I understand why the Patriots do it but we can't ignore they continue to waste high pick draft capital on guys who come gameday, effectively, have contributed nothing to the Patriots.
I do wonder if Brady's magnificence allows BB to gamble a little more with his draft strategy more than if he had a mediocre player at the position.
You plan to win the game.
Draft capital is just one of several means of acquiring talent. People obsess over it, but the point is to win the game, not develop draft capital.
We could bench Brady and start Jimmy so it's not a "wasted" draft pick as many often refer to Jimmy. But that would be stupid. The point isn't to maximize every draft pick's value. Otherwise we would hand Dobson the starting spot and make him learn on the job as many teams have done in the past. We wouldn't have signed Revis and Browner, letting Ryan learn quicker. We wouldn't win as many games or come close to competing for championships if our main focus was maximizing our draft capital.
But Herm knew. You play to win the game.
And a common thread over the past few years is that if Brady's done for the year, who cares who fills in? (I'm not accusing you of this, just addressing this since it's inevitably going to come up). But it's not just about a season-ending injury or a wasted roster spot. Last year's Broncos should have finally ended this argument.
The Broncos spent a 2nd on Brock Osweiler in 2012. He was a "wasted" roster spot for the first 3 seasons, and then he signed with the Texans after his contract was done.
But when Manning got benched, he went 4-2 as a starter (5-2 by the records, but Manning came in to win that last game and I don't think Brock really deserves credit for it). If he goes 3-3, they don't get homefield advantage. If he goes 2-4, they don't even make the play-offs.
He didn't play a single down in the play-offs. But the Broncos couldn't have won the Super Bowl without him. And maybe he will fizzle out. Maybe he's totally over-rated. But that's the potential value of a good backup QB. Miss the playoffs or win the Super Bowl. Yeah, I think that's worth a high pick. And if you asked most Broncos fans, they're obviously disappointed he's gone, but I don't think they would change that pick if they could go back in time.
Compare that to Manning's last team, which wasn't prepared. When he got injured as a Colt, they ended up with the worst season in the league. Fortunately, that got them Andrew Luck. But it was a lost season and could have been much worse if they hadn't tanked at the right time.
There's also additional financial value that comes from a drafted backup QB. Jimmy's contract is 4 years, $3.5M. His cap hits over the 4 years: $633K, $792K, $950K, and $1.1M.
Matt Cassel is making $2M as a backup this year. Henne, Sanchez, Stanton, Hill, and Hasselbeck all made $2M or more last year as a backup. For a 1/3 to 1/2 the price, we are filling that roster spot with a similar QB with upside vs. the descending play of an older veteran. That's another $1-$1.3M to spend elsewhere. That's not the difference between signing a superstar FA, but it might be the difference in keeping one more mid-range player. Combined with the rule of 51, that's somebody like a Ryan Wendell or Hooman in 2014, both of whom played a critical role in our championship run (Harbaugh probably still has nightmares of 11 Hoomans lining up with nobody knowing who to cover).
So I don't mind the draft capital spent on the most important position in the game. It's why I have home insurance. I am happy to never use it. But if I need it, I will be okay. I would feel a lot worse if Jimmy had turned out to be important, that he had to play whole seasons at a time.
And maybe they're wasted draft picks after all. We won't know until they start studying and playing. Maybe they don't have much upside and won't be the next one. But you can't just believe every scouting report word for word as the truth on a prospect. Don't forget this one:
QB TOM BRADY
(6-4 1/2, 211, 5.25) Michigan
Notes: Baseball catcher and football quarterback in high school who was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 18th round of the June 1995 baseball draft. Opted for football and redshirted at Michigan in ’95. Saw limited action in ’96 and ’97 and started the past two years. Completed 3-of-5 passes for 26 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in ’96, 12-15-103-0-0 in ’97, 214-350-2,636-15-12 in ’98 and 180-295-2,216-16-6 in ’99, when he often shared time with super sophomore Drew Henson. Went all the way against Alabama in the Orange Bowl and completed 34-46-369-4. Unlike many Michigan quarterbacks, Brady is a pocket-type passer who plays best in a dropback-type system.
Positives: Good height to see the field. Very poised and composed. Smart and alert. Can read coverages. Good accuracy and touch. Produces in big spots and in big games. Has some Brian Griese in him and is a gamer. Generally plays within himself. Team leader.
Negatives: Poor build. Very skinny and narrow. Ended the ’99 season weighing 195 pounds and still looks like a rail at 211. Looks a little frail and lacks great physical stature and strength. Can get pushed down more easily than you’d like. Lacks mobility and ability to avoid the rush. Lacks a really strong arm. Can’t drive the ball down the field and does not throw a really tight spiral. System-type player who can get exposed if he must ad-lib and do things on his own.
Summary: Is not what you’re looking for in terms of physical stature, strength, arm strength and mobility, but he has the intangibles and production and showed great Griese-like improvement as a senior. Could make it in the right system but will not be for everyone.
