After Week 7: Devin McCourty or Dez Bryant?

[patfanken]

i think the key here is which is more easily replaceable. Clearly its easier to find a quality WR than a CB. Also McCourty is playing a higher percentage of the defense's plays than WR who is going to be in on several packages.

McCourty was the right choice, Bryant was the sexy one. The best comparison IMHO was taking Seymour instead of Terrell, Just Another example of the right choice over the sexy/popular one only here it looks like Bryant won't bust.

Bryant is a good player, maybe eventually a great one. But McCourty was the RIGHT one for NE, especially in a league dominated by the pass.

 

[DarrylS]

Without a doubt, McCourty.

 

[resdubwhite]

McCourty all the way.

 

[RobAllan]

Re-post this same exact question in 2-3 years.

This.

For this season there's no question whatsoever it's McCourty. For the long term? Who knows! My gut feeling is McCourty looks like an even better choice in 2-3 years but the pendulum could always swing the other way.

Bottom line is we don't know yet if we're thinking long-term. (If you only mean this season, there's not really even room for discussion.)

 

[Rob0729]

McCourty has the potential to be a shutdown CB or at least a top CB in this league. A stud CB is harder to find than a stud WR.

Besides, Bryant has yet to show he is going the superstar that people thought he was going to be, Yes, he got two garbage time TDs last night and a punt return for a TD, but for the most part this season he has been an electric punt returner and a decent #2 WR with a handful of great plays.

Look at it this way. Would you rather have Darrell Revis of 2009 or Andre Johnson of 2009? Personally, I would rather have Revis because he took guys like Johnson out of the game (in fact he did take Johnson out of the game in the first game of the season last year). McCourty and Bryant may never reach either of those players levels (odds are against it because those were both super elite performances), but both have the POTENTIAL to be elite players at their position.

In the draft, that is all you get - potential. Bryant hasn't shown he is a star in this league yet and McCourty has shown that he is much more than a special teamer and nickelback that so many people thought he was going to be. Up until last night, Roy Williams had been outplaying Bryant (Williams still has more yards and TDs than Bryant although Bryant has one more catch) and is still nowhere near from subplanting Miles Austin as the #1 in Dallas while McCourty has been the Pats' best CB (not high praise) and other than a few rookie mistakes has been solid being the Pats' #1 CB.

I liked the McCourty pick near right away when I saw how he was a shutdown CB in college. I always wondered if Bryant was a fit in the Pats' system since there were some knocks about his dedication, maturity, and intelligence. Seven weeks into the season, nothing has changed for me. Seven years into their careers things may be differenet.

 

[Bostonian1962]

All I know is our receiving corp is fine without Bryant, but I'd hate to see the DB corp without McCourty!

 

[convertedpatsfan]

i think the key here is which is more easily replaceable. Clearly its easier to find a quality WR than a CB. Also McCourty is playing a higher percentage of the defense's plays than WR who is going to be in on several packages.

McCourty was the right choice, Bryant was the sexy one. The best comparison IMHO was taking Seymour instead of Terrell, Just Another example of the right choice over the sexy/popular one only here it looks like Bryant won't bust.

Bryant is a good player, maybe eventually a great one. But McCourty was the RIGHT one for NE, especially in a league dominated by the pass.

Couldn't have said it better.

Of course I'm biased as the president of the Devin McCourty fan club.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

If only BB had signed Adam Seward, we wouldnt need McCourty OR Bryant.
(we all know that Adam can play both positions better)

 

[TX_Patriot]

Just reiterating what's already been said. We needed a CB more than a WR, ergo, McCourty was the better choice. Ask me this in a few years, I might have a different opinion.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

McCourty by a mile. Big stupid WRs are a dime a dozen; quality CBs are like hens teeth.

 

[RussFrancis]

Dez Bryant played a good game last night, picking up some stats in basically garbage time. But he had a great punt return. And he's a solid player. Return skills, should be a good receiver. No arguing the talent. But he's what Id term a typical Cowboy. Somewhat of a bonehead. Not a real bright bulb. Great physical skills. Questionable 'other' skills.

With what McCourty has shown us to this point, Im taking him all day every day. He's everything Dez Bryant will ever be as a receiver, but with sense.

 

[MassPats38]

I would easily take McCourty but never had a problem with not picking Bryant.

That is not to say Bryant hasn't shown some real receiving skills this year with Dallas, but he has had shown drops and an unwillingness to take a hit. If he can fix those issues down the road, he could be very good. But I still would take McCourty.

 

[PatsChamp88]

 

[patsfaninpa]

It's not Bryant or McCourty.

It's Bryant or McCcourty, A.Hernandez and T. Price.

Give me McCourty, A.Hernandez and T. Price.

 

[Ungeheuer]

Isn't this whole thread based on a fallacy? The actual trade was Bryant and AJ Edds (the fourth rounder Dallas got from us in the deal and then traded to Miami) for Aaron Hernandez, Taylor Price, and Devin McCourty.

I think I like that trade for New England all day long. If Price ends up giving us anything, it's a blowout.

McCourty meanwhile has played every single down for us. He looks like he's figuring it out quick. And I like his chances to not end up in a bizarre late-night strip-club parking lot incident better than Bryant's

 

[mcsully]

to be fair, if we didn't draft McCourty, Dez might have been playing CB for us.. McCourty looks like a natural fit out there and I'm glad we drafted him..

 

[SirApropos]

McCourty, Hernandez & Price by a mile.

Not to mention you don't get all the media distraction type of stuff.

1. I'm not carrying Roy Williams pads
2. Jeff Ireland asked if my mom was a prostitute
3. $55,000 dinners for the whole team

 

[spacecrime]

Also, do you think the Patriots would have drafted Bryant if they'd known what would happen with Moss?

The Pats knew last April that this was Moss's last year. They stocked up on receivers in the form of Tate returning from IR, Price and Hernandez.

With the injury to Bodden and Butler taking a significant step back, I would hate to see what this secondary would look like WITHOUT McCourty.

Ditto this. I thought we would have a good secondary, and we do. It just isn't the two guys (Bodden/Butler) I thought it would be...

 

[condon84]

Would Brady be throwing to Dez? We have Tate and he seems pretty good when given a chance but he's not for whatever reason. Tate against the Dolphins looked pretty solid to me. Plus I've seen him beat one-on-one coverage but Brady does not throw to him.

 

[lostjumper]

McCourty, Hernandez & Price by a mile.

signed

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