Patriots biggest draft blunder in the last 5 years?

I think it has to be selecting the much less talented gator Jermaine Cunningham over teammate Carlos Dunlap, with the florida head coach being your best friend. This one still hurts me. Dunlap is having yet another beast year, and would have been a force opposite chandler jones. Cunningham is out of the NFL, and never was an impact player like Dunlap.

Coulda woulda shoulda.

No offence, like.

NG Pats Fan said:

I think it has to be selecting the much less talented gator Jermaine Cunningham over teammate Carlos Dunlap, with the florida head coach being your best friend. This one still hurts me. Dunlap is having yet another beast year, and would have been a force opposite chandler jones. Cunningham is out of the NFL, and never was an impact player like Dunlap.

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Schematically, wasn't Cunningham a better fit for the 3-4 the Pats were running at the time. Shortly after, the Patriots 3-4 turned into more of a 4-3 with a heavier emphasis on the nickel.

It's not even close. Ras I Dowling. An incredibly valuable spot - first pick of day two, so tons of teams calling, all night to decide - and a bunching of prospects that played positions of need (pass rushers, included) and were said to be of similar draft board grades. A horrible, totally unjustifiable blunder by BB, and I say that as a massive Belichick apologist. Ras I Dowling is a huge miss that has affected, and will affect, this team negatively for years.

Taylor Price (followed by AH) instead of Jimmy Graham and Tavon Wilson over Lavonte David both bother me more than your example.

realtime said:

Taylor Price (followed by AH) instead of Jimmy Graham and Tavon Wilson over Lavonte David both bother me more than your example.

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Imagine Gronk, and Graham on the same team?

Geno Atkins went in the fourth round. There are a million examples.

I can feel myself spending all day arguing about recent picks....

patsox23 said:

Ras I Dowling is a huge miss that has affected, and will affect, this team negatively for years.

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Except they stole Alfonzo Dennard in a future 7th round and signed Talib, which mitigated that miss significantly.

What would have really affected the team negatively for years is if they failed to make the Saints trade. According to Michael Holley's book, the Pats planned to select Dowling with their second first round pick that year if they had been unable to move it.

The net effect of all that would be the loss of Chandler Jones and getting Dowling at an even higher pick. So things could have been a heck of a lot worse.

Tom Brady.

Ever since that pick the subsequent success has turned the fanbase into a bunch of whiny elitests who accept nothing but utter perfection

Edit: Damn, totally didn't read the "last 5 years part". I stand by my joke

NG Pats Fan said:

I think it has to be selecting the much less talented gator Jermaine Cunningham over teammate Carlos Dunlap, with the florida head coach being your best friend. This one still hurts me. Dunlap is having yet another beast year, and would have been a force opposite chandler jones. Cunningham is out of the NFL, and never was an impact player like Dunlap.

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Glass I Dowling....period. Getting zero production from the #33 pick is a massive failure. The chips that could have been accumulated by trading the first pick of day 2 could have gone a long way to adding depth at multiple positions. Their continuous failures in the 2nd round in drafting a competent DB has damaged this team's ability to fill out the 53 with NFL caliber depth. Look no farther than DT.....enough said. No serviceable plan B. First rounders should be plus starters...2nd rounders should be serviceable starters. 3rd rounders should be pieces to the puzzle.

borg said:

Glass I Dowling....period. Getting zero production from the #33 pick is a massive failure. The chips that could have been accumulated by trading the first pick of day 2 could have gone a long way to adding depth at multiple positions. Their continuous failures in the 2nd round in drafting a competent DB has damaged this team's ability to fill out the 53 with NFL caliber depth. Look no farther than DT.....enough said. No serviceable plan B. First rounders should be plus starters...2nd rounders should be serviceable starters. 3rd rounders should be pieces to the puzzle.

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Not sure why Dowling is being singled out among the "continuous" second round failures. Just because he was #33? The Patriots tried to move the pick but didn't have any takers. At least Dowling looked good the very few times he was healthy. I think Brace, T. Wilson and Chung were even worse picks.

Has to be Dowling.

What a prime pick it would have been. lots of talent there but just could not stay healthy.

Dowling in the first instead of a trade would likely have cost us Hightower, and since we still needed a LB probably would have picked David in the second, then safety was still a need so probably pick a safety over bequette in the 3Rd

Ras I Dowling

Tavon Wilson

realtime said:

Not sure why Dowling is being singled out among the "continuous" second round failures. Just because he was #33? The Patriots tried to move the pick but didn't have any takers. At least Dowling looked good the very few times he was healthy. I think Brace, T. Wilson and Chung were even worse picks.

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And Dowling would seemingly be healthy now as he is on the Jets practice squad. If he can't break into that secondary (where they're benching their 1st round pick) it's got to be more than health as the reason.

Regardless, that pick is the most egregious in my eyes.

well, if character plays any part in it,

Aaron Hernandez, hands down!

dales804 said:

And Dowling would seemingly be healthy now as he is on the Jets practice squad. If he can't break into that secondary (where they're benching their 1st round pick) it's got to be more than health as the reason.

Regardless, that pick is the most egregious in my eyes.

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I doubt he's close to 100% now. Regardless, where he is in year 3 after a barrage of injuries doesn't for me change the fact that he looked perfectly worthy of the #33 pick the few times he was healthy. I think picking guys in the second round who sucked even when healthy (e.g. Brace, the overdrafted Wilson and the overrated Chung) is far worse.

Probably Tvon Wilson, unlike Dowling he has been healthy, no way to know Dowling would be injured killing his development and availability.

NG Pats Fan said:

I think it has to be selecting the much less talented gator Jermaine Cunningham over teammate Carlos Dunlap, with the florida head coach being your best friend. This one still hurts me. Dunlap is having yet another beast year, and would have been a force opposite chandler jones. Cunningham is out of the NFL, and never was an impact player like Dunlap.

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Dunlap is inconsistent. I don't get the love for this guy. If the Pats made a mistake it was not taking Sean Lee over either Cunningham or Dunlap or for that matter Spikes. That guy is a stud. Dunlap is just an above average player.

Their biggest blunder was clearly giving Aaron Hernandez the deal they did. I know it is more of a hindsight is 20/20 thing, but his contract will hinder the Pats next year if they can't get some cap room in a grievance.