My Blueprint For the Pats

[manxman2601]

Don't ask questions you know the answer to.

Or else.



Didn't he say he only saw him once?

Go on admit it. You secretly want Chip Kelly to replace BB. I draw the line at Pat the Patriot becoming a duck though.

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

Go on admit it. You secretly want Chip Kelly to replace BB. I draw the line at Pat the Patriot becoming a duck though.

I doesn't need to be a secret, I want Chip Kelly to replace BB, but not until BB needs replacing.

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

Ok, here's my Blueprint. It didn't take me long so it's not very detailed. I will never happen so save me that criticism.

Coaching

As soon as possible bring back Romeo after he gets canned. It may even be this post season like McDaniels last year.

Free Agency

Keep our guys. Vollmer, Welker, Thomas, maybe Woodhead depending on Vereen.

Sign the best defensive back available whether it's a CB or safety and assign McCourty to the other one. It could be Talib.

Draft

1. Louis Nix III - Probably my favorite grizzly.

2. Trade 62 for a third* (79) fifth* (146) and seventh* (217), a trade that was done in 2011.

3a*. Da’Rick Rogers

3b. Tank Carradine - Pick 94 for a first round talent.

5*. Quanterus Smith - I'm overloading on DL, hopefully Mayo appreciates it.

7a*. Zach Boren

7b. Quinton Dial - One the best and only 5 tech prospects in the draft, but can play 7 tech and DT too. Fits the "multiple" front well.

7c. Tyrann Mathieu

UDFA

Taimi Tutogi - Ass kicker

Dexter McCoil - one of the drafts best sleepers. Credit goes to Mackenzie on this one.

Blaize Foltz - Beastly RG prospect.

Mike Taylor - The most underrated player in the draft right now. Top 100 talent, a "coverage" linebacker.

Carson York - Another top 100 talent, but at guard. A broken knee cap is why he's down here. He's as close to a plug and play guard as you can get coming from Oregon. Their offense and blocking scheme is just like the Patriots'.

 

[manxman2601]

Ok, here's my Blueprint. It didn't take me long so it's not very detailed. I will never happen so save me that criticism.

Coaching

As soon as possible bring back Romeo after he gets canned. It may even be this post season like McDaniels last year.

Free Agency

Keep our guys. Vollmer, Welker, Thomas, maybe Woodhead depending on Vereen.

Sign the best defensive back available whether it's a CB or safety and assign McCourty to the other one. It could be Talib.

Draft

1. Louis Nix III - Probably my favorite grizzly.

2. Trade 62 for a third* (79) fifth* (146) and seventh* (217), a trade that was done in 2011.

3a*. Da’Rick Rogers

3b. Tank Carradine - Pick 94 for a first round talent.

5*. Quanterus Smith - I'm overloading on DL, hopefully Mayo appreciates it.

7a*. Zach Boren

7b. Quinton Dial - One the best and only 5 tech prospects in the draft, but can play 7 tech and DT too. Fits the "multiple" front well.

7c. Tyrann Mathieu

UDFA

Taimi Tutogi - Ass kicker

Dexter McCoil - one of the drafts best sleepers. Credit goes to Mackenzie on this one.

Blaize Foltz - Beastly RG prospect.

Mike Taylor - The most underrated player in the draft right now. Top 100 talent, a "coverage" linebacker.

Carson York - Another top 100 talent, but at guard. A broken knee cap is why he's down here. He's as close to a plug and play guard as you can get coming from Oregon. Their offense and blocking scheme is just like the Patriots'.

It'll never happen!!


Edit:

Maybe a better critique is needed.


Nice mock.

Nix, Carradine are nice picks. I'm with you on Boren being a very likely pick. Less sure on Rogers and Quanterrus Smith. Disappointed by the lack of serious O/Line help but value is value I suppose.

As for Dial being the only 5-tech, having just watched USC/ND, I'm surprised that you didn't go with Kapron Lewis-Moore (or at least acnowledge that he looks like a good 5-tech). Looks long to me and pretty quick for the position. He had me contemplating switching back to a 3-4 base potentially.

It's a good mock but has too much defense for my liking. But that's a personal thing.

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

Nix, Carradine are nice picks. I'm with you on Boren being a very likely pick. Less sure on Rogers and Quanterrus Smith. Disappointed by the lack of serious O/Line help but value is value I suppose.

I got four players that are either first round values, or former first round values, and every other player is very underrated. Except Boren. He's accurately rated, but he's going to be a Patriot so I have to put him in there.

Like I've said before, Carson York is great and if you watched him you'd understand why. If he didn't get injured he would have been at least a 3rd rounder and behind only Cooper as the best guard for the Patriots ZBS.

But you wouldn't know that because you think the Ducks are boring

As for Dial being the only 5-tech, having just watched USC/ND, I'm surprised that you didn't go with Kapron Lewis-Moore (or at least acnowledge that he looks like a good 5-tech). Looks long to me and pretty quick for the position. He had me contemplating switching back to a 3-4 base potentially.

I said he's one of the only 5 tech prospects, not the only 5 tech prospects. I actually haven't watched the USC game. I said I was going to, but it is on a different box that is set up now and I didn't want to switch them. I do like KLM, but I just like Dial more.

It's a good mock but has too much defense for my liking. But that's a personal thing.

So if I wanted you to switch Smith (Pick 146) out for someone realistic who would it be?

I wanted to keep it short and sweet, so I limited myself to one trade. Otherwise I may have traded down from pick 146 and picked up Smith later.

 

[ATippett56]

Ok, here's my Blueprint.

7a*. Zach Boren

Why would the New England Patriots expend a 2013 NFL draft pick on a fullback when fullback Spencer Larsen is under contract for the 2013 NFL Season, fullback Tony Fiammetta was granted a roster exemption for the 2012 NFL Season, fullback James Develin is on the practice squad and is eligible for a reserve/futures contract for the 2013 NFL Season?

Official Website of the New England Patriots | Team - Players

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

Why would the New England Patriots expend a 2013 NFL draft pick on a fullback when fullback Spencer Larsen is under contract for the 2013 NFL Season, fullback Tony Fiammetta was granted a roster exemption for the 2012 NFL Season, fullback James Develin is on the practice squad and is eligible for a reserve/futures contract for the 2013 NFL Season?

Official Website of the New England Patriots | Team - Players

Because they suck. Why are you whining about a 7th rounder anyway?

 

[manxman2601]

Why would the New England Patriots expend a 2013 NFL draft pick on a fullback when fullback Spencer Larsen is under contract for the 2013 NFL Season, fullback Tony Fiammetta was granted a roster exemption for the 2012 NFL Season, fullback James Develin is on the practice squad and is eligible for a reserve/futures contract for the 2013 NFL Season?

Official Website of the New England Patriots | Team - Players

Maybe for the same reason they keep signing TE's. BB likes TE's and BB likes Urban Meyer coached players and players that can play both sides of the ball.

 

[Marqui]

Cannon hasn't seen one snap at OG I believe. They clearly don't think he fits in at that position.

Pats prepping Zusevics for duty if needed - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

"Technique-wise, he's definitely behind as you would expect. He's working hard to catch up on that," coach Bill Belichick said on Tuesday. "(He) played tackle in college, but also has possibly the physical attributes to play inside at guard similar to Marcus Cannon type of discussion."

 

[mayoclinic]

Pats prepping Zusevics for duty if needed - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

Thanks for posting this. I was going to do the same. Just because the Pats have seen more value to Cannon as the #3 tackle so far doesn't mean they don't believe that he doesn't have the skill set to play guard. Same with Zusevics. It also suggests that the Pats think they are thinner at tackle than guard, which may be some indication of where they would be more likely to take a lineman in the draft.

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

Pats prepping Zusevics for duty if needed - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

All that proves is Rodak doesn't know what he's talking about. Cannon has never played guard, only tackle. Belichick said he's a tackle. Belichick has never had a guard that's 350 pounds like Cannon. Zusevics isn't anything like Cannon.

You guys need to stop trying to see things that aren't there.

 

[mayoclinic]

Ok, here's my Blueprint. It didn't take me long so it's not very detailed. I will never happen so save me that criticism.

Coaching

As soon as possible bring back Romeo after he gets canned. It may even be this post season like McDaniels last year.

Free Agency

Keep our guys. Vollmer, Welker, Thomas, maybe Woodhead depending on Vereen.

Sign the best defensive back available whether it's a CB or safety and assign McCourty to the other one. It could be Talib.

Draft

1. Louis Nix III - Probably my favorite grizzly.

2. Trade 62 for a third* (79) fifth* (146) and seventh* (217), a trade that was done in 2011.

3a*. Da’Rick Rogers

3b. Tank Carradine - Pick 94 for a first round talent.

5*. Quanterus Smith - I'm overloading on DL, hopefully Mayo appreciates it.

7a*. Zach Boren

7b. Quinton Dial - One the best and only 5 tech prospects in the draft, but can play 7 tech and DT too. Fits the "multiple" front well.

7c. Tyrann Mathieu

UDFA

Taimi Tutogi - Ass kicker

Dexter McCoil - one of the drafts best sleepers. Credit goes to Mackenzie on this one.

Blaize Foltz - Beastly RG prospect.

Mike Taylor - The most underrated player in the draft right now. Top 100 talent, a "coverage" linebacker.

Carson York - Another top 100 talent, but at guard. A broken knee cap is why he's down here. He's as close to a plug and play guard as you can get coming from Oregon. Their offense and blocking scheme is just like the Patriots'.

I didn't realize you wanted my comments in particular.

Things I Like:

1. Louis Nix. Stud horse. I'd rather have Stephon Tuitt, but he's not coming out this year. Nix would be just fine. See post #1 71 above where I listed him first in my DT prospects list of my top 20 or so defensive picks of interest, and compared him to Wilfork.

2. Tank Carradine, and lots of defense. Carradine was another of my top 20 defensive players, so getting 2 of them makes me happy, as does loading up on defense.

3. Da'Rick Rogers in the 3rd. If he lasts that long, I'm all for it. Risk/reward.

4. Tyrann Mathieu in the 7th. See Da'Rick Rogers. But I seriously don't see BB taking 2 guys with that kind of baggage.

Things That I Don't Buy Into:

1. Romeo coming back. I think that ship has sailed. I don't see it happening. And to be honest, give Matt Patricia a chance. He's 11 games into his career as a DC, and there's usually a learning curve involved. The defense seems to be getting better, and Patricia seemed to be opening up a bit. But let's see how the next 5 games and the playoffs go. Regardless, I just don't see Romeo coming back as a likely solution, and I'm not sure how it would work.

2. The DB plan. It's too nebulous for me. I want to keep McCourty at FS and play press-man CB. I want to keep Talib unless he *****s up - his youth, skill set, and most of all having this year under his belt getting to know the team and the system give him a big edge over anyone else out there. So I start with McCourty at FS and Talib/Dennard, and work form there.

3. Zach Boren. He's getting some hype and I doubt he'll last to the 7th round, but even if he does, why? He's a great kid with a nice work ethic and fundamentals, but he's too slow to be a coverage LB, which is what we need. I'd much rather pick up someone like Alonzo Highsmith, who has much more upside. I understand the kid fits BB's intangibles and comes out of Vrabel's tutelage, but with our limited draft picks and our existing LB corps, I just don't see it.

I like going defense, but realistically I don't see BB drafting 4 defensive linemen (Nix, Carradine, Smith and Dial). That's a lot of youth at one area.

Tons of great ideas, as always, so I'm nitpicking.

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

I didn't realize you wanted my comments in particular.

I always value your opinion, I just wasn’t sure you saw it.

1. Louis Nix. Stud horse. I'd rather have Stephon Tuitt, but he's not coming out this year. Nix would be just fine. See post #1 71 above where I listed him first in my DT prospects list of my top 20 or so defensive picks of interest, and compared him to Wilfork.

I’d rather have Tuitt too, but that is somewhat unrealistic. He’s one of the best players in college football.

4. Tyrann Mathieu in the 7th. See Da'Rick Rogers. But I seriously don't see BB taking 2 guys with that kind of baggage.

I think he would if they are not only different positions, but also on different sides of the ball. I think it’s more likely that Mathieu is on their radar if Talib isn’t resigned. That would be too many problems for one position. Either way this is what I would do, not what I think BB will do.

1. Romeo coming back. I think that ship has sailed. I don't see it happening. And to be honest, give Matt Patricia a chance. He's 11 games into his career as a DC, and there's usually a learning curve involved. The defense seems to be getting better, and Patricia seemed to be opening up a bit. But let's see how the next 5 games and the playoffs go. Regardless, I just don't see Romeo coming back as a likely solution, and I'm not sure how it would work.

Again, this is what I would do, not what I think BB will do. I don’t think it will happen, and I have no problem with Patricia, but Romeo is one of the best defensive minds in the game. Even with the Chiefs he still makes even the best QBs look bad. He held Rodgers to and 80 rating last year, and Manning to a 90 this year. I think he would improve the defense more than any player would.

2. The DB plan. It's too nebulous for me. I want to keep McCourty at FS and play press-man CB. I want to keep Talib unless he *****s up - his youth, skill set, and most of all having this year under his belt getting to know the team and the system give him a big edge over anyone else out there. So I start with McCourty at FS and Talib/Dennard, and work form there.

Our differences on this subject come down to two things. I would be much more hesitant to give Talib a big contract than you, and I think McCourty is a much better cornerback than you do. The numbers say McCourty is a very good cornerback, and I agree with them. Still, I think it's fine to be a little nebulous right now. McCourty can do pretty much anything he is asked, and that flexibility opens up a lot of options.

3. Zach Boren. He's getting some hype and I doubt he'll last to the 7th round, but even if he does, why? He's a great kid with a nice work ethic and fundamentals, but he's too slow to be a coverage LB, which is what we need. I'd much rather pick up someone like Alonzo Highsmith, who has much more upside. I understand the kid fits BB's intangibles and comes out of Vrabel's tutelage, but with our limited draft picks and our existing LB corps, I just don't see it.

He’s not a linebacker. He’s a fullback with linebacker capability. He’s also a great special teamer that would allow them to cut one of the special team only players. There’s just too much on and off the field (locker room) value to not draft him.

I like going defense, but realistically I don't see BB drafting 4 defensive linemen (Nix, Carradine, Smith and Dial). That's a lot of youth at one area.

Perhaps, but again, this is what I would do. There’s a good chance one of Carradine or Smith never see the field as rookies and are IRed, and neither will be 100% to start the season. So it’s unlikely all four demand active roster spots. All four are also different positions. Nix is a NT/DT, Dial is a DE/DT, Carradine is a 3 down DE, and Smith is a sub-rushing DE.

Tons of great ideas, as always, so I'm nitpicking.

Thank you.

 

[captain stone]

All that proves is Rodak doesn't know what he's talking about. Cannon has never played guard, only tackle. Belichick said he's a tackle. Belichick has never had a guard that's 350 pounds like Cannon. Zusevics isn't anything like Cannon...

It reads as if that was Bill talking about Cannon at Guard, not Rodak. Besides, I see nothing wrong
with considering moving Cannon to RG and Connolly back to Center, where he would be an upgrade
over Wendell, who as DaBruinz & others have noted is the weak link on the OL. The only drawback
to that idea is that our depth at Tackle would be non-existent, even if Vollmer is re-signed.

 

[mayoclinic]

It reads as if that was Bill talking about Cannon at Guard, not Rodak. Besides, I see nothing wrong
with considering moving Cannon to RG and Connolly back to Center, where he would be an upgrade
over Wendell, who as DaBruinz & others have noted is the weak link on the OL. The only drawback
to that idea is that our depth at Tackle would be non-existent, even if Vollmer is re-signed.

Unless the Pats draft a swing tackle. I ould see tackle being a priority of guard in this draft. Kyle Long would fit nicely, and there are a number of other options. There's potentially a lot of depth at OT in the 2013 draft, depending on the juniors, of course. The fact that the Pats have used guys like Cannon and Zusevics for depth at tackle instead of at guard might be due to thinness at the position, rather than a projection of where those guys fit best.

 

[DaBruinz]

All that proves is Rodak doesn't know what he's talking about. Cannon has never played guard, only tackle. Belichick said he's a tackle. Belichick has never had a guard that's 350 pounds like Cannon. Zusevics isn't anything like Cannon.

You guys need to stop trying to see things that aren't there.

While Cannon has not played "GUARD" per se, there were more than a few times last year, in goal line situations, where Cannon would come in and would line up inside between Waters at RG and Solder who was playing on the line as a RT.

Belichick has never had an O-lineman, previously, who was 350 lbs and only 10% body fat and was as athletic as Cannon. So, saying he's never had a guard at that weight has no bearing on the situation at all..

We do not know what goes on during the non-public parts of practice. Do you honestly believe that BB wouldn't have Cannon take reps at RG? Or that the reps he took while lined up between Waters and Solder couldn't be considered RG reps?

 

[mayoclinic]

I wasn't going to put out an update to my "blueprint" until after the end of the regular season and probably the January 15 deadline for players to declare, but here's an interim version of where my thoughts currently are.

Priorities:

1. Fix the secondary - seems to be moving in the right direction
2. A stud LDE opposite Chandler Jones - I still see this as a priority
3. Youth/depth at OL - the OL has performed admirably. I see OT as perhaps more of a need than interior OL, in contrast to some
4. Speed at WR to stretch the field
5. Depth at DT/penetrating DT/successor to Vince Wilfork
6. Depth at H-back/"move TE" to spell/complement Aaron Hernandez
7. An eventual true successor to TB

The Next 4+ Months:

1.The secondary. I'm assuming that the Pats stick with Devin McCourty at FS. Extending Aqib Talib should be a priority if he continues to stay clean and adapt. Ras-I Dowling will be back, and I still think he could be productive as a press-man CB. Talib, Dennard and Dowling would be solid. I'm assuming Pat Chung is gone. I'd like to sign another veteran FA safety. I like the idea of picking up Kenny Phillips (we screwed up Dashon Goldson; but Phillips would be a nice complement to McCourty, just as he was with Antrel Rolle). I'm not particularly interested in drafting more DBs early on right now.Trade Patrick Chung to Tampa Bay for CB Aqib Talib; alternatively, the Pats might trade a 2014 draft pick for Talib and use Chung as a hybrid S/LB this year
2. OL: Re-sign Sebastian Vollmer. That should be a priority, unless his back gives out.
4. WR: Extend Julian Edelman. Make your best offer to Wes Welker, and re-tag him if he doesn't re-sign early. He can be kept one more year under tag if the cap hit allows it, traded, or allowed to walk after a replacement FA is found, though my strong preference is obviously to keep him on for 2-3 more years.
5. Extend Danny Woodhead.

The Draft:

I want to go defense and particularly focus on the DL early on. The guys I would consider taking with a 1st round pick are:

1. Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah - will be long gone
2. Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio St. - will probably be long gone
3. Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame - probably won't come out, and if he does, will probably be long gone.
4. Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama - one of my favorites for a long time now.
5. Sheldon Richardson, DT/DE, Missouri - great pentrating ability, athleticism and burst. But is he a schematic fit, and what about the character and intelligence issues? Will also probably be gone.
6. Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon - incredible fluidity in space. Where does he fit?
7. Ziggy Ansah, DE, BYU - incredible athleticism and upside, but still raw.
8. Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia - great length and fluidity. Former safety, has Urlacher-like of length and movement skills. Will probably be gone, but even if not, would be take another LB that high?

The only offensive player I would consider taking is probably Jonathan Cooper. But I really prefer going defense.

I'm assuming that all 8 of those guys may be off the board by #32, in which case I'd probably advocate something along the lines of the following:

***Trade: Pats trade #32 (590 points) for #40 and #103 (588 points). With all of my top guys gone by #32, the Pats trade back and pick up an extra 4th round pick.

40. Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina. 6'4" 320#. Currently NFL Draftscout #67.

Stud Horse! I'm assuming in this mock that all of my top guys listed above are gone before the Pats pick. In that case, I see BB trading back for a modest pick up. Williams is an extremely talented DT who slips a bit because of a deep and talented class and because he is a slightly older prospect, having spent 2 years in a manufacturing plant before going to community college and then to North Carolina. I'm not normally a fan of North Carolina players, but Williams has a great motor, terrific core strength, and great athleticism for a big man. He is strong against the run and has the strength to handle double teams, but is explosive enough to collapse the pocket and penetrate. He has nice positional versatility, playing either 4-3 DT position, 3-4 NT, and even some 3-4 DE. A rotation of Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love and Williams would be beastly. Kawann Short (#39 on Draftscout's list) could also be an option. Again, I'd rather have Jesse Williams or Louis Nix, but I'm not convinced they'll be available.

***Trade: Pats trade #62 (284 points) for 3rd and 4th round picks. Call it something like #80 and #100 for now (290 points).

80. Da'Rick Rogers, WR, Tennessee Tech. Currently NFL Draftscout #76.

Stud Horse! Rogers has Dez Bryant kind of ability, with some of the same issues - but at the price of a 3rd round pick instead of a 1st, he may be worth the gamble. I'd personally rather have Tavon Austin or Cordarelle Patterson, but neither is likely to be available this late. Taking a WR like Markus Wheaton or Steadman Bailey later may be an alternative.

94. Kyle Long, OT, Oregon. 6'7" 311#. Currently NFL Draftscout #74.

Beast! No longer a sleeper, Kyle Long is just a beast, with incredible athleticism, and a mean streak.

Tony Pauline has suggested that Long could go as high as the mid 2nd round, though that seems a bit of a reach. I have him in the late 3rd/early 4th for now, as a top 100 pick. The Pats could conceivably take him earlier instead of a WR and then go for someone late Markus Wheaton or Stedman Bailey a bit later. Ohio St. OT Reid Fragel (6'8" 305#, former TE with terrific athletic ability) might be a nice sleeper option if Long goes earlier than expected.

100. Ra'shede Hageman, DT/DE, Minnesota. 6'6" 300#. Currently NR by NFLDraftScout for 2013, but predicted to declare.

Sleeper Beast! A former TE and basketball player, Hageman has JJ Watt size and raw athleticism, but is just scratching his surface. Reportedly has 4.78 speed with a 35" vertical, can windmill dunk at 300#. Was a backup until this year, then exploded as the Gophers' best lineman. Hageman couldn't be blocked one on one this year, and now routinely draws double teams. He has the frame to get bigger, but could play outside as a 4-3 LDE/3-4 DE, and move inside on passing downs. His upside is ridiculous. If the Pats don't snag Ziggy Ansah or Sheldon Richardson early on, I hope they grab Hageman.

103. Brian Winters, OL, Kent St. 6'4" 310#. Currently NFL Draftscout #101.

Sleeper Stud Horse! Winters fits the Pats profile of moving college OTs inside to guard. A small school prospect, he has nice athleticism and footwork. He's an excellent run blocker who mauls defenders. With his scruffy beard and blue collar game, he fits nicely into the Matt Light/Logan Mankins kind of mold.

5 (comp). Phillip Thomas, S, Fresno St. 6'1" 215#. Currently NFL Draftscout #171.

Sleeper! A Thorpe award finalist with 8 interceptions including 3 for TDs this year, Rob Rang calls Thomas "the best safety no one has ever heard of".

6 (comp). Tyrann Mathieu, DB, LSU. 5'9" 176#. Currently NFL Draftscout #187.

Fallen Beast! The Honey Badger becomes the 2013 version of Aaron Hernandez/Alfonzo Dennard, a day 1 or 2 pick who slips to day 3 because of off field issues and gets snatched up by BB. Mathieu is undersized and doesn't have elite man coverage skills. But he is a heat seeking missile and ball hawk par extraordinaire who can be moved all around the secondary to create disruption. He's a big risk without a true position and multiple off field issues leading to his dismissal from LSU, but as a day 3 pick the upside is too great to ignore.

7a. Alonzo Highsmith, LB, Arkansas. 6'1" 235#. Currently NFL Draftscout #400.

Wounded Sleeper! Highsmith would have been a mid round pick and possibly better if he had stayed healthy.

7b.Nick Kasa, TE, Colorado. 6'6" 260#. Currently NFL Draftscout #232.

Super Sleeper! With Travis Kelce no longer a sleeper, Kasa could be a late round bargain. Whereas Ra'shede Hageman was a TE recruit who has thrived on the DL, Kasa was a 4 star DE recruit who has thrived since being moved to TE. He has a basketball background to boot.

 

[Snake Eyes]

I wasn't going to put out an update to my "blueprint" until after the end of the regular season and probably the January 15 deadline for players to declare, but here's an interim version of where my thoughts currently are.

Priorities:

1. Fix the secondary - seems to be moving in the right direction
2. A stud LDE opposite Chandler Jones - I still see this as a priority
3. Youth/depth at OL - the OL has performed admirably. I see OT as perhaps more of a need than interior OL, in contrast to some
4. Speed at WR to stretch the field
5. Depth at DT/penetrating DT/successor to Vince Wilfork
6. Depth at H-back/"move TE" to spell/complement Aaron Hernandez
7. An eventual true successor to TB

The Next 4+ Months:

1.The secondary. I'm assuming that the Pats stick with Devin McCourty at FS. Extending Aqib Talib should be a priority if he continues to stay clean and adapt. Ras-I Dowling will be back, and I still think he could be productive as a press-man CB. Talib, Dennard and Dowling would be solid. I'm assuming Pat Chung is gone. I'd like to sign another veteran FA safety. I like the idea of picking up Kenny Phillips (we screwed up Dashon Goldson; but Phillips would be a nice complement to McCourty, just as he was with Antrel Rolle). I'm not particularly interested in drafting more DBs early on right now.Trade Patrick Chung to Tampa Bay for CB Aqib Talib; alternatively, the Pats might trade a 2014 draft pick for Talib and use Chung as a hybrid S/LB this year
2. OL: Re-sign Sebastian Vollmer. That should be a priority, unless his back gives out.
4. WR: Extend Julian Edelman. Make your best offer to Wes Welker, and re-tag him if he doesn't re-sign early. He can be kept one more year under tag if the cap hit allows it, traded, or allowed to walk after a replacement FA is found, though my strong preference is obviously to keep him on for 2-3 more years.
5. Extend Danny Woodhead.

The Draft:

I want to go defense and particularly focus on the DL early on. The guys I would consider taking with a 1st round pick are:

1. Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah - will be long gone
2. Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio St. - will probably be long gone
3. Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame - probably won't come out, and if he does, will probably be long gone.
4. Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama - one of my favorites for a long time now.
5. Sheldon Richardson, DT/DE, Missouri - great pentrating ability, athleticism and burst. But is he a schematic fit, and what about the character and intelligence issues? Will also probably be gone.
6. Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon - incredible fluidity in space. Where does he fit?
7. Ziggy Ansah, DE, BYU - incredible athleticism and upside, but still raw.
8. Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia - great length and fluidity. Former safety, has Urlacher-like of length and movement skills. Will probably be gone, but even if not, would be take another LB that high?

The only offensive player I would consider taking is probably Jonathan Cooper. But I really prefer going defense.

I'm assuming that all 8 of those guys may be off the board by #32, in which case I'd probably advocate something along the lines of the following:

***Trade: Pats trade #32 (590 points) for #40 and #103 (588 points). With all of my top guys gone by #32, the Pats trade back and pick up an extra 4th round pick.

40. Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina. 6'4" 320#. Currently NFL Draftscout #67.

Stud Horse! I'm assuming in this mock that all of my top guys listed above are gone before the Pats pick. In that case, I see BB trading back for a modest pick up. Williams is an extremely talented DT who slips a bit because of a deep and talented class and because he is a slightly older prospect, having spent 2 years in a manufacturing plant before going to community college and then to North Carolina. I'm not normally a fan of North Carolina players, but Williams has a great motor, terrific core strength, and great athleticism for a big man. He is strong against the run and has the strength to handle double teams, but is explosive enough to collapse the pocket and penetrate. He has nice positional versatility, playing either 4-3 DT position, 3-4 NT, and even some 3-4 DE. A rotation of Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love and Williams would be beastly. Kawann Short (#39 on Draftscout's list) could also be an option. Again, I'd rather have Jesse Williams or Louis Nix, but I'm not convinced they'll be available.

***Trade: Pats trade #62 (284 points) for 3rd and 4th round picks. Call it something like #80 and #100 for now (290 points).

80. Da'Rick Rogers, WR, Tennessee Tech. Currently NFL Draftscout #76.

Stud Horse! Rogers has Dez Bryant kind of ability, with some of the same issues - but at the price of a 3rd round pick instead of a 1st, he may be worth the gamble. I'd personally rather have Tavon Austin or Cordarelle Patterson, but neither is likely to be available this late. Taking a WR like Markus Wheaton or Steadman Bailey later may be an alternative.

94. Kyle Long, OT, Oregon. 6'7" 311#. Currently NFL Draftscout #74.

Beast! No longer a sleeper, Kyle Long is just a beast, with incredible athleticism, and a mean streak.

Tony Pauline has suggested that Long could go as high as the mid 2nd round, though that seems a bit of a reach. I have him in the late 3rd/early 4th for now, as a top 100 pick. The Pats could conceivably take him earlier instead of a WR and then go for someone late Markus Wheaton or Stedman Bailey a bit later. Ohio St. OT Reid Fragel (6'8" 305#, former TE with terrific athletic ability) might be a nice sleeper option if Long goes earlier than expected.

100. Ra'shede Hageman, DT/DE, Minnesota. 6'6" 300#. Currently NR by NFLDraftScout for 2013, but predicted to declare.

Sleeper Beast! A former TE and basketball player, Hageman has JJ Watt size and raw athleticism, but is just scratching his surface. Reportedly has 4.78 speed with a 35" vertical, can windmill dunk at 300#. Was a backup until this year, then exploded as the Gophers' best lineman. Hageman couldn't be blocked one on one this year, and now routinely draws double teams. He has the frame to get bigger, but could play outside as a 4-3 LDE/3-4 DE, and move inside on passing downs. His upside is ridiculous. If the Pats don't snag Ziggy Ansah or Sheldon Richardson early on, I hope they grab Hageman.

103. Brian Winters, OL, Kent St. 6'4" 310#. Currently NFL Draftscout #101.

Sleeper Stud Horse! Winters fits the Pats profile of moving college OTs inside to guard. A small school prospect, he has nice athleticism and footwork. He's an excellent run blocker who mauls defenders. With his scruffy beard and blue collar game, he fits nicely into the Matt Light/Logan Mankins kind of mold.

5 (comp). Phillip Thomas, S, Fresno St. 6'1" 215#. Currently NFL Draftscout #171.

Sleeper! A Thorpe award finalist with 8 interceptions including 3 for TDs this year, Rob Rang calls Thomas "the best safety no one has ever heard of".

6 (comp). Tyrann Mathieu, DB, LSU. 5'9" 176#. Currently NFL Draftscout #187.

Fallen Beast! The Honey Badger becomes the 2013 version of Aaron Hernandez/Alfonzo Dennard, a day 1 or 2 pick who slips to day 3 because of off field issues and gets snatched up by BB. Mathieu is undersized and doesn't have elite man coverage skills. But he is a heat seeking missile and ball hawk par extraordinaire who can be moved all around the secondary to create disruption. He's a big risk without a true position and multiple off field issues leading to his dismissal from LSU, but as a day 3 pick the upside is too great to ignore.

7a. Alonzo Highsmith, LB, Arkansas. 6'1" 235#. Currently NFL Draftscout #400.

Wounded Sleeper! Highsmith would have been a mid round pick and possibly better if he had stayed healthy.

7b.Nick Kasa, TE, Colorado. 6'6" 260#. Currently NFL Draftscout #232.

Super Sleeper! With Travis Kelce no longer a sleeper, Kasa could be a late round bargain. Whereas Ra'shede Hageman was a TE recruit who has thrived on the DL, Kasa was a 4 star DE recruit who has thrived since being moved to TE. He has a basketball background to boot.

I love it, you covered a lot of ground, I'd have preferred someone on the edge on the D-line, even if it's a late round guy like David Bass, but I;d be super-excited if we did exactly what you had here.

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

It reads as if that was Bill talking about Cannon at Guard, not Rodak.

"Marcus Cannon type of discussion" referring to the discussion fans and media had about Cannon when he was picked.

Besides, I see nothing wrong with considering moving Cannon to RG and Connolly back to Center, where he would be an upgrade
over Wendell, who as DaBruinz & others have noted is the weak link on the OL. The only drawback
to that idea is that our depth at Tackle would be non-existent, even if Vollmer is re-signed.

There's nothing wrong with making Wendell a back up at center. I believe I've been as vocal as anyone about Wendell's struggles in pass blocking. Cannon is just never going to be a long term guard for Belichick in the zone scheme, and there's nothing that suggests otherwise.

Do you guys not know what a zone blocking scheme is?

 

[Snake Eyes]

"Marcus Cannon type of discussion" referring to the discussion fans and media had about Cannon when he was picked.

Do you guys not know what a zone blocking scheme is?

The O-lineman goes to an area and blocks whoever's there are opposed to blocking a specific players, yes? Why would Cannon be incapable of that?