Belichick has discovered a new pot of gold…

It is 2-3 year old draft classes…

Over the past few years Belichick has signed a number of players who either entered the NFL to soon, have been underdeveloped since entering the NFL for reasons outside their control, or entered from a small school with lower competition. These players have all spent time of bad football teams, and were not NFL ready during the first 2-3 years in the NFL.

I have to assume Belichick scouts these young players during the draft and labels them not NFL ready but keeps a target on them with the intent of getting his hands on them when they really should be drafted into the NFL. Essentially these players are getting the development they did not receive in college at the NFL level.

• Dion Lewis – entered the NFL after his sophomore season at the age of 20.

• Rufus Johnson – went Tarleton and he was on the 4th player ever to be drafted by an NFL team from there.

• Sealver Siliga – entered the NFL after his junior season at the age of 20.

• Akiem Hicks – was on the 9th Canadian Interuniversity Sport player drafted by an NFL team.

• Jon Bostic – was drafted by the Bears at just 20 years old after entering college a year early.

• Mike Williams – was drafted by the Lions at 21 years old and asked to change positions to OL.

• Keshawn Martin – was drafted by the Texans and played behind Johnson and Hopkins with 7 different QBs starting during his tenure in Houston.

This is why we can overcome UFA losses, and Goodell taking all of our draft picks away, because Belichick finds talent that others fail to notice.

You forgot BB took a flyer on Gronk's back during the draft and wasted one roster spot on some "skinny" kid... that was the foundation of the dynasty.

Also gets a chance to see how their character deals with being on a bad team, in the pros. Do they still work at improving their craft, perhaps despite poor coaching, or at least not go off the rails with parties and playing around, chasing skirts, etc.? Good observation. But shush, don't need others trying to do it.

Agree that he is replacing ideal draft position with extra intense scouting.

You know this post didn't get a lot of replies and that is a shame. I think you bring up a really interesting point. BB probably does have a file on raw players that he keeps track of.

It be interesting to look at how the Patriots have done FA and track how many guys they look at fit this particular mode.

edkk323 said:

You forgot BB took a flyer on Gronk's back during the draft and wasted one roster spot on some "skinny" kid... that was the foundation of the dynasty.

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Michael Bishop never got a fair shake here.

BobDigital said:

You know this post didn't get a lot of replies and that is a shame. I think you bring up a really interesting point. BB probably does have a file on raw players that he keeps track of.

It be interesting to look at how the Patriots have done FA and track how many guys they look at fit this particular mode.

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There's no probably about it. Why do you think he tries out 5-6 players at a time that have no chance right now to crack the roster? They track every player they liked but couldn't or didn't draft, that's indisputable.

Excellent post. Well done.

edkk323 said:

You forgot BB took a flyer on Gronk's back during the draft and wasted one roster spot on some "skinny" kid... that was the foundation of the dynasty.

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Quoting the OP:

These players have all spent time of bad football teams, and were not NFL ready during the first 2-3 years in the NFL.

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GRONK simply doesn't fit that profile, although GRONK is of course a cornerstone of the Patriots' current success.

That's BB for ya.

OT: This bye week is killing me so f*cking boring...

Bradyking12 said:

That's BB for ya.

OT: This bye week is killing me so f*cking boring...

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I'm with you...the one slow week I have.

I've actually posted in the political forum.

I need a beer...

We should have a bye - week Patriots get together....

Bradyking12 said:

That's BB for ya.

OT: This bye week is killing me so f*cking boring...

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It could be worse... Could have the forum's recent topics be filled with deflate hate theories again.

There is a ton of bad coaching going on in the NFL, Thursday Night was a prime example. BB attention to detail and no nonsense approach works for guys who are football first.

great coaches find out what you do well and put you in a situation to do just that. instead of trying to fit a player into their system.

Brady6 said:

I have to assume Belichick scouts these young players during the draft and labels them not NFL ready but keeps a target on them with the intent of getting his hands on them when they really should be drafted into the NFL.

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I love the topic, but I can't buy in to this assumption. E.g. Jon Bostic was plenty "ready." He played his full four years at Florida in the SEC, started 32 games, was a multiyear Butkus watch list player, etc. As it happens, the Patriots didn't pass on him in the draft -- he was gone before their first pick. Instead they drafted a much less ready player with a higher ceiling, a certain developmental project from Conference USA.

I totally DO believe, though, that BB & co. keep tabs on players they scouted in college and look for opportunities where they're undervalued. Out of position, poor scheme fits, etc. Michael Williams was a great example, a 3-year starter for Nick Saban at tight end who the Lions ill-advisedly tried to turn into an OT.

Brady6 said:

It is 2-3 year old draft classes…

Over the past few years Belichick has signed a number of players who either entered the NFL to soon, have been underdeveloped since entering the NFL for reasons outside their control, or entered from a small school with lower competition. These players have all spent time of bad football teams, and were not NFL ready during the first 2-3 years in the NFL.

I have to assume Belichick scouts these young players during the draft and labels them not NFL ready but keeps a target on them with the intent of getting his hands on them when they really should be drafted into the NFL. Essentially these players are getting the development they did not receive in college at the NFL level.

• Dion Lewis – entered the NFL after his sophomore season at the age of 20.

• Rufus Johnson – went Tarleton and he was on the 4th player ever to be drafted by an NFL team from there.

• Sealver Siliga – entered the NFL after his junior season at the age of 20.

• Akiem Hicks – was on the 9th Canadian Interuniversity Sport player drafted by an NFL team.

• Jon Bostic – was drafted by the Bears at just 20 years old after entering college a year early.

• Mike Williams – was drafted by the Lions at 21 years old and asked to change positions to OL.

• Keshawn Martin – was drafted by the Texans and played behind Johnson and Hopkins with 7 different QBs starting during his tenure in Houston.

This is why we can overcome UFA losses, and Goodell taking all of our draft picks away, because Belichick finds talent that others fail to notice.

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Great post. Original, creative, and thought provoking.

It seems like the front office has changed their methodology. I am too lazy to do the detailed research, but when filling out the bottom of their roster for depth (always a priority for the Patriots) off the top of my head it seems like in the past they filled it with more established veterans, sometimes closer to the end of their career than the beginning, guys like Brian Waters or John Lynch. Now they seem to be poaching younger players, as you point out. Interesting!

patchick said:

I love the topic, but I can't by in to this assumption. E.g. Jon Bostic was plenty "ready." He played his full four years at Florida in the SEC, started 32 games, was a multiyear Butkus watch list player, etc. As it happens, the Patriots didn't pass on him in the draft -- he was gone before their first pick. Instead they drafted a much less ready player with a higher ceiling, a certain developmental project from Conference USA.

I totally DO believe, though, that BB & co. keep tabs on players they scouted in college and look for opportunities where they're undervalued. Out of position, poor scheme fits, etc. Michael Williams was a great example, a 3-year starter for Nick Saban at tight end who the Lions ill-advisedly tried to turn into an OT.

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Good point about Michael Williams, the Lions already had a good blocking TE in Brandon Pettigrew so they decided to try to make Michael Williams into an OT (a team weakness). Trying to put a bandaid on a team weakness by making a player into something he is not.

Plus, both this year and last year BB has poached so many young, former productive starters that have struggled with defensive scheme changes from the 4-3 to the 3-4 (this year Bostic and Hicks, last year Ayers) during bye week I think next year I am going to search rosters for players struggling with 4-3 to 3-4 scheme changes and pencil them in for the Patriots.

What BB is doing is finding players who are improperly utilized or on a team changing schemes, and he gets the player at a marginal cost i.e. the player plus a draft choice one round lower.

He gets a player who has a track record in the NFL* so he is not drafting a total bust. He improves his depth and gets a player who should be motivated for their next contract.

BB gets a year or two of a motivated depth player, and reaps a compensation pick if the player wants too much to re-sign with the Pats.

What's not to like?***


*** Unless you are a hater and then there is a lot not to like.

robertweathers said:

Michael Bishop never got a fair shake here.

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I think they should put him in on goal line situations......

It's nothing new -- that was pretty much the story behind Mike Vrabel as well, or in a recent form Rob Ninkovich.

Ditto Russ Hochstein and a bunch of other OL.