Pats drafting WR early, according to NESN

Deus Irae said:

Unless they're ditching Mayo, there is no need at LB.

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Or, he continues to not be able to play consistently because of injuries.
Combine the injury history with the salary issue and this becomes a high risk.

Ross12 said:

The push to sign Stevie Johnson tells me that the team is interested in upgrading at WR.

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I didn't see him as an upgrade, but as Edelman injury insurance.
Patriot nation seems to be in massive denial about how Edelman's play style puts him on a thin line regarding concussions. If he were a relative of mine, I'd ask him to retire now.
Brady and the offense have lived off of having a slot that can get open regularly; the Welker-Edelman combo has been an amazing run. But it is a short lived position. It is time to look for the next guy.

Sounds great. Are they going to let every team play with 2 footballs at the same time now? Or is Tom going to put the ball up 50+ times every game now and we just forget the running game altogether. If Bill would have just selected David Terrell back in '01 we'd actually be able to talk about how many Lombardi's we won.

How do you win in the NFL? Draft tall WR's. It's the only way. Same old tired Fantasy/Madden solution.

Oswlek said:

Therein lies the problem. HT is on the mend. Mayo hasn't played even half a season since 2012 and has a very difficult task ahead of him. That leaves Collins and not much else after losing Casillas and Ayers. Beyond that, both Collins and HT are due some serious cash by the end of next year.

Frankly, if OL/CB/DT didn't have obvious holes, I'd have LB as a prime area for a first round target. I could still be talked into LB as a bigger need than DT if I squint hard enough.

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100% agree. I can see BB picking the different path once again than what everyone thinks. How do you combat CB deficiencies? You get more pass rush and cover underneath. Mayo had been good once but he can't stay healthy. Hightower has been more or less a liability in coverage. Not bad, but not great at 270lbs. Collins is the best. Now pair him with Mayo's replacement Eric Kendricks or Shaq Thompson and opposition O.C.s have to be concerned about underneath coverage.

I think Guard can be addressed in 3rd. I think he picks at least two OL prospects for one starter.

It seems like he is not concerned at CB.....Perhaps because he has thought about more rush (got Sheard) and Drafting a LB who can cover and rush (interesting). He is one step ahead of what the masses thought was a dire need at CB. He is taking quantity at that position. I am of the quality school like Revis but he passed on a lot of FA talent and chose three CBs with holes in their game. Those three salaries could have bought a decent CB in my opinion. But I think he trades for a starting proven CB and let's the others on the roster fight it out pre-season.

I still think DL and CB will be taken at some point Draft weekend. I can see a Rowe, Gunter or Darby or maybe a development CB like Rollins later than round two and beyond. Waynes , Johnson and Peters will be gone. Byron Jones is the new flavor, but he is trending FS and we are set there.

There is Draft depth to the D Line but after round two they are all about the same grade. Some predict Grady Jarrett or Bennett but we already have that guy in Jones. So unless they opt for one of the top tier lineman Draft day, BB has made a decision to stand pat there even passing on some talent and absolute steals in FA like Fairley and Knighton.

I am not seeing RB as an issue. I think he addressed it last year with White (who knows). Gaffney was added who might be better than White in the Pats scheme and now Cadet. Where is the dire need for RB? Yes, if Gurley is there at #32 you have to take him but........

I see LB as a logical move as Oswlek. With White and some of the P.S. guys on the LB corps, the depth was hurt when we lost Ayers (should have kept him) and Casillas. It makes sense.
DW Toys

Anteros said:

Somebody will bite on DGB before pick 32, despite his problems. He's made for the Ravens. That being said... he's very intriguing.

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So I just read NESN's Mock Draft today. Look who they have going at 26:

26. Baltimore Ravens: Dorial Green-Beckham, wide receiver, Oklahoma If any team can take on Green-Beckham’s headaches, it’s the Ravens. They need a receiver after letting Torrey Smith walk in free agency.

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2015/04/nfl-mock-draft-4-0-patriots-could-surprise-with-first-round-receiver/

LOL.

A WR early?

Seems like a very odd decision given that it is not an area of need.

Nelson aguilar might be a good option

I understand the decision to take a WR early if they do want to do so. There are lots of great receivers available in this draft and the value may be very good, vs drafting for need early and possibly taking a guy who isn't as great of a value but filled a need.

It's basically the argument of best player available vs drafting for need: you can fill your needs and be a more complete team, or you can take BPA and really excel in some spots but also have some holes. BB could think that his secondary is just not going to be as good this year, so he will compensate with an even greater offensive attack. High flying receivers and twin tower TEs putting up lots of points can allow the secondary to play lots of zone and bend-don't-break.

FourierSeries said:

A WR early?

Seems like a very odd decision given that it is not an area of need.

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The Patriots actions so far this offseason seem to indicate that they, like many observers, feel the bolded part is incorrect, and that is why such a decision would not be at all odd.

Browner was recruited as a WR in college and asked to play CB. Edelman was a college starting QB who was drafted by the Patriots to play WR and CB for the Patriots.

Would love to see Malcolm on the offense, threatening that Brady might pass to him. A nice to way to mess with the minds of opposing teams even after the rule changes the Ravens requested. Very similar to how we used Vrabel to catch touchdowns at the goal line.

My problem with "area of need" classification is that most positions can be classified in that manner due to a possible lack of depth, near future contract risk of current starters or lack of a current player on the roster who has a skill set not presently on the team, e.g. credible deep threat WR.

I'd say QB is NOT an area of need unless you believe that TFB is done, as many here outspokenly did last summer early fall.

PatsWickedPissah said:

My problem with "area of need" classification is that most positions can be classified in that manner due to a possible lack of depth, near future contract risk of current starters or lack of a current player on the roster who has a skill set not presently on the team, e.g. credible deep threat WR.

I'd say QB is NOT an area of need unless you believe that TFB is done, as many here outspokenly did last summer early fall.

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When I think of a position being an area of need, I think of a position with a significant problem, usually being more than just a depth issue, even if that problem is just a specific role. Thus, I look at the Patriots LB corps, and I see no need for anything more than depth players, as long as Mayo is brought back. At WR, on the other hand, I see a need for a true middle/deep guy who can draw coverage (LaFell is fine in a Gafney-type of route running role, and Edelman has been very successful as a Welker/Gaffney/Branch hybrid, but there's still not a proven Stallworth/Moss type on the roster).

I think I'm gonna put up a "We Need To Draft Everywhere At Every Position" thread to make me feel more secure. I'm scared of this boogeymen season coming up....real scared.

betterthanthealternative said:

I didn't see him as an upgrade, but as Edelman injury insurance.
Patriot nation seems to be in massive denial about how Edelman's play style puts him on a thin line regarding concussions. If he were a relative of mine, I'd ask him to retire now.
Brady and the offense have lived off of having a slot that can get open regularly; the Welker-Edelman combo has been an amazing run. But it is a short lived position. It is time to look for the next guy.

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No, Stevie Johnson would be Brandon LaFafell injury insurance. Johnson is a big guy at 6'4" and physically very similar to BF. His overall style of play is nothing like Edelman. Edelman insurance is Amendola or maybe Welker as an unsigned FA; those guys are slot receivers and play a completely different role.

Many on this board underrate LaFell and fail to realize that, even without a healthy Gronkowski, the Patriots may have won the SB in 2011 and 2012 had he been their outside receiver. He is the guy they have been looking for since Moss left; he may not be an explosive downfield threat, but he can breakaway; more importantly, he is a big, physical presence who can play the sidelines and "stretch the field" to some extent. He is also a good red zone threat. He is what they were hoping for with Ochocinco and Lloyd.

Johnson would have been a really good signing for the Patriots, but I don't think he was going to be more than a role player/backup, so I understand why financially they didn't want to go that high.. If LaFell gets injured and they have no viable replacement (Dobson would be the guy but there lots of doubts), the Patriots would probably need to shift Edelman or Amendola to the outside. That would make them weaker everywhere on offense.

Also, I'm not sure how you conclude that slot receiver is a "short-lived" position when Welker remained productive for seven seasons and Edelman is now going on his third with no signs of slowing down. Yes, concussions are dangerous and concerning, but your comment that it is "time to look for the next guy" doesn't really ring true to me. Amendola is already on the roster. The Pats are probably better stocked with depth at the slot receiver position than any other on this roster. If Edelman got hurt, Amendola would step in and be about 85% as good right now; it's like the reason why Welker appeared to be way, way better than Edelman because he was the primary target many times with the plays designed around getting him the ball, while at that time Edelman played decoy and often played the outside or just cleared out. Likewise, if Edelman got hurt, it would be a downgrade, as he is awesome, but if the offense revolved around Amendola at that point, I can almost assure you DA would put up 100 receptions. He made a lot of plays last at the end of last season despite often being the second or third option.

PatSunday said:

Browner was recruited as a WR in college and asked to play CB. Edelman was a college starting QB who was drafted by the Patriots to play WR and CB for the Patriots.

Would love to see Malcolm on the offense, threatening that Brady might pass to him. A nice to way to mess with the minds of opposing teams even after the rule changes the Ravens requested. Very similar to how we used Vrabel to catch touchdowns at the goal line.

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I'd rather see Collins on offense/in the red-zone

@TBR Awesome sig photo ^^^^

Oswlek said:

Lack of clarity on my part. I already consider 2015 to be "this" and 2016 to be "next", but it definitely looks odd on the screen now that you point it out.

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Apologies then, my friend. Didn't mean to nitpick. I've just seen a lot of posters suggesting that "next spring" (2016) we'll need to address Hightower + Collins, when all actuality it is Hightower + Jones. As you've noted, Collins could technically wait one more year into 2017.

Of course, as we've seen, Belichick could pull the trigger on an early deal, as J.Collins is eligible for a new pact after this upcoming season. In the end, I'm not quite as sure as many others about potentially keeping all 3, but we'll have to see how it plays out. The wildcard of course, is the reasoning behind the Rolando McClain visit, and what inside info or concern that Belichick has regarding the injury situations. That situation alone could point to a hint about the addition of another LB.

TBR said:

I'd rather see Collins on offense/in the red-zone

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It's intriguing to think of the possibilities with some of these great athletes, but I wonder if Belichick thinks a moment longer after having Seymour line up as blocking FB? I don't ever think he's the kind of coach who would "play scared," but there's also a clear reason why we hardly ever see these kind of fan-board scenarios play out during the game, barring emergency situations like T.Brown/Edelman at CB.

What was the most recent one: Revis is going to catch passes on trick plays?

supafly said:

Apologies then, my friend. Didn't mean to nitpick. I've just seen a lot of posters suggesting that "next spring" (2016) we'll need to address Hightower + Collins, when all actuality it is Hightower + Jones. As you've noted, Collins could technically wait one more year into 2017.

Of course, as we've seen, Belichick could pull the trigger on an early deal, as J.Collins is eligible for a new pact after this upcoming season. In the end, I'm not quite as sure as many others about potentially keeping all 3, but we'll have to see how it plays out. The wildcard of course, is the reasoning behind the Rolando McClain visit, and what inside info or concern that Belichick has regarding the injury situations. That situation alone could point to a hint about the addition of another LB.

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Good post. I think there is concern at LB with injuries and age rearing it's ugly head. If Mayo and Hightower are not ready, all you have just Collins of any quality. They should never have left Ayers go. Good player.

I Think WR and RB are luxury picks if a highly rated kid drops. CB is obvious but a LB makes sense and with McCarthy, Gachkar and McClain (all ILB types) in, something's up.

As I have mentioned, and underneath LB presence can surely help the DBs. Conversely, if you blitz some with a super fast LB it helps our DBs. I am going with the school that a LB is going to be added either via trade or high pick. McClain was a good deal if they could sign him.

I think the Pats will Draft a CB at some point. But after the first few talent, the value drops down the board. The risk of starting a rookie CB who at some point is on his own, is an adventure. I am not going to jump on the Bradley Fletcher band wagon, but this is typical BB reclamation project. The Safeties at Philly were so bad perhaps it made his CB play look worse. BB got the inside info from Chip for that decision.

Looking at McClain, BB might have seen him as a reclamation project "almost" completed and only 25. To give him his due, he has matured greatly. He is six years younger than Mayo. He is less than a question mark going into camp and was signed at almost half of Mayo $ (unfortunately not by us) Watch for another LB who is a RFA but had very similar numbers to McClain. The 49ers are reportedly looking to get a sixth-or-seventh round pick in return for Michael Wilhoite. They might not let him go now that Borland is retired but Navaro Bowman is going to be ready and they have youngsters Lynch (six sacks) and Moody. They also resigned LB Desmond Bishop.
"Michael Wilhoite had to start all year because of all the injuries to the linebackers. He handled himself better than expected; he was pretty solid in coverage. "

Wilhoite can also play Special Teams. Mayo or Hightower not so much. Speaking of the Niners, Brooks could be had but he is Mayo's age.
DW Toys

I wouldnt be shocked to see a move for one or two linebackers.
Agree on Ayers real good player we let go which was a mistake.
McClain We tried to get cents on the dollar and that blew up.
Have to think we are reoworkimg Mayos deal or we would of made a more aggressive pitch to McClain.
The Jets made a very solid signing in Erin Henderson.
Would like to see us make a move for a coverage rangy linebacker or two.
I dont believe that is worth more than a third however.
I really think we should sign Wis to shore up the guard position.
That way we can focus on BPA and defense in this draft.