Patriots draft FSU center Bryan Stork in 4th round with 105th overall pick

AzPatsFan · May 22, 2014

Ivan said:
I hope you are right but that was actually my least favorite pick of the draft. I don't like the slow feet and the reviews that say he struggles in pass blocking an has bad hands and doesn't possess the nasty streak i think we all want in OL. I like that he's a smart player and has great size but i am going to have to see him succeed in the NFL to buy into him.

All we need from him is an above average RT by his sophomore season. To me that is not an unreasonable expectation. Being better than Svitek as he is now is not a great expectation.

AzPatsFan · May 22, 2014

captain stone said:
It's the latter.

Once again exageration bites you is the arse. Wendell is undersized, and had a below average past season. But he was previously a better than average Center with which you could and did win for several seasons.

He has always had a problem with being man handled by the Biggest and Best DTs in the League, like Harloti and Suh. An upgrade would be nice, for the Playoffs, if you face a team with a big DT, like the Broncs. But Wendell is young and a game, tough guy, who does NOT suck.

BTW, neither SF nor Seattle have those Big & Bad DTs.

Gymrat · May 22, 2014

Brady6 said:
This the OL I would run with, it would be dominate in my opinion once Stork and Cannon become acclimated.

LT-Solder-6'8" 320lbs
LG-Mankins-6'4" 310lbs
OC-Stork-6'4" 315lbs
RG-Cannon-6'5" 335lbs
RT -Vollmer-6'8" 320lbs
Swing OT-Fleming-6'5" 323lbs
Backup OG/OC-Connolly-6'4" 315lbs
Backup OG-Halapio-6'4" 325lbs

Looks good but Fleming with his power and rt athleticism may supplant mankind at lg by seasons end. Most see him as a power guard with pulling athleticism at nearly 330 lbs. Could slightly struggle at tackle in the NFL. I would rather have a pro bowl guard than average tackle. I have always thought of cannon as a guard. His power has slid. He should put on some of that 25lbs he lost while recovering. He came out a 360lb dancing bear. He reminds me of Carl nicks who was one of my favorites in 2008.

captain stone · May 23, 2014

There's no way that Fleming will replace Mankins at LG by season's end, or at any time. Fleming is strictly a RT; he's simply not athletic enough to play LG here, or probably even RG here.

jmt57 · May 28, 2014

5/28 update: good article worth checking out by Jeff Howe on Stork:

Bryan Stork in line with Patriots | Boston Herald

“He’s a Patriot kind of guy,” Florida State offensive line coach Rick Trickett said. “Show up to work, do your job, keep your mouth shut, do what you’re supposed to do. He loves football. He’s a tough kid. He’s kind of a throwback guy. He’s one of those guys that once he learns the system and gets to where he can work his way in, hopefully he’ll do a real good job for them.”

Trickett is a longtime friend of recently retired offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, so he’s in a good place to know exactly what the Patriots want out of the crew tasked with protecting quarterback Tom Brady. Scarnecchia even passed along Trickett’s assessment of Stork to coach Bill Belichick, so the Pats have some strong insight into the interior lineman’s game.

Stork, the 2013 Rimington Trophy winner as the nation’s top center, also has experience at both guard positions. The 6-foot-4, 315-pounder might push Ryan Wendell for the starting job at center, or he could be in the mix with fellow rookie and sixth-round pick Jon Halapio to contend for Dan Connolly’s spot at right guard.

The biggest adjustment for Stork will be the new language in the playbook. However, Trickett said the Seminoles’ pro-style system had more than 20 protections, so Stork is used to processing a vast assortment of play calls.

“We run a lot of the protections that (the Patriots) run. We’re a true pro offense,” Trickett said. “I think a lot of that is going to be flipping the terminology over in his head, the apples to what we called oranges. It’s a big learning process. I know he’ll do whatever studying it takes to learn that.”

There is also some commentary on Stork's injury, and speculation on whether or not Stork looked better due to playing with exceptional teammates on FSU's offensive line.

PP2 · May 28, 2014

I think this is one Stork that will deliver.

Sicilian · May 28, 2014

PP2 said:
I think this is one Stork that will deliver.

Wheelman · May 28, 2014

AzPatsFan said:
Once again exageration bites you is the arse. Wendell is undersized, and had a below average past season. But he was previously a better than average Center with which you could and did win for several seasons.

I disagree with this. I remember in 2012 when he was being praised. I couldn't understand it. I watch the replay of every Patriots game we win and I'd often see him whiff on a block. I thought maybe I was just being too critical of him but then last season everyone was talking about it.

PatsWickedPissah · May 28, 2014

Jeff Howe on Stork:

Bryan Stork in line with Patriots | Boston Herald

“He’s a Patriot kind of guy,” Florida State offensive line coach Rick Trickett said. “Stork has that major leg injury thing goin' on that the Patriots seem to love for their starters. Stork is football savvy and will compete right away for a starting cycle time spot on the sidelines."

OK, I may have paraphrased things a bit

Kontradiction · May 28, 2014

Wheelman said:
I disagree with this. I remember in 2012 when he was being praised. I couldn't understand it. I watch the replay of every Patriots game we win and I'd often see him whiff on a block. I thought maybe I was just being too critical of him but then last season everyone was talking about it.

That's Pat Chung Syndrome. Everyone was in denial about it until it was plainly evident. Wendell didn't suck as bad in 2012 as he did in 2013, but he was still not very good.

Mack Herron · May 28, 2014

PatsWickedPissah said:
Jeff Howe on Stork:

Bryan Stork in line with Patriots | Boston Herald

“He’s a Patriot kind of guy,” Florida State offensive line coach Rick Trickett said. “Stork has that major leg injury thing goin' on that the Patriots seem to love for their starters. Stork is football savvy and will compete right away for a starting cycle time spot on the sidelines."

OK, I may have paraphrased things a bit

maybe a little:

Stork’s injury issues are another concern, but he has displayed a fortitude to play through the pain. He missed two games at Florida State with mononucleosis in 2010, one game in 2011 with a migraine, one game in 2012 with a neck injury, and one game in 2013 with an ankle injury. At the NFL combine in February, he was unable to participate due to injuries to his left knee and both shoulders.

Yet, Stork fought through a nasty finger injury in 2011 and returned quicker than expected after offseason toe surgery in 2013. Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher told reporters months after the finger issue that Stork developed an infection that nearly required amputation.

Hudson Pats Fan · May 28, 2014

Gymrat said:
Looks good but Fleming with his power and rt athleticism may supplant mankind at lg by seasons end. Most see him as a power guard with pulling athleticism at nearly 330 lbs. Could slightly struggle at tackle in the NFL. I would rather have a pro bowl guard than average tackle. I have always thought of cannon as a guard. His power has slid. He should put on some of that 25lbs he lost while recovering. He came out a 360lb dancing bear. He reminds me of Carl nicks who was one of my favorites in 2008.

Can't help myself...
I wouldn't mind this guy in his prime on the O-line

captain stone · May 28, 2014

PatsWickedPissah said:
Jeff Howe on Stork:

Bryan Stork in line with Patriots | Boston Herald

“He’s a Patriot kind of guy,” Florida State offensive line coach Rick Trickett said. “Stork has that major leg injury thing goin' on that the Patriots seem to love for their starters. Stork is football savvy and will compete right away for a starting cycle time spot on the sidelines."

OK, I may have paraphrased things a bit

The thing is, I didn't realize that he was dealing with so many injuries (left knee, both! shoulders)
prior to the draft. So his beard won't be the only thing he'll have in common with the Pats OL.

rookBoston · Jun 1, 2014

Count me among the crowd that is really excited to see Stork come onto the roster.

By way of comparison, Dan Koppen was a 5th round pick in 2003 who played 16 games and started 15 of them; then went on to lock down the position for the next 9 years. Stork comes in with the right pedigree, tough guy, leadership traits...a better raw talent than Koppen...drafted a round earlier than Koppen in a very deep draft class.

We don't have a lot to go on, but with what we know of him I project Stork as a 10 year starter for us, barring some kind of catastrophic injury.

In terms of building the roster, adding Stork turns a weak spot at Center, where Wendell was a mediocre starter, to a point of strength; instead of an overmatched starter, Wendell becomes a veteran depth option off the bench, and an A+ 2nd stringer.

Easley and Garropolo we're solid picks, but the Stork pick is the one I'm most jazzed to see come to fruition this season. He makes the entire OL unit deeper and better.

Patriots draft FSU center Bryan Stork in 4th round with 105th overall pick

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