Interesting Mock from Rivals.com

[Ochmed Jones]

If a player in college can't motivate himself in college, then he almost assuredly going to be a bust in the NFL. I saw Phillips play a lot last year and he is strickly a roaming type safety that is extremely undisciplined. Maybe he got frustrated over being behind in so many ball game or maybe the fact the the MLB, Gooden over ran almost every single running play forcing the secondary to clean up a lot of tackles, who knows. Miami players do take plays off, see Wilfork for example, but most make more plays then they take off.

I think that when Harrison calls it a career, Sanders will move into Rodney's spot and Merriweather takes over as the FS. His speed and tackling are superior to Sanders, but he lacks experience and let's face it, he spent most of his first camp at CB.
We will need a replacement for Harrison, but can easily take a SS type on day 2, like Adams of Michigan, who can excel at ST while learning the base defense.

Bottom line is the need for a safety at #7 is questionable and after last year, Phillips comes with some baggege as far as his play goes and how it fits into our defense.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Why take Phillips at 7 when you could just trade down and get him with the 12th or 13th pick?

 

[sebman2112]

I've started to think Marcus Griffin could be a mid to late round option at Safety. And I honestly think he's improved his speed a little, which could help his stock.


Here's a free scouting report (for those without paid services):
http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/s/marcusgriffin.html

Obviously I'm not saying he's great, and will develop into a good starter, but with the right couching he could develop into a decent player.

 

[DW Toys]

Kenny Phillips at #7.......no chance. Why would we draft a S when the need could be CB if Samuel and Gay leave

Rdoney, Sanders, Merriweather, AND Phillips at two S positions ?

They key there is Sanders. He is terrible. I cannot see anything in his game. He might not be able to cover, but he can't tackle either. Nice back up only. Any one will say our most vulnerable territory is up the middle with slower ILB's (I think they are great but lets face it, speedy they are not) and weak slow safeties. Rodney is playing well but another step slower. Wilson is gone and Merriweather is starting to get it, but Sanders.....yech!
I think Chad Scott would have beaten out Gay for 3rd CB and he should be back. BB likes him. He is tall and can play S. The CB from ND last year would have made the team IR.. I pray Samuel comes back, but I still see safety and ILB as major needs.
See that the Cowboys are offering Carpenter. I would bite for a 4th.
DW Toys

 

[DW Toys]

PS : It would not shock me Pats go after Ken Hamlin in FA, especially if RH does decide to hang up his cleets after 2 more wins this playoffs

Great move to get Hamlin. I proposed a trade with the Ravens as they need some top choices and a OT desperately. How about our seventh pick and O'Callaghan (nice young option with experience to replace the retiring Ogden) for S Ed Reed (only 28 and BB loves him) and their 2nd round (38th?) and add in Sanders as they would want a starter to replace Reed? This helps both teams.
This upgrades our middle D and makes us faster with a certified playmaker
DW Toys

 

[DW Toys]

I'm not convinced Phillips is really all that impressive. I only watched him in two games, but I was specifically scouting him for a fit with the Pats. I didn't think he was very scrappy, and certainly not interested in helping against the run, even to stick his head in the pileup at the end of a play to keep the RB from falling forward. That doesn't sound like a fit, just in terms of playing style. We want hitters and tacklers more than we want speed cover guys.

Frankly, I'd still take Zibikowski as our project at S to play behind Sanders. He's a tough guy, and will throw himself around. Not as fast as Kenny, but is Rodney really that fast?

Sanders should be replaced now. He is our weakest D link. I like Silva from BC. A bigger Bob Sanders with PR capability (BB likes versatile). He's a potential ST demon too. Can be had in the late 3rd or 4th.Wouldn't cry if we got Zibby. Get rid of James Sanders ASAP.
DW Toys

 

[Remix 6]

They key there is Sanders. He is terrible. I cannot see anything in his game. He might not be able to cover, but he can't tackle either. Nice back up only. Any one will say our most vulnerable territory is up the middle with slower ILB's (I think they are great but lets face it, speedy they are not) and weak slow safeties. Rodney is playing well but another step slower. Wilson is gone and Merriweather is starting to get it, but Sanders.....yech!
I think Chad Scott would have beaten out Gay for 3rd CB and he should be back. BB likes him. He is tall and can play S. The CB from ND last year would have made the team IR.. I pray Samuel comes back, but I still see safety and ILB as major needs.
See that the Cowboys are offering Carpenter. I would bite for a 4th.
DW Toys

wtf are u watching? Sanders terrible? He often gets praised by coaches and hes playing great. Hes not a playmaker but hes sound in what he does and hes 1 of our future young stars. u need to go back and watch film of the games because your just making **** up

u try to say Silva is a bigger Bob Sanders? You realize Bob Sanders is 4.3 speed and hits like a truck right? Silva is slow and not nearly the athlete/playmaker Bob Sanders is.

 

[SeanBruschi54]

Sanders should be replaced now. He is our weakest D link. I like Silva from BC. A bigger Bob Sanders with PR capability (BB likes versatile). He's a potential ST demon too. Can be had in the late 3rd or 4th.Wouldn't cry if we got Zibby. Get rid of James Sanders ASAP.
DW Toys

Wow have you been watching games lately?

Actually Belichick loves Sanders. Has said so many times and his play has actually put Wilson on the bench and on some days inactive.

 

[jeffbiologist]

What do you guys think of Woodyard from Kentucky?

Wesley Woodyard, I see him as a 4-5th rd prospect in the Rodney mold. Woodyard ripped up their bowl game, he is a tweener(big safety/small OLB)but a playmaker. I see safeties more and more important and compare them to middle infielders in baseball. Being strong up the middle will always help. If we lose Bruschi this year and Seau next then Rodney....man we got to get some playmakers not just role players.

 

[dryheat44]

Sanders should be replaced now. He is our weakest D link. I like Silva from BC. A bigger Bob Sanders with PR capability (BB likes versatile). He's a potential ST demon too. Can be had in the late 3rd or 4th.Wouldn't cry if we got Zibby. Get rid of James Sanders ASAP.
DW Toys

As has been said already, replacing Sanders with Silva would make our defense much, much, worse. It would kind of be like drafting Colt Brennan and waiving Brady.

You are right that he could be had in the late 3rd or 4th. He could probably be had in the 7th. Silva's just not athletic enough to be a competent safety in the NFL. If he makes it, it will be purely on his special teams.

 

[BradyToMoss]

They key there is Sanders. He is terrible. I cannot see anything in his game. He might not be able to cover, but he can't tackle either. Nice back up only. Any one will say our most vulnerable territory is up the middle with slower ILB's (I think they are great but lets face it, speedy they are not) and weak slow safeties. Rodney is playing well but another step slower. Wilson is gone and Merriweather is starting to get it, but Sanders.....yech!
I think Chad Scott would have beaten out Gay for 3rd CB and he should be back. BB likes him. He is tall and can play S. The CB from ND last year would have made the team IR.. I pray Samuel comes back, but I still see safety and ILB as major needs.
See that the Cowboys are offering Carpenter. I would bite for a 4th.
DW Toys

I agree, I think Sanders right now has peaked, we will not see much more out of James Sanders going forward. He has played enough at this point where he will not get that much better and right now, I see a decent safety at best who does his job, makes sure he doesn't get beat deep and is a so-so tackler. He's not a true play-maker or difference maker. Frankly, James Sanders is a really a solid backup in my eyes, nothing more, nothing less. That's why I think the Pats should look long and hard at Phillips and look to pair him up with Meriweather which would make a fantastic safety tandem. Like I said, that would be Steve Atwater and Dennis Smith revisited.