I had a bad feeling about it at the time, and 1 season later I still have a bad feeling about it.
People like yourself love to use hindsight to b!tch and moan about Belichick and the draft. You totally ignore much of the reasoning behind why the Pats did certain things.
1a) Nate Solder - good pick. It would've looked silly if Light and Vollmer were healthy all year, but I guess BB knew something about Vollmer's health that we didnt.
No. They wouldn't have looked silly. You seem to forget that, going into the draft, they didn't have a LT. Light was unsigned and was adamant about testing free agency. Not only that, but Solder was clearly the best OT available and he wouldn't have been there at 24 as there were at least 3 other teams looking to draft him..
1b) Traded to New Orleans. WHY? We sure could've used a big 34DE/43DT like Cameran Heyward or Muhammad Wilkerson that were available in this spot. 1 year later and a 34 DE like the two mentioned above is still a big need for the future. With Mike Wright, Shaun Ellis, G.Warren all likely to retire... it would be more comforting going into next year with a DE that has a year of experience rather than looking for another rookie in this years draft. This year by the way is lacking in 34 DEs. This is the 2nd year which we've started playoff games with Love and Deaderick. Yes both of them are serviceable, but both could also be upgraded. Wilfork was doubled in the SB, and nobody else on our DLine could make a play. BB traded this pick into the future, when we needed it for this past season.
Your assessment of the draft is wanting. There are several 3-4 DEs in the draft. Love and Deaderick are more than serviceable.
As for Heyward or Wilkerson, did you ever stop to think that there was a reason why the Pats didn't draft them? There are plenty of things that we, as fans, don't know about from the draft process. Like how they did in the interviews, film study, etc.
2a) Glass-I Dowling - the next Terrence Wheatley. Horrible pick IMO, he will never stay healthy. The knock on Dowling was his injury history... SURPRISE SURPRISE.... He plays one game and then he's IR'd for the year due to injury. Jabal Sheard and Brooks Reed were taken soon after this spot. We sure could've used their help rushing the passer this year and for the future.
Our pass rush would be looking good for the next few years if we had picked a DE and OLB in the two spots above.
More nonsense. Dowling's injury history was way over-blown. It was shown that he only missed like 3 games his 4 year career in college.
The Pats had a good pass rush all year, contrary to people like yourself. Maybe if you stopped listening to the mediots and actually used your eyes, you'd know that.
As for the Pass rush looking good, again, you don't know that. You don't know how Sheard or Reed would have been in the Pats system.
2b and 3b) Shane Vereen and Steven Ridley - One didnts see the field at all, and the other barely played. You'd think after drafting 2 RB's this high that we would've atleast run the ball more this year. I thought we picked these guys to save Bradys arm, but he still ended up throwing 40+ times in games we were winning by a wide margin. Seems like a couple of wasted picks when we already have BJGE and Woodhead.
Yes I like Ridleys explosiveness and Vereen could be Faulks eventual replacement, but RB's are a dime a dozen and it wasn't a pressing need with BJGE and Woodhead already on the roster. If BB didn't see either of them contributing much this year, he couldve waited to draft RBs.
More revisionist history on your part. Going into the draft, only Woodhead had a contract. BJGE was up in the air because of no CBA. There was talk of players getting UFA status after only 2 full years. Which would have made BJGE a UFA instead of an RFA. Also, Both Vereen and Ridley saw the field this year. Unfortunately, Vereen was injured during pre-season and wasn't healthy until mid-season and then got injured after 2 games. Ridley also fought an injury this year. As for him barely seeing the field, when you have a 3 headed monster at RB, a rookie getting 7 carries a game is actually pretty decent. Not to mention that there is a good chance that BJGE walks in free agency.
As for your BS about Brady throwing more than 40 times even though they were winning by a wide margin, I have news for you. That happened ONCE. In the first game of the season. Brady had more than 40 attempts just 6 times during the regular season and once during the play-offs. Yet you are acting like Brady was throwing 40 times a game every game and that just isn't the case.
3a) Ryan Mallet - didnt see the field at all. Looks like the 3rd string QB at this point as Hoyer is supposedly decent. I wasnt a Mallet fan in College and thought his attitude was very Jay Cutler-ish. Might not get a snap for another 4 years if Brady can stay healthy.
He's the 3rd string QB. Something that recent history proved the team needed to have. He also has 1st round talent. You're claim that Mallett has a Culter-ish attitude is BS. Again, you overlook the fact that Hoyer is an RFA this year and is likely to be either re-signed to just a one year deal or traded.
OVERALL: That's 6 picks in the first 3 rounds of the draft. Only 1 of those 6 had major contributions to our team this year.
Furthermore, if BB knew there was a good chance he was going to cut Meriweather and James Sanders, he should have looked at a Safety in this draft.
Overall, your assessment is built on hindsight and ignorance. Not to mention that you completely ignored the off-season issues with the CBA and how that changed a lot of decision making.
I'd be willing to put money on the idea that BB didn't know he was going to cut Sanders and Meriweather before the draft, not to mention that the draft was pretty weak for Safety, as it is this year.
