NEW ARTICLE: Patriots News 04-23, Draft Strategy Still Not Clear

[PatsFans.com Article]

Patriots News 04-23, Draft Strategy Still Not Clear
Steve Balestrieri
“So there’s a bit of different flavor between guys like Zay and some of the bigger, longer guys. And we’ve worked hard to get eyes on these”

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[Triumph]

The Pats draft strategy is to keep all options open.

Play it fast and loose. BB is always open to making a deal.

The Pats always find good DB talent late so I question taking a CB at 14 unless he is the next Revis or Ty Law. Even then you have a player of that caliber for 3 years at best before money becomes a problem. Seems like CBs and WRs are the biggest problems when they are outperforming their contracts.

 

[BTTA]

If the draft strategy becomes clear to us fans before the draft, somebody inside the Pats has totally sold out or lost their mind.

 

[Tunescribe]

If the draft strategy becomes clear to us fans before the draft, somebody inside the Pats has totally sold out or lost their mind.

If history is any indication, Patriots fans will be generally disappointed by what the team does and who it selects. Count me among those conditioned not to hold my breath come Thursday.

 

[TomPatriot]

My draft strategy. Make a list of 256 players ranked in order of preference and then select the highest player left every time you pick. If you really, really like a player, trade up and get him. If you think you can get the same or more value later, then trade down.

 

[Wozzy]

What is the overriding obsession with Zay Flowers about?

I get it, Boston College guy,… beyond that picking him at 14 would be a massive overreach.

The plan is the big board.

What they do at 14 will be determined by what happens before the pick, and what offers they have available to them when the pick arrives.

 

[BTTA]

What is the overriding obsession with Zay Flowers about?

I get it, Boston College guy,… beyond that picking him at 14 would be a massive overreach.

The plan is the big board.

What they do at 14 will be determined by what happens before the pick, and what offers they have available to them when the pick arrives.

One description: "Julian Edelman with rocket boots." That's pretty tempting. Probably not accurate, but tempting.

 

[Brick27]

If Flowers didn’t go to BC then this media manufactured love interest wouldn’t have ever materialized

 

[Bill Lee]

If the draft strategy becomes clear to us fans before the draft, somebody inside the Pats has totally sold out or lost their mind.

Yet the media still makes $millions projecting as if they have a clear idea of each team's draft strategy, and enough people buy what they're selling for them to make $millions.

I've been a NFL fan since the 70s and it's never made sense for any NFL insider to share an accurate version of their draft strategy to an outsider.

The only thing that's made sense for them to share is a 'false flag' version of their strategy designed to make other teams think they're after Player X when they're really after Player Y.

Then we get the following gem:

https://www.si.com/nfl/titans/draft/tuesdays-thought-my-true-first-round-grades

NASHVILLE - According to the experts, there are believed to be 14 players who will have actual first-round grades when the NFL Draft kicks off in nine days. Still, there will be 31 players who will hear their names called and forever hold the title of a first-round selection.

Chances are good many teams aren't really all that anxious to be making a first round pick. They realize the odds of getting a player whose production matches their salary any time soon aren't good. Fans seem to lock in on the small number of players that make an immediate impact and forget about all the rest.

 

[Wozzy]

One description: "Julian Edelman with rocket boots." That's pretty tempting. Probably not accurate, but tempting.

I don't see really that, he's smaller and there are a handful of other players like Tank Dell with a similar skillset they could get later in the draft. This WR class is pretty weak and the bigger WR's is where we should probably be looking. Devante Parker and Bourne are free agents after this season, they need to add some size/speed out there rather than some speedy shrimp.

Smith-Njigba reminds me of Jules if Jules had played WR his entire college career at a D-1 program and was a refined WR leaving college. Good size, incredible mobility with average speed. I'd love to have the kid, just not in the first round.

 

[Real fan 02]

The Pats draft strategy is to keep all options open.

Play it fast and loose. BB is always open to making a deal.

The Pats always find good DB talent late so I question taking a CB at 14 unless he is the next Revis or Ty Law. Even then you have a player of that caliber for 3 years at best before money becomes a problem. Seems like CBs and WRs are the biggest problems when they are outperforming their contracts.
This team more so than any.. is going to maximize the good players on thier rookie deals, unless they take a " team friendly " extension ..we will be seeing players leaving when thier rookie deals are expires.. I'm going to enjoy rham now!

 

[Real fan 02]

What is the overriding obsession with Zay Flowers about?

I get it, Boston College guy,… beyond that picking him at 14 would be a massive overreach.

The plan is the big board.

What they do at 14 will be determined by what happens before the pick, and what offers they have available to them when the pick arrives.

I'm just assuming.... there will be a trade of some sorts.. I just sense that.. this year I have absolutely no inclination what the team will actually draft.. we need CB, OL, WR, are the most glaring..

 

[Joker]

Darnell Wright...him on one side..Trent Brown at the other tackle...Mac gets the protective cocoon he needs to stand in the pocket and read the defense...but yeah...let's take a cornerback...jeezus...it's gotta be "Sauce Derangement Syndrome"...if we stay at 14 and Wright is there it's an absolute no brainer...just hope O'B has some say in this

 

[IcyPatriot]

Wasted too much time preparing a mock draft by the Belichick Patriots ...
just watch and wait now .... throw darts at the prospects like a skeptical duo we all know very well.
Belichick does have a thing for the later rounds and FA's ... we seem to do very well there.
I think there will be way more trade downs than trade ups ... but wtf do I know ... next to ****.

We are 1 of 32 .... I think fans expect way too much ... draft competition is fierce and some luck ...
players dropping is needed ... even the so-called draft experts get the Patriots way wrong.
2 huge selections I hope we nail then trade down ... projects with upsides for the rest.

I do hope we get Moody and Baringer .... we need both.

 

[Wozzy]

I'm just assuming.... there will be a trade of some sorts.. I just sense that.. this year I have absolutely no inclination what the team will actually draft.. we need CB, OL, WR, are the most glaring..

Based on this year's needs and next year's free agents, by my estimation, they need OT, OG, TE, (big) WR, NT, WLB, MLB, (big) CB, FS, Kicker, Punter starters for 2024.

They'll surely bring some of Duggar, Onwenu, Uche, Bentley, Trent Brown and Jennings back... but some of these guys will get priced out of NE and will need replacing.

 

[Triumph]

If the draft strategy becomes clear to us fans before the draft, somebody inside the Pats has totally sold out or lost their mind.

The draft strategy is for Nike to put his paw on the next player to pick.

 

[Triumph]

Wasted too much time preparing a mock draft by the Belichick Patriots ...
just watch and wait now .... throw darts at the prospects like a skeptical duo we all know very well.
Belichick does have a thing for the later rounds and FA's ... we seem to do very well there.
I think there will be way more trade downs than trade ups ... but wtf do I know ... next to ****.

We are 1 of 32 .... I think fans expect way too much ... draft competition is fierce and some luck ...
players dropping is needed ... even the so-called draft experts get the Patriots way wrong.
2 huge selections I hope we nail then trade down ... projects with upsides for the rest.

I do hope we get Moody and Baringer .... we need both.

The fans know nothing. Some of the people making the picks barely know more and they get paid 6 figures.

One of the few sure bets is when the Steelers pick a WR its likely gold.

 

[patfanken]

My first reaction at reading the headline was, "has the draft strategy of a BB team EVER been clear". My second, was, don't NFL teams spend a lot of time and effort in order to make sure their 'draft strategy' ISN'T clear.

So now I'll go and do my daily mock draft where I will alternatively pick a CB, OT, DT, or DE, trade down (never up) or stay at 14 and STILL have no idea whether I did a good job or not. Yes, it is draft time again.

 

[Real fan 02]

Based on this year's needs and next year's free agents, by my estimation, they need OT, OG, TE, (big) WR, NT, WLB, MLB, (big) CB, FS, Kicker, Punter starters for 2024.

They'll surely bring some of Duggar, Onwenu, Uche, Bentley, Trent Brown and Jennings back... but some of these guys will get priced out of NE and will need replacing.

I'd agree, Bentley resigned last season so he'll probably hit FA again..Dugger and onwenu are clearly ALL PRO level players.. who gets the contract is unknown.. the thing is.. we have some great players on both sides of the ball.. on defense in the secondary primarily we have no one teams will not try to test..

 

[Real fan 02]

The draft strategy is for Nike to put his paw on the next player to pick.

So it will be a punter...