Patriots Do All In Draft Except What Was Needed

Patriots Do All In Draft Except What Was Needed

Bob George

Say it again, over and over. Bill Belichick knows more about foot

Continue reading...

Drafting CBs to help the 2015 secondary would've worked out as well as drafting WRs in 2013 to help the 2013 receiving corps did. I'm surprised so many people expected a CB with one of the top 2 picks.

DT and OG were just as high on the need list as CB was.

Picking strictly for need is why certain organizations find themselves out of the playoff race by thanksgiving year after year. Games are still won and lost in the trenches, even though that is more difficult to analyze than one-on-one matchups such as a WR versus a CB.

If the Pats drafted a CB at #32, then that leaves a void on at defensive tackle with the departure of Vince Wilfork. If in the club's scouting analysis the available corners at #64 or later were no better than Dennard, Butler, Fletcher, Ryan et al, then what's the point in drafting one there? Do that and the same folks who are currently asking why the Pats did not draft a CB are then asking two years down the road why the Pats reached for a CB in 2015. For historical reference just look up discussions on Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite - both of whom by the way initially looked okay when the pass rush was there, but not so much as the quality of the Pats' front seven deteriorated. And that brings us full circle to why the selection of Malcom Brown makes more sense than a CB (or RB, or WR, etc.)

As for Jordan Richards, I understand the questioning of that pick at number 64. One thing to consider though: when did Patrick Chung become so fabulous that there was no need for competition at that position? It was just two years ago at about this time that he departed Foxboro, and nobody shed a tear.

You can't effectively look at a draft in a one-year vacuum. With the Patriots not picking until #32 and #64, going for a corner in a weak CB class would not have been a very wise decision. In the meantime the Pats have upgraded the offensive line and defensive front seven. By waiting until 2016 to address the CB position the Patriots have set themselves up for better long term quality not just at corner, but at DT, LG and RG as well.

Comparing David Tyree to Malcolm Butler...thats lazy.

The CB thing, people do remember the secondary they got to the SB with, right?

jmt57 said:

By waiting until 2016 to address the CB position the Patriots have set themselves up for better long term quality not just at corner, but at DT, LG and RG as well.

Click to expand...

Not only that but...
1) The team got lucky with Wendy and Connolly last year. Do we really want a 38 year old QB dealing with that again? Wouldn't we want to have a little more beef in the middle of the line and run the football with more consistency?

2) Would you rather have a DT that can stop the run and penetrate the backfield or a CB that is not as good as Revis? Would you rather stop the run and play dime or get run on constantly, be forced to play your front 7 up and leave 4 DBs to cover man-to-man when you don't have proven cover guys?

3) Help me understand how the team will extend Chandler Jones AND Hightower AND Jamie Collins. Sorry...just don't see it.

4) What if Easley is a bust? What is the backup plan for that role?

robertweathers said:

3) Help me understand how the team will extend Chandler Jones AND Hightower AND Jamie Collins. Sorry...just don't see it.

Click to expand...

Salary cap going up and Ninkovich and Mayo probably won't be with the team when it is time to extend them.

JMC00 said:

Salary cap going up and Ninkovich and Mayo probably won't be with the team when it is time to extend them.

Click to expand...

I'm hopeful for Mayo but the ask will be a ~50% pay cut from this year's earnings.

Thats a big pill for Mayo to swallow. Not sure BB would insult Mayo like that. Might go the Wilfok route and see what the market brings and go from there.

robertweathers said:

4) What if Easley is a bust? What is the backup plan for that role?

Click to expand...

What if Easley and Brown are both studs?

And you are right, If Revis was signed they aren't keeping some of those LBs.

Look for the June 1st cuts for a cb. See what they have in the personal they have along with the rookies. See if mad Bill can come up with something special and throw it out there.

Totally hope they are all in on one of the top CBs next year through the draft or via trade.

robertweathers said:

I'm hopeful for Mayo but the ask will be a ~50% pay cut from this year's earnings.

Thats a big pill for Mayo to swallow. Not sure BB would insult Mayo like that. Might go the Wilfok route and see what the market brings and go from there.

Click to expand...

Although Mayo is nick-named Bill Jr. So he may do whatever to stay a Patriot. Hell for all we know this new deal was brought to him and he immediately signed it.

robertweathers said:

3) Help me understand how the team will extend Chandler Jones AND Hightower AND Jamie Collins. Sorry...just don't see it.

Click to expand...

Although if they had re-signed Revis they probably only extend one, maybe two of them.

Look at the jests Wilkerson is probably gone because they re-signed Revis. They just happened to luck into Williams so it might work out for them if Williams is good as people think he will be.

Patriot Missile said:

What if Easley and Brown are both studs?

Click to expand...

Well, you plan for the worst and hope for the best. If Easley and Brown wreak havoc on the league next year than all the better!

Patriot Missile said:

And you are right, If Revis was signed they aren't keeping some of those LBs.

Look for the June 1st cuts for a cb. See what they have in the personal they have along with the rookies. See if mad Bill can come up with something special and throw it out there.

Totally hope they are all in on one of the top CBs next year through the draft or via trade.

Click to expand...

Make no mistake. They want Butler and Roberts to be the answers. They are cheap, young and have great upside. If not, having Fletcher, McClain, Ryan, Chi-Chi there would soften the fall. Since the jury is out on them as well, a trade/waiver wire signing for a vet is possible.

JMC00 said:

Although Mayo is nick-named Bill Jr. So he may do whatever to stay a Patriot. Hell for all we know this new deal was brought to him and he immediately signed it.

Click to expand...

Very possible.

Who were our cornerbacks in 2004?

It was a big hot mess. Troy Brown got some playing time.

Wound up okay though.

I'll trust in Bill to marshall the resources.

JMC00 said:

Although if they had re-signed Revis they probably only extend one, maybe two of them.

Look at the jests Wilkerson is probably gone because they re-signed Revis. They just happened to luck into Williams so it might work out for them if Williams is good as people think he will be.

Click to expand...

Yep- The league is built such that you can't keep everyone. While it may be skewed, by having the youngest roster in the league and with your QB making $10m/yr, they have a major advantage over every team.

The other advantage is that you can count on maybe one or two fingers the # of players who are being paid more than the value they are bringing to the team.Huge...

oldrover said:

Who were our cornerbacks in 2004?

It was a big hot mess. Troy Brown got some playing time.

Wound up okay though.

I'll trust in Bill to marshall the resources.

Click to expand...

Was that a pun?

Wow, what a crappy article.

robertweathers said:

Well, you plan for the worst and hope for the best. If Easley and Brown wreak havoc on the league next year than all the better!



Make no mistake. They want Butler and Roberts to be the answers. They are cheap, young and have great upside. If not, having Fletcher, McClain, Ryan, Chi-Chi there would soften the fall. Since the jury is out on them as well, a trade/waiver wire signing for a vet is possible.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure why people keep dismissing Dennard. If he is healthy, he is probably the #1 corner on the team.
2013 Dennard was better than 2014 Browner. I'm not sure why a season lost to health makes him disappear.

this was a meat and potatoes draft, and we needed it really bad. BB fixed the secondary by getting mroe guys for the dl that can get at the passer.

Cassell, Geno, and tannenhill are not great when they have time, now take away that time and watch the mistakes pile up