DL Brandon Deaderick released

[VrabelJr]

Why were you enamoured with Jesse Williams? The guy does next to nothing in the passing game, doesn't get reliable back field penetration and doesn't possess the athleticism of a Wilfork or Ngata.

Going into the draft I thought DT was a need and would have been comfortable with the Patriots taking anyone of Williams, Hankins or Jenkins. People suggesting that Williams was a first or second round talent were clearly seduced by the feel good Australian story and media beat up. That's not to say he may or may not go on to be a fine NFL player, but it didn't bother me that he wasn't drafted by the Patriots.

Yeah I agree. He was a good player at the JuCo level and a space sponge at the NCAA level. He rarely made plays and isn't the type of DT this team is lacking.

 

[captain stone]

Wilfork and Kelly might be the two most durable starters at DT in the entire league. Even still, you don't make roster cuts to hope players won't get injured. Mike Reiss hinted in a recent blog post that Deaderick has shown a lack of commitment to off season training programs. Also, the same time Deaderick was suspended his rookie year we also cut his old teammate on the DL at Alabama that was on the practice squad. Deaderick just might be a goof off that doesn't put the work in.

Deaderick might indeed be a lazy goof-off, but was his behavior so insidiously evil that Bill decided
that he just couldn't stand another minute of him any longer? And what about Love, who has
a much better-regarded reputation? TC is over 2 months away, yet Bill now decides that Love
isn't worthy of retention so that he can show that his diabetes can be controlled?

2 curious, premature moves unrelated to salary-cap savings, with no replacements on the depth chart
to absorb the snaps during scrimmages. I really hope that Wilfork, Kelly, Armstead, Forston & Grissom
all continue to live long & prosper.

 

[captain stone]

Belichick judged that we needed help at safety, more than a 3rd addition at DT (Kelly and Armstead). Perhaps, he might have viewed this differently if he knew that both Love abnd Deaderick would be gone, maybe not.

Basically, you would have chosen Thomas instead of Harmon. Fine, you disagree with regard to which safety to draft. I applaud picking a safety.

With regard to Jesse Williams, apparently Belichick didn't rate him as high as you do for our system. And yes, it is possible that Belichick did use need instead of BPA for the his picks at 91 and 102.

Personally, I think that you underestimate the need for help in the secondary. Many would have preferred a safety much earlier. We had one of the worst secondaries in the NFL last year. Our stats with regard to third down efficiency and giving up 20+ yard plays was especially horrible. We expect better with basically the same players this year, plus the aged Wilson. We badly needed a couple of young prospects. Hopefully, one of Dowling, Ryan and Harmon will help the defense this year.

I have no problem with Ryan being the pick at 83. I too wanted more help at DB, and would in fact
have used 52 on CB Jamar Taylor, one of the best players available overall, before Jamie Collins
was announced as the pick at 52.

Time will of course tell the tale in the saga of Harmon v Phil Thomas v Jesse Williams.

 

[captain stone]

If he felt Harmon would have been available at 146 or 224 he would have made the trade. He clearly did not. I will go with his opinion over yours.
Feel how you want about the player, but don't be stupid and assume Bill Belichick believed he could be drafted much later, and just decided to screw up his team, or that your guess on who will be available when is better than his. You have 1/100 of the information he does, without even approaching the knowledge and experience areas.

I don't see how not having the opportunity later in the draft to select the wonderful Duron Harmon
is in any way screwing-up his team.

 

[captain stone]

But we can assume that Bill Belichick concluded neither Deaderick or Love could help his team this year despite any of those possibilities.

So why not consider drafting their replacement, who played well in a similar defense at college,
at a point where value meets need?
Or did Bill not know then that Deaderick & Love were no longer worthy of taking spots on his roster?

 

[captain stone]

Why were you enamoured with Jesse Williams? The guy does next to nothing in the passing game, doesn't get reliable back field penetration and doesn't possess the athleticism of a Wilfork or Ngata.

Going into the draft I thought DT was a need and would have been comfortable with the Patriots taking anyone of Williams, Hankins or Jenkins. People suggesting that Williams was a first or second round talent were clearly seduced by the feel good Australian story and media beat up. That's not to say he may or may not go on to be a fine NFL player, but it didn't bother me that he wasn't drafted by the Patriots.

I agree that Williams was not a viable 1st- or 2nd-round consideration, or any consideration at all
until our needs at DB, WR & edge defender had first been met.

One of each had been selected, so why not use the next pick on a possible Wilfork replacement
who could at least take some snaps from him, or even with him?

But if Bill decided that another DB was the way to go - and I can certainly understand the reasoning -
then frankly he should've picked a better DB.

 

[ausbacker]

I agree that Williams was not a viable 1st- or 2nd-round consideration, or any consideration at all
until our needs at DB, WR & edge defender had first been met.

One of each had been selected, so why not use the next pick on a possible Wilfork replacement
who could at least take some snaps from him, or even with him?

But if Bill decided that another DB was the way to go - and I can certainly understand the reasoning -
then frankly he should've picked a better DB.

Being big doesn't make you an adequate replacement for Vince Wilfork. If there's a Wilfork replacement in the coming seasons, I want the Patriots to trade up for him.

Williams isn't a patch on Vince Wilfork and (IMO) wouldn't be an adequate replacement.

 

[Ring 6]

I agree that Williams was not a viable 1st- or 2nd-round consideration, or any consideration at all
until our needs at DB, WR & edge defender had first been met.

One of each had been selected, so why not use the next pick on a possible Wilfork replacement
who could at least take some snaps from him, or even with him?

But if Bill decided that another DB was the way to go - and I can certainly understand the reasoning -
then frankly he should've picked a better DB.

Maybe next year you can tell him how you rank the players so he can be sure to not mistakenly pick a bad one due his lack of knowledge of the players.

 

[Ring 6]

So why not consider drafting their replacement, who played well in a similar defense at college,
at a point where value meets need?
Or did Bill not know then that Deaderick & Love were no longer worthy of taking spots on his roster?

Of course we don't know if the decision was building over time, or sudden, and we don't even know the circumstances and reasons.
But he has signed 2 players to replace them in Kelly and Armstead. I'd say both are better replacements than a questionable 4th round draft choice.

 

[Ring 6]

I don't see how not having the opportunity later in the draft to select the wonderful Duron Harmon
is in any way screwing-up his team.

If he knew Harmon would be available later and picked him anyway he is illogically wasting a draft pick. This is why your point is ignorant.

 

[captain stone]

Maybe next year you can tell him how you rank the players so he can be sure to not mistakenly pick a bad one due his lack of knowledge of the players.

Like that's never happened before?

 

[captain stone]

If he knew Harmon would be available later and picked him anyway he is illogically wasting a draft pick. This is why your point is ignorant...

...because it is impossible that Bill could ever illogically waste a draft pick?

 

[Ring 6]

...because it is impossible that Bill could ever illogically waste a draft pick?

Yes I would say it is 100% impossible that BB would waste a draft pick for no reason.
Your argument is that he knew he could get Harmon much later and just said F-it I'll take him now for no real reason. That is moronic to conclude.

 

[Ring 6]

Like that's never happened before?

I keep forgetting you think reading the internet gives you better player evaluation information that BB has.

 

[patfanken]

Like that's never happened before?

I think you are letting your natural negativity get the better of you. Don't forget for every "off the wall picks" Like TWilson and DHarmon, there are the so called tremendous value picks like ADennard, Buchanon, and Beauharnais that balance them out, as well as the UDFA finds BB makes most every single season.

As for your complaints about Deadrick and Love, they make a little sense as to the timing of the releases. As to Deadrick, I think his release is more about the 2 DTs that have been added and the depth of the veteran big fatty market that still exists (lead by Casey Hampton among several other quatity vets who would be upgrades over Deadrick).

As to the Love situation. As a type 2 diabetes sufferer, I believe the Pats did the absolute RiGHT THING by the kid. Myself, I might have delayed release for a few months to allow Love to find out for himself that its no easy thing to maintain that kind of weight and keep his blood sugar under control. I doubt very much he ends up playing this season, nor do I think he should. It was in his best interests to take the Pats offer of a year's retirement, but its hard to tell a 25 year old not to do anything. Hell, when I was diagnosed in my late 50's I didn't do the right things until I started to lose the feeling in my feet.

As to the off season in general: I think its been a very good one. Maybe not very spectacular or news worthy like Miami's, but between the FA re-signings, the draft and FA pick ups, we filled pretty much all of any reasonable fan's check list. So the only question remains is "are you a reasonable fan, Captain?"