Bad Drafting=Mediocre Results

[SalemPats]

Agree completely with the overall take and that they sucked at drafting from 2006-2009, it was a really bad stretch for them, but when you look at the entire history under Belichick they have been very good.

I agree, you look at the prior drafts and they have been pretty good especially considering that we are drafting at the end of each round (we aren't able to draft the "blue-chip" prospects)

 

[Ivan]

Oh, let's all be sarcastic and hyperbolic.

That's pretty much all the critics bring to the table.

 

[Danger Zone]

There is no team that has drafted in the worst average starting position than the Patriots for the last 14 years.

The Patriots have drafted at an average draft position of 26.

The next worst team drafted at 21 over the same period of time.

In a Darwinistic league of the absolute best in professionals, drafting so late in every round is a very real, a very tangible and a very insidiously cumulative handicap.

While it does not mean Belichick has not made mistakes, it does mean he has been forced to restock personell year after year with far, far less capital than any other GM.

 

[JMC00]

What team outside of 25 have had great drafts? When you pick as late as the Pats you aren't going to get sure fire starters every year.

But BB has missed badly on some but everyone does. I believe it's more about the guys he didn't take, Jordan Matthews Allen Roninsom being two of them

Neither would being helping this team right now. The play of the OL is the reason why Edelman is the only WR that has done anything. Brady trusts him a **** ton. Matthews and Robinson would probably be game day in-actives.

 

[DarrylS]

The reality is in the absence of a longitudinal study of all NFL teams this means nothing... you need a comparison as to how other teams have done over the same period. There are hits and misses, but when you pick from 26th pick year after year, you have to be creative and take some chances...

The Pats have the opportunity to ease these draft picks in, Jamie Collins last year was an excellent example initially he played little and the end of the season he was ready. Stork this year is a good example in three games he has something like 25 snaps.. they are easing him in. Easly has played about the same, and he will get more snaps. Cameron has gotten a lot of snaps as a TE...

I think the picks when Pioli was here were pretty poor compared to how well we have done lately..

To have remained competitive for this length of time is unheard of in the salary cap era...

Never ceases to amaze that after a slow start this year, how many are on the edge... perhaps folks should have the opportuntiy to go back to the good old days of accepted mediocrity and really shytty teams...

 

[Hael]

We've drafted pretty darn well. It might not be the Seahawks level, but still we've done really well given our positions. A few seconds of googling produces this:

http://q.usatoday.com/2014/05/07/nf...-49ers-tennessee-titans-new-england-patriots/

And while the above methodology might be a little suspect, its still better than nothing and quickly rebutes the 'BB is the NFL's worse GM line'.

Yes, we lack the Watkins level talents on our team. Sadly, as long as TB12 is on our team, we will never get those types of players unless we win the Geno Atkins type lottery of getting insanely lucky on a late round pick.

 

[patsfan-1982]

they have made some questionable picks and trade downs but not bad Drafting at all not a lot of super star WR's Which is what everyone wants and yes the pats passed on Bryant and Thomas but that was 2010 the deepest Draft in the last 20 years Greg Hardy and Antonio Brown went in the 6th round of that Draft and the pats got 3 all pros McCourty Gronk and Hernandez out of that Draft so stop crying about it

 

[patsfanincleveland]

The Pats last 2 drafts have produced almost no impact players other than Jamie Collins and almost no help to the current offense. A review of the last 2 drafts and their offensive/defensive snaps in yesterday's game..... 2014 - D.Easley (16), J.Garrapolo (0), B.Stork (15), J. White (Inactive), C.Fleming (12), J.Halapio (Cut), J.Thomas (Cut), J.Gallon (Cut). 2013 - J.Collins (20), A.Dobson (Inactive), L.Ryan (60), D.Harmon (12), J.Boyce (Cut), M.Buchanon (Inactive), S.Beauharnais (0).

While it is obviously hard for a young player to break into a talented lineup, the lack of impact players in the last 2 drafts is alarming. Pats have had 15 picks in the last 2 rounds to come up with a player to help Brady in the twilight of his career and not one was on the field yesterday. Just have to look at a guy like John Brown in Arizona or Brandin Cooks in New Orleans to see a fast game changer who can bring a quick Percy Harvin type player to an offense sorely lacking in firepower or a Jordan Matthews who brings some size and talent to Philly.

Hopefully guys like Easley and Garrapolo will be future impact players but that is far from a certainty at this point. Can't afford too many drafts in the NFL where you don't help stockpile your talent, especially when Brady isn't going to be around forever.

Idiot OP's definitely mean really, really stupid threads.

You know your team is successful when the idiot portion of the fan base starts "style" threads after a win.

 

[tmajr3]

Neither would being helping this team right now. The play of the OL is the reason why Edelman is the only WR that has done anything. Brady trusts him a **** ton. Matthews and Robinson would probably be game day in-actives.

OLine point is true, but Dobson and Thompkins are a poor mans Jordan Matthews

 

[Marinlik]

Oh, let's all be sarcastic and hyperbolic.

How can we possibly be any good at drafting??? We usually draft after the top 10 spots!!!

Weak argument.

Granted - the Patriots missed on all the top 10 players that were good that they didn't draft, because they couldn't.

If you want to be sarcastic, go ahead. If you want to look objectively, take a look.

OK, how about in 2011 trading down from 28 to select Ras-I-Dowling when Muhammad Wilkerson was on board. The Patriots had been, and continue to, look for defensive linemen for the 3-4 set. Many folks on this board were hungering for Wilkerson, and were very unhappy when the Jets grabbed him. Want to point to that one? Picking Dowling when Brooks Reed, Torrey Smith, and other Patsfans favorites at the time were there?

How about Tavon Wilson in 2012 over LB Lavonte David, 3-4 DE Kendall Reyes, WR Rueben Randle, etc? In the same draft, selecting Nate Ebner - yes, an athlete, but pretty much every pick after him had some actual experience playing football. And before anyone researches what draft slot he was in, and says the success rate is really low anyway, yes, he was pick 197. The Patriots have had success in that vicinity historically. And if the Patriots could develop a rugby player into an excellent special teams player, maybe they could have done the same with another player with more experience.

Sure, the fans do not have any personal insight into real work ethic or capability to pick up a system.
Sure, the draft is an inexact science. Impossible to hit on all your picks.
However, there were some odd decisions, that were questioned at the time, where it turned out mistakes were made. If some of those risky decisions were simply replaced with some of the consensus picks, results might have been different.

Other than name-calling and hyperbole, hard to argue with those who question some of those decisions.

You do understand that we don't run the old fashion 3-4. right? I mean as you keep bringing up 3-4 players.

I really can't see how you can complain about Ebner. The 197th pick being a very good special teams player is very nice. To have him play defense too, and not be absolutely awful at it, is gold. Yes he didn't have that much experience. But he had a high ceiling.

I also like how you avoid mentioning guys like Hightower, Jones, and Dennard. Yes we have made some misses, some years way to many. But you are really trying to find something to hate on.

 

[JMC00]

Yes, we lack the Watkins level talents on our team.

Yep certainly don't have a guy on his level.

Just a guy that has 44 TD in 53 games.

 

[JMC00]

OLine point is true, but Dobson and Thompkins are a poor mans Jordan Matthews

Thompkins 1st 3 games last year 9 rec 130 yards 2 TD
Dobson 1st 3 games last year 11 118 yards 1 TD

Matthews
11 rec 113 yards 2 TD

Get back to me when he hits that rookie wall.

 

[kudzif]

Not all the good players are selected in the first 30 picks. There are a litany of good players after the first 30, but all you people supporting Bill's drafting act like after the first 30 picks there are no players left which is a joke.We have not drafted and developed a good receiver since Branch and Givens were drafted a decade ago; that is a complete joke.

 

[AzPatsFan]

- Jamie Collins was a game-time decision, and still hobbled by a thigh injury. He was used sparingly (only in the base defense), and clearly wasn't 100%.
- Dom Easley didn't play in a pre-season game and is still not 100% back from his ACL. He's coming along faster than expected, according to BB.
- Aaron Dobson likely still isn't fully recovered from injuries.
- Jimmy Garoppolo wasn't drafted to get on the field in 2014. If that's your measure of a good draft pick, then he's obviously a massive fail.
- Logan Ryan played 60/60 snaps. He emerged as a playmaker last season.
- Bryan Stork looks ready to seize the starting center role. Cam Fleming has already been a big story this season. Both are rookies, for crissakes.

Anyone who expects rookies to be making a significant impact 3 games into the season is pretty out of touch with reality.

I love your rationality. If we scorn the mindless posters of bile, the board can return to an inviting place to discuss football.

I row so weary of the bile drivers with nothing to say and no knowledge to say it.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Not all the good players are selected in the first 30 picks. There are a litany of good players after the first 30, but all you people supporting Bill's drafting act like after the first 30 picks there are no players left which is a joke.We have not drafted and developed a good receiver since Branch and Givens were drafted a decade ago; that is a complete joke.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Not all the good players are selected in the first 30 picks. There are a litany of good players after the first 30, but all you people supporting Bill's drafting act like after the first 30 picks there are no players left which is a joke.We have not drafted and developed a good receiver since Branch and Givens were drafted a decade ago; that is a complete joke.

No, You are the joke.

So go support some other damn team, like the Lions who waste lot of premium picks on WRs. The Lions do so well with those selections, and must have won numerous Super Bowls doing so.

Last I looked JE was a Belichick WR draftee, and he may be better than either Branch or Givens. Why doesn't he count?

 

[IllegalContact]

I love your rationality. If we scorn the mindless posters of bile, the board can return to an inviting place to discuss football.

I row so weary of the bile drivers with nothing to say and no knowledge to say it.

YES!!!!! SCORN!!!! WE NEED MORE SCORN!!!

because like.....ummm......it makes a difference.......LOL

 

[JMC00]

No, You are the joke.

So go support some other damn team, like the Lions who waste lot of premium picks on WRs. The Lions do so well with those selections, and must have won numerous Super Bowls doing so.

Last I looked JE was a Belichick WR draftee, and he may be better than either Branch or Givens. Why doesn't he count?

Edelman doesn't count because it hurts their opinion.

 

[AzPatsFan]

YES!!!!! SCORN!!!! WE NEED MORE SCORN!!!

because like.....ummm......it makes a difference.......LOL

No it will drive away, or hopefully reform the mindless newcomers, who think the only thing they need contribute is mindless bile.

 

[strngplyr]

Threads like this certainly help you to understand around what era someone became a fan. The OP appears to be a follower starting somewhere from 2007, 2010-2012.