safety crop. Also, that Safety wouldn't have Meriweather's year of experience in the system.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Tough call. He didn't have a very good rookie season and took him until the superbowl to get adequate playing time. It's not like the Pats had stellar safeties in front of him on the depth chart. James Sanders was supposed to back up Harrison at SS while the FS spot was supposed to be wide open between Wilson and Merriweather. I was really dissapointed in Merriweather because Wilson isn't very good and it was Merriweather's spot to lose. He didn't take advantage of it and the Pats were forced to start James Sanders at FS. With that said, it's easy to say that Beason or Harris should have been the pick because of their statistics but Merriweather showed he can be a playmaker too (he just couldn't keep his hands on the ball). I think next season Merriweather will be a completely different player and start at FS opening day. I just hope he's not the next Mike Rumph. So yes, Merriweather was the right pick.

 

[DaBruinz]

Tough call. He didn't have a very good rookie season and took him until the superbowl to get adequate playing time. It's not like the Pats had stellar safeties in front of him on the depth chart. James Sanders was supposed to back up Harrison at SS while the FS spot was supposed to be wide open between Wilson and Merriweather. I was really dissapointed in Merriweather because Wilson isn't very good and it was Merriweather's spot to lose. He didn't take advantage of it and the Pats were forced to start James Sanders at FS. With that said, it's easy to say that Beason or Harris should have been the pick because of their statistics but Merriweather showed he can be a playmaker too (he just couldn't keep his hands on the ball). I think next season Merriweather will be a completely different player and start at FS opening day. I just hope he's not the next Mike Rumph. So yes, Merriweather was the right pick.

Well, 1st off, Sanders played both safety positions and how can you be disappointed in Meriweather when he had to get around both Wilson and Sanders to see playing time? The Pats defense is one of the most complex in the league. Yes, you think he should just be able to walk onto the field and start? Sounds to me like your expectations are unrealistic.

Mike Rumph sucked from day one. Meriweather was brought along slowly and didn't suck. Also, the Pats tried to use him at CB in TC and that certainly didn't help his ability to learn the safety position.

I am not going to predict that Meriweather will win the starting job opening day. He's got competition from Sanders and Harrison. Now, you are probably asky why I say both Sanders AND Harrison. Its because those three are vying for the two starting safety positions. And whether people on this board like it or notm, Sanders has Belichick's vote of confidence as being a starting calibre safety. He's said as much on several occasions. So has Rodney Harrison.

 

[jeffbiologist]

At the time I was really dissapointed they didnt take Beason. Not because I thought he would fit the pats, but because I think he will make a better PRO. I think his play is more versitile than most, and I think he will raise the standard of Miami LBs have had in the league behind Ray Lewis.

 

[borisman]

I like Meriweather and think he'll be a good player. The only thing with him is how many interceptions he'll drop when playing full time? He could cost a game or two. He gets into position to make the play but man, catch the damn ball.

Back to redoing the draft, Joe Staley will be a better player than BMW,IMO, but I wouldn't trade the players since SF would not have given us their #1 this year.

And regarding David Harris making takles down field: He didn't have much help from his DL. We'll see how he fares this year with an "improved" front three.

 

[borisman]

I like Meriweather and think he'll be a good player. The only thing with him is how many interceptions he'll drop when playing full time? He could cost a game or two. He gets into position to make the play but man, catch the damn ball.

Back to redoing the draft, Joe Staley will be a better player than BMW,IMO, but I wouldn't trade the players since SF would not have given us their #1 this year.

And regarding David Harris making takles down field: He didn't have much help from his DL. We'll see how he fares this year with an "improved" front three.

 

[dryheat44]

Well, my guys were Meacham and Spencer at that spot. If the Patriots knew they were getting Moss, then Meacham was probably out of play. But I didn't think Meriweather was a first round talent then, and I don't see it now. I would have taken Spencer then, and I'll stand by that decision.

Since this is hindsight, 20/20 and such, wouldn't it have been great to have Spencer on the roster when Colvin went down?

Oh, and knocking David Harris because he has a garbage DL in front of him is doing a dis-service to his abilities. He wasn't out of place, and was one of the Jets top 4-5 defenders. He would have looked great here in the ILB rotation.

 

[dryheat44]

Saying it now: Meriweather will be a top 5 safety in this league within 2 years. I wouldn't trade him for anyone, and really the only player that's anything to brag about after him in the first round was Beason.

And are the next three on your list Greg Olsen, Baraka Atkins, and Kareem Brown?

 

[DaBruinz]

Well, my guys were Meacham and Spencer at that spot. If the Patriots knew they were getting Moss, then Meacham was probably out of play. But I didn't think Meriweather was a first round talent then, and I don't see it now. I would have taken Spencer then, and I'll stand by that decision.

Since this is hindsight, 20/20 and such, wouldn't it have been great to have Spencer on the roster when Colvin went down?

Oh, and knocking David Harris because he has a garbage DL in front of him is doing a dis-service to his abilities. He wasn't out of place, and was one of the Jets top 4-5 defenders. He would have looked great here in the ILB rotation.

Saying that he was one of the top 4-5 defenders on a team that went 4-12 isn't saying much. The fact remains that many of his tackles were made well beyond the line of scrimmage. Also, Its questionable whether Harris would have even been able to have even a modicum of the same "success" in the Patriots defense., let alone made it into the rotation. He might have. He might not have.

All we know is that the Patriots decided to NOT use either the 24th or the 28th picks in last year's draft to take Harris feeling that Meriweather and trading for a 1st round pick in 2008 and a 4th in 2007 offered better value than Harris in the Pats estimation.

 

[LuthierJr]

Meriweather saw more playing time and I bet he will be playing a much bigger role this year. As the season rolled on he always seemed to be in the pile getting involved in the plays. I think he is developing nicely, even if it is a littler slower than us instant gratification lovers crave.

 

[ALP]

i wiill also go on record and say that meriweather doesnt drop any ints next yr.....and in fact gets 2 tds too