DRAFT Chad Ryland - Round 4 - 112th overall

[mrbean]

I have no issues with picking a kicker this early considering this lackluster draft class. People acting like Randy Moss was just sitting there waiting to be picked in the 4th need to get over themselves. The talent was already thin halfway into the 2nd round this year.

 

[50-yard-line]

I don’t get the argument about the last kicker we drafted not working out, Rowlfafer or whatever his name was. Because we missed on him and Folk is getting older, I think it necessitated us drafting another kicker. Just because one draft pick doesn’t work doesn’t mean you never draft that position high again. (Except WR apparently j/k)

If Rohwasser was a WR, a DL, a CB, it wouldn't have mattered. He had association with the 3%'ers...Bob Kraft has spent a ton of $$$ for the Blue Square on Social Media and in the campaign to fight hate crimes, particularly against the Jewish Community. Does anyone really think he'd have someone on his team openly associated with a far-right militia?

 

[mike_usagisan]

If Rohwasser was a WR, a DL, a CB, it wouldn't have mattered. He had association with the 3%'ers...Bob Kraft has spent a ton of $$$ for the Blue Square on Social Media and in the campaign to fight hate crimes, particularly against the Jewish Community. Does anyone really think he'd have someone on his team openly associated with a far-right militia?

Fortunately (I guess) he couldn't even kick a field goal accurately, so we didn't have to find out. But I am surprised they didn't do more due diligence before drafting him.

 

[50-yard-line]

Fortunately (I guess) he couldn't even kick a field goal accurately, so we didn't have to find out. But I am surprised they didn't do more due diligence before drafting him.

There were some good ones, like Blankenship, sitting there.

 

[mike_usagisan]

There were some good ones, like Blankenship, sitting there.

True, but he's not the first guy whose play didn't live up to his scouting (and vice versa).

 

[Sicilian]

Everyone hates drafting specialists until their kicker misses a gimme in a clutch situation, or the punter shanks one in a tie game, or a LS sails one over the holders head. Not saying Ryland is guaranteed to work out, but if he becomes the next Gostkowski, that's worth more than the average 4th round pick league wide.

 

[crawhammer]

Everyone hates drafting specialists until their kicker misses a gimme in a clutch situation, or the punter shanks one in a tie game, or a LS sails one over the holders head. Not saying Ryland is guaranteed to work out, but if he becomes the next Gostkowski, that's worth more than the average 4th round pick league wide.

Keep it in context, Belichick traded up in the 4th round to select this guy. A kicker. NFL.com had him listed as an "priority undrafted free agent"... meaning no one was drafting this guy in the 4th round. Only one other kicker was taken after Ryland... by Green Bay, at the end of the 6th round.

This was a terrible pick.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Keep it in context, Belichick traded up in the 4th round to select this guy. A kicker. NFL.com had him listed as an "priority undrafted free agent"... meaning no one was drafting this guy in the 4th round. Only one other kicker was taken after Ryland... by Green Bay, at the end of the 6th round.

This was a terrible pick.

My theory is the Pats thought there was a big drop off to that guy picked in the 6th and the Pats traded up to get in front of GB in the 4th to pick the kicker they wanted (or at least wanted after Moody was selected in the third, which San Fran likely did to get in front of the Pats).

I don't put a ton of stock in where nfl.com said a guy should have been picked. If the kicker turns out to be a good one, like Ghost before him, Pats fans probably aren't going to care about where he was picked. If he fails, like 3%er guy, they'll probably never live it down.

 

[Sicilian]

Keep it in context, Belichick traded up in the 4th round to select this guy. A kicker. NFL.com had him listed as an "priority undrafted free agent"... meaning no one was drafting this guy in the 4th round. Only one other kicker was taken after Ryland... by Green Bay, at the end of the 6th round.

This was a terrible pick.

NFL.com is one source. I heard others had him as the best kicker in the draft (though I didn't read those myself so I won't argue that point specifically). But regardless, this was considered a fairly weak draft overall. If you have a kicker you like, and the first one went off the board at 99 overall, it makes sense to give up one of your many 6th rounders to move up and grab him. It was a position of need, whether you value it or not.

 

[JMC00]

Ryland isn't even the first K Belichick has picked in the 4th. Ghost was a 4th round pick as well, if Ryland gives the Pats anything close to what Ghost did it's a steal of a pick especially when Pats had 4 4th rounders going into that round.

 

[Sicilian]

Ryland isn't even the first K Belichick has picked in the 4th. Ghost was a 4th round pick as well, if Ryland gives the Pats anything close to what Ghost did it's a steal of a pick especially when Pats had 4 4th rounders going into that round.

And used one of four 6th round picks for the trade up. The "traded up for a kicker" narrative is a tad overblown, IMO.

 

[Wozzy]

I'm thinking that the Patriots probably had two draftable kickers on the board, and once Moody went at the end of Round 3, they figured they had better be aggressive in terms of making sure they got the other one.

This ^

If you feel there's only two players at a specific position that can fill a need, there's no draft slot that's too high. You make picks based off how many players are left on your team's board at a position of need. It was a smart pick in the 4th.

 

[crawhammer]

If the kicker turns out to be a good one, like Ghost before him, Pats fans probably aren't going to care about where he was picked.

Ryland isn't even the first K Belichick has picked in the 4th. Ghost was a 4th round pick as well, if Ryland gives the Pats anything close to what Ghost did it's a steal of a pick especially when Pats had 4 4th rounders going into that round.

Belichick didn't have to trade up for Ryland in the 4th round. Nothing will change that. And after that 3rd round reach for Mapu when they passed up on Josh Downs and Darnell Washington. Ugh.

By the way, Gostkowski had an absolute killer missed PAT in the 2015 AFCCG. His best contribution to the 28-3 comeback was another missed PAT... it mathematically put the team in a better spot, needing 2-pt conversions to tie the game (more reliable than his "clutch" postseason kicking).

 

[mike_usagisan]

Belichick didn't have to trade up for Ryland in the 4th round. Nothing will change that.

Again, I think they traded up to get ahead of Green Bay, another team that badly needed a kicker. The Pats missed out on Moody in the third round and traded to get ahead of GB in the 4th to take the next best kicker (in the Pats' view).

Would you have preferred they used the pick that went to Jake Andrews rather than giving up the 6th? Is it the trade that's bothering you?

 

[Sicilian]

Belichick didn't have to trade up for Ryland in the 4th round. Nothing will change that. And after that 3rd round reach for Mapu when they passed up on Josh Downs and Darnell Washington. Ugh.

By the way, Gostkowski had an absolute killer missed PAT in the 2015 AFCCG. His best contribution to the 28-3 comeback was another missed PAT... it mathematically put the team in a better spot, needing 2-pt conversions to tie the game (more reliable than his "clutch" postseason kicking).

Anytime someone says "They didn't have to trade up for this guy" or "They could have gotten him in X round instead" what they are tacitly implying is that the Patriots like wasting draft capital for shizz and giggles. Clearly they had information that told them, if they wanted this guy, they needed to get in front of another team (@mike_usagisan above suggests Green Bay). Maybe their info was wrong, I'm sure there's a lot of smokescreens out there, but you don't know that any more than we do. And NFL.com doesn't disprove that.

 

[crawhammer]

This ^

If you feel there's only two players at a specific position that can fill a need, there's no draft slot that's too high. You make picks based off how many players are left on your team's board at a position of need. It was a smart pick in the 4th.

Since when was a kicker a position of priority need heading into this draft? I know Bill has built a team with an objective of winning in the teens, where FGs will be important, but still.

Again, I think they traded up to get ahead of Green Bay, another team that badly needed a kicker. The Pats missed out on Moody in the third round and traded to get ahead of GB in the 4th to take the next best kicker (in the Pats' view).

Would you have preferred they used the pick that went to Jake Andrews rather than giving up the 6th? Is it the trade that's bothering you?

OMG if Belichick had drafted a kicker in the 3rd round then I really would have lost my mind.

The difference with the 49ers is their quarterback (whoever it is) is already surrounded by an all star team. And their defense is excellent. So they can afford to WASTE a 3rd round pick on a kicker. Even though I give that pick an F too. Under no circumstances should a kicker be taken in the draft before the weekend. That's my rule.

they are tacitly implying is that the Patriots like wasting draft capital for shizz and giggles

Yes. Something like that.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Since when was a kicker a position of priority need heading into this draft? I know Bill has built a team with an objective of winning in the teens, where FGs will be important, but still.

It was widely speculated that they were going to draft a kicker and a punter in this draft. Hell, after the East-West Game that the Pats coached at, it was widely believed that the Pats had their eye on Moody, who was the MVP of that bowl game. It is probable that that speculation is why the 49ers drafted him so high, knowing the Pats had so many 4th round picks and would probably use one on Moody.

Statistically Folk has looked good, but there have been a number of games where the Pats haven't gone for a long field goal because they know Folk doesn't have the leg, and when Bailey went down and Folk had to do kickoffs, it ended up costing us badly in games.

Kicker was a need that wasn't addressed in free agency so had to be addressed in the draft.

Under no circumstances should a kicker be taken in the draft before the weekend. That's my rule.

Oh, well, if it's your rule then it's definitely something we should take seriously.

 

[Sicilian]

Under no circumstances should a kicker be taken in the draft before the weekend. That's my rule.

Well good thing they took him on Saturday then. Glad you're on board now.

 

[crawhammer]

Well good thing they took him on Saturday then. Glad you're on board now.

I was talking about Moody. And no, I'm not on board with a kicker in the 4th round either. Not this guy, in this draft, for this team.

Oh, well, if it's your rule then it's definitely something we should take seriously.

I suppose only I have to take it seriously since it's my rule. But I'm sure everyone has a line draw in the sand for when it's ok to draft a kicker or punter.

 

[mike_usagisan]

I suppose only I have to take it seriously since it's my rule. But I'm sure everyone has a line draw in the sand for when it's ok to draft a kicker or punter.

Right. I tend to take the view of waiting and judging the draft once the players have played for a while, but I don't expect everyone else to take that view. It's the draft. Everyone has differing opinions, which is fine.

As always, I know I'm a homer, but now that the kid is a Pat, I hope he ends up as a great kicker for us.