The Most Questionable 2014 Draft Choice

Brady6 said:

Are you serious? You think that Stork and others who were taken 43 picks or more later are going to help but we couldn't find a player at #62 that would help in 2014. Come on man, you're reaching so far right now you're going to dislocate your elbow.

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there were no interior OL taken in that range that were clearly better (and a better fit) than those taken later......the reach would have been taking similar talent (on the Pats board) at 62 than what could be (and was) taken later


this roster is more or less set across the board.....save for LB depth & TE depth......i don't see a soul at 62 (that couldn't be had later, either in name or similar talent) that was going to crack this roster enough to make a real impact, no

Using Round 2 on a backup QB where many teams somehow find quality contributors seems a waste to me. The Patriots have needs at multiple positions relative to the quality of players needed to contend post season. Why the compelling urgency to find a possible (no guarantee) successor to TFB in 2014?

Brady6 said:

Are you serious? You think that Stork and others who were taken 43 picks or more later are going to help but we couldn't find a player at #62 that would help in 2014. Come on man, you're reaching so far right now you're going to dislocate your elbow.

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And there we have it. You are one of those people who demands instant gratification out of everything. You can't be bothered to think for the future. Good thing that Belichick is the GM and not you because the team would consistently be 1-15 and not consistently above .500 for over a decade.

PatsWickedPissah said:

Using Round 2 on a backup QB where many teams somehow find quality contributors seems a waste to me. The Patriots have needs at multiple positions relative to the quality of players needed to contend post season. Why the compelling urgency to find a possible (no guarantee) successor to TFB in 2014?

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why wait until it is a necessity?

why is a guy at 62 who is going to be a back up at QB somehow less preferable to a guy at 62 who is going to be a backup TE? or a backup LB?

yukon cornelius said:

why wait until it is a necessity?

why is a guy at 62 who is going to be a back up at QB somehow less preferable to a guy at 62 who is going to be a backup TE? or a backup LB?

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Because we have no viable backup LB having lost our backups to FA
Because we have no viable backup TE when Gronk breaks an arm, knee, back...

You're assuming that we, unlike many other teams, are unable to draft a starter in round 2

PatsWickedPissah said:

Using Round 2 on a backup QB where many teams somehow find quality contributors seems a waste to me. The Patriots have needs at multiple positions relative to the quality of players needed to contend post season. Why the compelling urgency to find a possible (no guarantee) successor to TFB in 2014?

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Asked and answered numerous times, PWP. It's clear that the Pats are going to be grooming Garoppolo to take Brady's spot unless Brady finds the fountain of youth and reverts back to his 2003/2004 form, which I don't see happening. They get Garoppolo in early, groom him, and he's ready to step in (hopefully) if Brady get's severely injured or retires.

ripatsfan91 said:

Quit while you are ahead, Collins looks like a genius pick now. Contributed a lot last season and improved every week he played. Can't ask for much more.

I don't think the team ever thought of him as a DE, he has always been an athletic LB. Plus you could really make the case that LB is a bigger need than Safety.

I am sure if Collins wasn't the pick last year, you would be clamoring for another LB now that Spikes isn't on the team.

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So, after only one year, we have last year's terrible picks as our starting LB (Collins) and S (Harmon/Ryan). We could have Elam instead (a great choice), but how would our LB situation look now?

PatsWickedPissah said:

Because we have no viable backup LB having lost our backups to FA
Because we have no viable backup TE when Gronk breaks an arm, knee, back...

You're assuming that we, unlike many other teams, are unable to draft a starter in round 2

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i am in no way convinced the TE's available at 62 are convincingly better than the UDFA's signed, the players on the roster, or any potential FA's still to be signed

same for backup linebackers....


other than interior OL, virtually every other starter is on the roster right now.......and interior OL was dealt with later in the draft, with no discernible loss of talent (vs picking one earlier)


this isn't the tampa roster, folks......

and to be clear, i am not saying JG was the clear choice.....i am not claiming to know much about him other than what i've seen post-pick.....whether he is the guy or not isn't a claim i'm willing to attempt to make

but the move wasn't nearly as questionable as many seem to think......they seemed to have 2 guys they wanted, a groomer QB was clearly one of their goals, and one of their early goals.....and i can't logically argue with that as a franchise concept.....with their current backup gone after this season and with TB12 being a short timer, this move makes them better next year and down the road.....and it might create some flexibility with mallett between now and then as well

post-draft indications are JG wasn't going to be available much longer......they wanted to go QB, they only had a few they wanted......the logic really isn't hard to understand

Garoppolo and White. I like the Easley pick, actually. My issue was more or less where they took him. But then, they could have taken Ward instead and I would have been absolutely fine with that. This was a very meh draft where the best thing the team did was adding more beef and strength to the interior OL.

yukon cornelius said:

i am in no way convinced the TE's available at 62 are convincingly better than the UDFA's signed, the players on the roster, or any potential FA's still to be signed

same for backup linebackers....


other than interior OL, virtually every other starter is on the roster right now.......and interior OL was dealt with later in the draft, with no discernible loss of talent (vs picking one earlier)


this isn't the tampa roster, folks......

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Accepting your take of #62 as fact (which I do not) simply for the sake of discussion there were other possibilities...

Pats could have possibly traded up for a better quality player
Pats could have traded pick #62 for a player from another team

I can rest comfortably now learning from Patsfans that this team's depth is such high quality that even a 2nd round pick could not strengthen the team such that injuries will not inhibit us from post season success

DaBruinz said:

You need to stop thinking you have a clue about football and just listen for a change instead of disagreeing out of spite.

Why am I OK with the Garropolo pick? Pretty sure I made myself clear. The Pats want him to learn the system as the #3. This is NOT unusual. They have done this with other positions in the past. Dan Koppen is a perfect example. Asante Samuel and Ellis Hobbs are other perfect examples. So is Nate Solder. QB is the single most important position on the field. Why wouldn't you want to bring someone in to learn the system before needing him?

As for going 1-15 and having Andrew Luck. Great. Go watch the Colts then. Kill their fans brain cells with your ill-thought posts.

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Do not speak to the knowledge of other posters when you are the most mindless poster on this board and every post you make consists of agreeing with or advocating for a Belichick decision. You do not think for yourself at all, so to imply you have football knowledge or can assess another persons football knowledge is moronic.

You like the Graoppolo pick because you like everything Belichick does, you have never objected to a single thing he had done and therefore you have zero credibility in my eyes.

I invested significant time in the scouting and predraft process, I know more about every player picked then you do, you were barely in the draft forum prior to the draft, you are riding on the fact that Belichick made the pick so it must be a good one, you do not know anything about the players drafted without googling them.

Kill their fans brain cells? You're not a fan you're a puppet that lacks the capacity to do anything besides agree with Belichick. Stop wasting my time with your endless crap it is so overplayed and predictable.

KontradictioN said:

Garoppolo and White. I like the Easley pick, actually. My issue was more or less where they took him. But then, they could have taken Ward instead and I would have been absolutely fine with that. This was a very meh draft where the best thing the team did was adding more beef and strength to the interior OL.

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I'd like to hear why you don't like the White pick. Did we take him too high? Were there better RBs available? I like what he brings as a prospect: an RB that can run and catch. Currently we only seem to throw to Vereen and hand off to Ridley which makes our offense kind of transparent. Was there someone else we could have got at that pick (or later) that brings that same dynamic?

PatsWickedPissah said:

Because we have no viable backup LB having lost our backups to FA

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So Dane Fletcher was a viable backup but there is no way Steve Beauharnais can be? Now keyword there is backup.

Brady6 said:

How do you know you are even going to be alive in 2018 when he is a starter? You need to stop trying to be Belichick’s BFF and realize you are a fan and as a fan, Graoppolo is going to do nothing for you in 2014, so why in the world would you be for the pick?

As far as having a backup QB that is good, I do not really care, we had that in 2008 and we went 11-5 and missed the playoffs, 1-15 like the Colts, 11-5 like us in 2008 it does not matter because neither team won the Super Bowl, having a winning record does nothing for me, in fact I would rather have the 1-15 record and Andrew Luck.

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That's a loser's mentality.

Jimmy Garoppolo has exactly as many SB rings as Andrew Luck.

Nobody, not even the "experts" here, has a clue what Jimmy Garoppolo will turn out to be in the NFL.

I hope he makes it as an NFL QB just so I can laugh at all of the naysayers.

DaBruinz said:

Asked and answered numerous times, PWP. It's clear that the Pats are going to be grooming Garoppolo to take Brady's spot unless Brady finds the fountain of youth and reverts back to his 2003/2004 form, which I don't see happening. They get Garoppolo in early, groom him, and he's ready to step in (hopefully) if Brady get's severely injured or retires.

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He is not that GOOD!!!! Mallet is a better QB. He played in the Ohio Valley Conference for Pet's sake! That is a tick above the Hobomock League on the South Shore!

Here are his stats:

08/31@SDGSTW 40-19463167.43617.8304205.00
09/07@SILW 40-37563460.74407.941520.40
09/14ILSTW 57-24412663.448011.7705-11-2.20
09/21@NILLL 39-43493469.44509.2628-22-2.80
09/28EKYW 42-7392666.73228.3312136.50
10/10@APW 63-7302170.030610.250263.01
10/19SEMOSTW 55-33302273.337612.5325214.20
10/26@TNSTW 34-16412458.541010.0414-23-5.80
11/02TNTECHW 56-21503366.03998.0414-6-1.50
11/09@MURYSTW 37-17402870.02997.5106335.51
11/16JAXSTW 52-14241562.51697.0207142.00
11/23@TNMARTW 70-22462656.547710.4602-1-0.50
12/07TNSTW 51-10261765.42409.231640.7
0
12/13TWSTL 39-49503876.03216.42010121.2

I'm still trying to figure out
who the hell half of these teams are! I figured Northern Illinois is a decent (lower tier program) I see he lost the them. It looks like whoever TWST (Townsen State???) is, they kept him in check. Good god he has played against ANYOBODY!!! And don't bring up Tony Romo, yes he broke Romo's records here, but please remember ROMO WENT UNDRAFTED!!!!! (and he still stinks).

PatsWickedPissah said:

Accepting your take of #62 as fact (which I do not) simply for the sake of discussion there were other possibilities...

Pats could have possibly traded up for a better quality player
Pats could have traded pick #62 for a player from another team

I can rest comfortably now learning from Patsfans that this team's depth is such high quality that even a 2nd round pick could not strengthen the team such that injuries will not inhibit us from post season success

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except that is ignoring the fact that backup QB was a NEED, and one they obviously felt needed to be addressed......there were other needs for sure, but seems this one had higher priority and was harder to address by other means

mallett is gone.....vet backups cost more money than rookie deal backups

even if they keep 3 QB's this year, JG as a backup next year is better than any new rookie (assuming similar draft position) they would draft......


this move allowed for mallet flexibility, which hasn't panned out.....yet

it makes them better next year


and if he grooms well, who knows


as for the trade up......was the need pressing enough? did the potential deals pass the cost/benefit analysis? you know tires were kicked there....

trading down.....seems they weren't convinced JG wouldn't be there.....you know they kicked the tires and looked around here, too



it still seems like simple logic......they determined backup QB was a high priority goal......they had a short list, and they went with how the draft skewed to fill the need they felt pressing


imagine the conversations here if Bortles was still around at 29......

yukon cornelius said:

there were no interior OL taken in that range that were clearly better (and a better fit) than those taken later......the reach would have been taking similar talent (on the Pats board) at 62 than what could be (and was) taken later


this roster is more or less set across the board.....save for LB depth & TE depth......i don't see a soul at 62 (that couldn't be had later, either in name or similar talent) that was going to crack this roster enough to make a real impact, no

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Anyone of these players would have been a better pick and could have contributed right away.

Marcus Martin - OL
Morgan Mosses - OL
Billy Turner - OL
Travis Swanson - OL
Gabe Jackson - OL
Tria Turner - OL

CJ Fiedorowicz - TE
Charles Simms - RB
Christian Kirksey - LB
Scott Crichton - DE
Louis Nix - DT
Kareem Martin - DE
Donte Mocrief - WR
Tre Mason - RB
Jarvis Landry - WR

yukon cornelius said:

except that is ignoring the fact that backup QB was a NEED, and one they obviously felt needed to be addressed......there were other needs for sure, but seems this one had higher priority and was harder to address by other means

mallett is gone.....vet backups cost more money than rookie deal backups

even if they keep 3 QB's this year, JG as a backup next year is better than any new rookie (assuming similar draft position) they would draft......


this move allowed for mallet flexibility, which hasn't panned out.....yet

it makes them better next year


and if he grooms well, who knows


as for the trade up......was the need pressing enough? did the potential deals pass the cost/benefit analysis? you know tires were kicked there....

trading down.....seems they weren't convinced JG wouldn't be there.....you know they kicked the tires and looked around here, too



it still seems like simple logic......they determined backup QB was a high priority goal......they had a short list, and they went with how the draft skewed to fill the need they felt pressing


imagine the conversations here if Bortles was still around at 29......

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It was not needed, we have Ryan Mallett. In addition we could have drafted a QB later in the draft. Belichick in my opinion either was trying to force O'Brien and Houston's hand or got pissed off during the trade talks for Mallett so they took the player they were targeting at #65, because we were actually going to take Allen Robinson but Jacksonville jumped in front of us.

Brady6 said:

Anyone of these players would have been a better pick and could have contributed right away.

Marcus Martin - OL
Morgan Mosses - OL
Billy Turner - OL
Travis Swanson - OL
Gabe Jackson - OL
Tria Turner - OL

CJ Fiedorowicz - TE
Charles Simms - RB
Christian Kirksey - LB
Scott Crichton - DE
Louis Nix - DT
Kareem Martin - DE
Donte Mocrief - WR
Tre Mason - RB
Jarvis Landry - WR

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the OL need was addressed later in the draft.......how that pans out is up in the air, as are most draft decisions, but they had their board, i have to assume some level of trust until proven otherwise......but generally speaking, interior OL dropoff from round 2 to 4 or 5 isn't that great

RB? WR? those would be luxury picks, not need based by any means......replacing one #5 receiver with upside with another #5, new to the system, with potential upside really isn't a round 2 move imho


DT was addressed the previous round.....there's a lot of question marks on the roster on the d-line, but i am going to assume knowledge of rehab, etc came into play here.....the fill to that 'need' might already be there




we may be faulting the pick of the player down the road, but i just don't find flaw with the logic of addressing backup QB that early........i didn't necessarily see it coming ahead of time, but looking at it now, i understand the decision, and it makes sense....