2014 Draft Needs

Defensive Tackle
Wilfork is getting up there in age, and Tommy Kelly is already there. We have nothing in the pipe for when they're gone. Armstead is unproven in the NFL and Vellano isn't doing much.

We need someone to develop behind Wilfork for a couple years, otherwise we'll end up like the Steelers who are desperately missing Casey Hampton.




What else do we really need?

Tight End? - If Sudfeld develops as many think he can, and Gronk stays healthy... we should be alright at TE.

Wide Receiver? - Dobson/Thompkins/Boyce have all shown potential, but then again so did Taylor Price at one point. WR might be a target but I see this being addressed more in FA than the draft again.

OLine?

Safety? - Tavon Wilson is a bust, and Harmon probably won't pass Gregory on the depth chart.

If Talib is resigned
1. DT
2. C/G
3. WR
4. S

If Talib walks
1. CB
2. DT
3. C/G
4. WR

2014 NFL Draft Needs

1. DT
2. CB
3. TE
4. OC
5. RB
6. OG

2014 Unrestricted Free Agents

Blount, LeGarrette
Washington, Leon
Hoomanawanui, Michael
Edelman, Julian
Wendell, Ryan
Svitek, Will
Green, Tyronne
Spikes, Brandon
Fletcher, Dane
Talib, Aqib
Cole, Marquice

http://www.patriots.com/team/roster.html

Get it shawtaay said:

If Talib is resigned
1. DT
2. C/G
3. WR
4. S

If Talib walks
1. CB
2. DT
3. C/G
4. WR

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I'm hoping we keep Talib. So, I'll take that scenario. I agree with dt and c/g. But, I'd go with te instead of wr. We have 3 very young wr's right now. I'd rather have a good 2nd option at te. And, instead of safety. Aren't we tired of drafting db's? I'll go with DE.

patsfaninpa said:

I'm hoping we keep Talib. So, I'll take that scenario. I agree with dt and c/g. But, I'd go with te instead of wr. We have 3 very young wr's right now. I'd rather have a good 2nd option at te. And, instead of safety. Aren't we tired of drafting db's? I'll go with DE.

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If Sudfeld develops and looks as good in regular season as he did in preseason and training camp, we won't need to draft another TE.

WR is thin if Edelman walks and Amendola is always injured.

MrNathanDrake said:

If Sudfeld develops and looks as good in regular season as he did in preseason and training camp, we won't need to draft another TE.

WR is thin if Edelman walks and Amendola is always injured.

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I know it is a small sample,but after 3 games,I view Sudfeld somewhere between worthless and God awful.

I think looking at Sudfeld's college injury history,he makes Armendola look like a healthy dependable player.

With Wilfork out for the year, and his future in jeopardy... Now we really have to draft a DT/NT.

Ochmed Jones said:

I know it is a small sample,but after 3 games,I view Sudfeld somewhere between worthless and God awful.

I think looking at Sudfeld's college injury history,he makes Armendola look like a healthy dependable player.

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You would be correct. I don't see how anyone can think otherwise. The 3 rookie wr's all look like professional receivers.

Thompkins - Looks like a revelation. Kind of like our version of Stevie Johnson. Came from nowhere. Not putting him in the Hall of Fame as Tuna once said. But, he's going to be a good player. Just like Johnson.

Dobson - He's coming around. Got mugged on the play he got injured on. Still a little worried about his separation. I think he's going to have to get stronger in the upper body and learn that subtle art of the push off that most of the elite receivers get away with.

Boyce - I'm really interested in how he develops. That was an outstanding catch and run last night. Ball was at his shoe tops and he snagged it and showed a nice burst. He looks like one of those smooth runners. Doesn't have that long stride like an elite sprinter. But, he's moving when he turns it on.

Sudfeld - Doesn't look like he can block. Not much of a receiving threat either. Give me a te in the first 3 rounds next year.

It's clear as day as what we need, a big DT/NT. I want the draftniks opinion on Nix.

Is he worth trading up into the high teens to take? If Yes, it makes too much sense to take him. Wilfork at age 33 after a torn achilles may be done.

If Nix is the next elite NT then we have to grab him, right?

patsinthesnow said:

It's clear as day as what we need, a big DT/NT. I want the draftniks opinion on Nix.

Is he worth trading up into the high teens to take? If Yes, it makes too much sense to take him. Wilfork at age 33 after a torn achilles may be done.

If Nix is the next elite NT then we have to grab him, right?

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CBS Sports has him 12th in their rankings. And, I don't think he'll go any lower. A couple of the qb's they have rated above him will prob return to school in Hundley and Mariota. B. Roby the cb from OSU had an awful game agaisnt Wisconsin. I'd say we have to move up to 10. Honestly, would be too costly. If he fell into late teens I'd try to move up. But, I think he goes before that. Tuitt has eaten himself from a DE to a DT. He might be one to keep an eye on. I haven't seen Minnesota yet Hageman. A kid like Anthony Johnson from LSU could be there. PSU has a pretty good DT in DaQuan Jones.

Nix III is good. But trading up for a nose tackle is foolhardy. We don't need another Vince Wilfork. We just need a Sione Pouha or a Paul Soliai. Grabbing a premier pure run-stopping tackle at the cost of our excess resources is a good way to field a mediocre or shallow defense.

I have been thinking about this.

If we are honest and aren't being hyper critical then the only needs for next year for this team are DT and TE in my opinion.

But going down the list and being honest:

OFFENSE

QB - Set (late rounder if we trade Mallett)
RB - Set here with great Depth
WR - 3 Rookies + Amendola and Edelman I personally think we are set here.
TE - Need - Gronk is the best but he is an injury concern and Hooman isn't a starter.
OT - Set with Solder, Volmer and Cannon/Svitek backup
OG - Set with Mankins, Connolly and Cannon as the backup
C - Set with Wendell (maybe) with Connolly as more than a compotant backup.

RE the OL: Lets be honest it's not a need. It's one of the best groups in the NFL with arguably the best OL coach. There is no need to invest a tonne of draft capital here.

DEFENSE

DT - Need - Wilfork and Kelly are 30+ and Wilfork will be coming off a major injury. we will wait and see RE Vellano and Armstead this year. But it's clear to me this area is a Draft or FA need. IMO it's our biggest.
DE - With Nink and Jones starting we would only be drafting a backup here. Hightower, Buchanan, Collins and Bequette are trying to rotate in. I don't thin this is anything other than a mid round need. However, I don't think you can ever have too many explosive rushers in the NFL.
LB - Mayo, Hightower, Collins, Fletcher definitely for next year. Unless we want to draft a 4-3 OLB I.E David at TB or Wagner at Seattle of Alonso at Buffalo. I think we are pretty set here other than mid/late rounders.
CB - Talib, Dennard, Arrington, Ryan and McCourty in a pinch. This group needs time together and is a solid group.
S - We could argue an upgrade for Gregory but we have invested a 2nd and 3rd in recent years here. McCourty is a PB safety I just think stability is needed in these positions and even tho Gregory has his flaws keeping these two together I think is the key to getting better 2ndary play overall.


Summary for me is the only 2 positions I see starting upgrades / being really thin are TE and DT. In every other spot I see a draft pick as good competition for existing talent but not integral for a win. Depending on what happens with Wilfork aside and all things being equal with BPA, my ideal draft would go something like.

1 DT
2 4-3 OLB (think Lavonte David really add some speed to the LB Corps) I actually think this is quite important for this D to take the next step.
3 TE
4 WR
5 OG/C
6 DT/DE
7 DT/DE

patsfaninpa said:

Give me a te in the first 3 rounds next year.

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I agree 100%.

Gronk is physically a mess. Hernandez is playing pass the soap in prison and Michael Houdini is invisible out there.

Time a draft the next TE wave, after we get DT and CB help. Plus maybe a little extra WR depth.

Good news is there are a couple of good quality TE's in this draft with 2nd to 4th round grades.

Ochmed Jones said:

I agree 100%.

Gronk is physically a mess. Hernandez is playing pass the soap in prison and Michael Houdini is invisible out there.

Time a draft the next TE wave, after we get DT and CB help. Plus maybe a little extra WR depth.

Good news is there are a couple of good quality TE's in this draft with 2nd to 4th round grades.

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Would this mock interest you?
R1- Louis Nix III, DT, ND
R2- Marcus Roberson, CB, UF
R3- C.J. Barnett, SS, Ohio State
R4- Arthur Lynch, TE, UGA
R5- Cody Hoffman, WR, BYU
R6- Dri Archer, WR/KR, Kent State
R7- Jordan Hall, RB/WR, Ohio State/Ben Malena, RB, TAMU

JerseyShore99 said:

Would this mock interest you?
R1- Louis Nix III, DT, ND
R2- Marcus Roberson, CB, UF
R3- C.J. Barnett, SS, Ohio State
R4- Arthur Lynch, TE, UGA
R5- Cody Hoffman, WR, BYU
R6- Dri Archer, WR/KR, Kent State
R7- Jordan Hall, RB/WR, Ohio State/Ben Malena, RB, TAMU

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Yes I would like this mock a lot. In the 6th, I might substitute DT Coleman from Cal instead of Archer.

Ochmed Jones said:

I agree 100%.

Gronk is physically a mess. Hernandez is playing pass the soap in prison and Michael Houdini is invisible out there.

Time a draft the next TE wave, after we get DT and CB help. Plus maybe a little extra WR depth.

Good news is there are a couple of good quality TE's in this draft with 2nd to 4th round grades.

Click to expand...

If we can't get a stud TE (early, obviously) then we may want to look at a project (maybe with a comp pick). I suggest Logan Thomas, from VaTech. He's big, fast, shifty and has good hands (all QB's have good hands). He was a top TE prospect coming out of HS. He also looks like *gulp* AHern. I think he can become a good weapon.

Who's with me?

borisman said:

If we can't get a stud TE (early, obviously) then we may want to look at a project (maybe with a comp pick). I suggest Logan Thomas, from VaTech. He's big, fast, shifty and has good hands (all QB's have good hands). He was a top TE prospect coming out of HS. He also looks like *gulp* AHern. I think he can become a good weapon.

Who's with me?

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Me. see my last mock.

LOL....I didn't even read that thread so it's nice to see I'm not the only one that sees value in him. I've thought of him as a TE since he hasn't shown enough improvement to be an NFL QB.

borisman said:

LOL....I didn't even read that thread so it's nice to see I'm not the only one that sees value in him. I've thought of him as a TE since he hasn't shown enough improvement to be an NFL QB.

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Would like to know whether he can block or catch though.

borisman said:

If we can't get a stud TE (early, obviously) then we may want to look at a project (maybe with a comp pick). I suggest Logan Thomas, from VaTech. He's big, fast, shifty and has good hands (all QB's have good hands). He was a top TE prospect coming out of HS. He also looks like *gulp* AHern. I think he can become a good weapon.

Who's with me?

Click to expand...

Why not just sign Collin Klein now? Two total clusterFs