O.K We were going to spend a third for a ready WR. What is out there now?

[Snake Eyes]

They should look to draft one or two Wide Receivers. That's how success is built: Through the draft, not through big spending in Free Agency.

I don't care if the team has a bad record with drafting the position, they can't use that as an excuse. They need to draft and develop a wide receiver sooner or later.

Why is it necessary to draft a receiver? If they can aquire players in free agency and through trades, which they can, then they don't HAVE to draft one. The Pats offensive system relies on the ability to make post-snap sight adjustments, not everyone can do this and it's especially difficult to assess with college players.

Mike Lombardi's philosophy regarding the draft is "you draft what you can't buy", and I'm inclined to agree with him. It's going to be very tough to impossible to buy stud linemen and franchise QBs, so you kinda need to draft them, not as much with receivers. I'd rather not force a high pick on a receiver one doesn't really feel strongly about.

 

[supafly]

Mike Lombardi's philosophy regarding the draft is "you draft what you can't buy", and I'm inclined to agree with him. It's going to be very tough to impossible to buy stud linemen and franchise QBs, so you kinda need to draft them, not as much with receivers. I'd rather not force a high pick on a receiver one doesn't really feel strongly about.

I get what you're saying, but in the age of the salary cap I tend to believe that you've got to always build your team via the draft, then add a handful of cost effective misssing pieces in free agency or trades.

The problem is that many talented WR's are not cost effective, and that's why we don't tend to pay as much at that position. Otherwise, we'd have been in the market for guys like Boldin, Jennings, Wallace, Harvin etc. On top of that we may have made a trade for a guy like Jeremy Maclin (for example).

The problem is that all of these choices would cost way too much, so the only real answer is to look to the draft. I'm all for your way if they can find a cost effective player with talent like an Emanual Sanders, but those players are few and far between. If they wanted Sanders badly enough they should have made a better offer. That could have solved the problem.

 

[ATippett56]

They should look to draft one or two Wide Receivers. That's how success is built: Through the draft, not through big spending in Free Agency.

I agree 100%.

The New England Patriots offense has been rebuilt/reloaded directly or indirectly via the NFL Draft:

NFL Draft Selections

Tom Brady
Ryan Mallett
Rob Gronkowski
Aaron Hernandez
Shane Vereen
Stevan Ridley
Julian Edelman
Matthew Slater
Logan Mankins
Sebastian Vollmer
Nate Solder
Marcus Cannon

UDFAs (originally signed by the New England Patriots directly from the collegiate ranks)

Ryan Wendell
Brandon Bolden
Markus Zusevics

 

[Ivan]

I agree with this, Ivan. I want to add: is it possible that we don't have an outside-the-hash or deep threat receiver because Brady can't make that throw at a high level? I've never thought Brady was a good deep ball thrower (Moss's adjustments and long arms made many of those plays...which is one reason I like Danario Alexander, as he's got that reach-over-them quality, as well), and Brady never really impressed me to the sidelines, either.

If you look at the long throws last year, to Lloyd or others, many of those balls weren't close to being catchable.

I saw a good analysis of where Amendola typically catches passes, comparing it to Welker's comfort zone, and to those of the tight ends. The speculation was that Amendola was in the same area as Gronk and Ahern a lot less than Welker, and that was why the Pats might have likes Amendola more. He's used a little more to the outside and a little deeper, typically.

With Brady, that actually scares me a little bit.

I think Brady can make every throw and it's more a matter of having receivers who can be open where he needs them to be. Givens, Moss, Branch, Gaffney, and Caldwell are all different kinds of players and Brady made them all effective at their greatest strengths. give him a deep threat and a guy who can fight for the ball outside the hashes and he will make the most of them. I thought the problems with were a result of not being on the same page and I thought they simply worked too hard to try and integrate him into the offense. it never went smoothly and that's one of the reasons i don't want Lloyd back this season, the others being that I think he is soft and doesn't really want to work that hard.

 

[Sparetire]

I dont see any point bringing or selecting a player while considering his wonderlic test. Or just putting the emphasis on that especially.

 

[Kontradiction]

I dont see any point bringing or selecting a player while considering his wonderlic test. Or just putting the emphasis on that especially.

This offense is one of the most notoriously difficult to understand in the NFL. That's why athletic freaks like Chad Jackson couldn't stick here. So yes, the Wonderlic is extremely important to consider. But you also don't want to just throw away physical measurales either.

 

[Don Kipines]

I think Brady can make every throw and it's more a matter of having receivers who can be open where he needs them to be. Givens, Moss, Branch, Gaffney, and Caldwell are all different kinds of players and Brady made them all effective at their greatest strengths. give him a deep threat and a guy who can fight for the ball outside the hashes and he will make the most of them. I thought the problems with were a result of not being on the same page and I thought they simply worked too hard to try and integrate him into the offense. it never went smoothly and that's one of the reasons i don't want Lloyd back this season, the others being that I think he is soft and doesn't really want to work that hard.

The other major problem with Lloyd is that he was a very soft runner and virtually a non-threat on tear screens and quick slants and those at-the-line-of-scrimmage plays the Pats love to run. Even just having a guy out wide who has a little more running back in him would force the safeties to cheat just a little more that way. Lloyd was also a poor blocker. If he's not giving you over the top plays on a pretty regular basis, he's not providing much value.

The Pats could really improve just by having a more physical player out there, even if he isn't a classic burner (not that we all wouldn't love that). I'm guessing that's why they like Donald Jones, because he's a powerful player for his size, has running back skills, even runs patterns out of the backfield sometimes. Physically he's a little bit Givens-like, except that he's faster.

There are so many big, powerful receivers in the draft this year, so many guys who are good with the ball in their hands, it's hard to imagine that they won't get someone who'll provide a little more of a threat out there. And that's really all they need -- they don't need Randy Moss, they just need someone who'll make a play every now and then, block, and catch balls when he's open.

 

[captain stone]

Robinson's concussions have to be huge red flag.




HA HA.



I wonder if Rob is right and they could get him for even less (not knowing the internals).

Are Robonson's concussions a red flag? Absolutely. Unfortunately, he's also one of the best
of the remaining UFA WRs, so I feel that it would be worthwhile to bring him here for testing.

And if Lloyd can be signed for even less than his original 2013 base, then all the better.
We need all the bodies we can find.

 

[Claremonster]

Why is it necessary to draft a receiver? If they can aquire players in free agency and through trades, which they can, then they don't HAVE to draft one. The Pats offensive system relies on the ability to make post-snap sight adjustments, not everyone can do this and it's especially difficult to assess with college players.

Mike Lombardi's philosophy regarding the draft is "you draft what you can't buy", and I'm inclined to agree with him. It's going to be very tough to impossible to buy stud linemen and franchise QBs, so you kinda need to draft them, not as much with receivers. I'd rather not force a high pick on a receiver one doesn't really feel strongly about.

No, just no.

Draft the guy(s) you see as the best fit.

Hunter, Hopkins, Wheaton, Allen fit the Pats well.

 

[eagle eye]

Personally I'd love to see the Patriots sign Joshua Cribbs. I know Washington is a top return man but I think Cribbs could do very well as a receiver in the Patriots offense and he adds so much to STs not just being a kick returner but in coverage also.

 

[Triumph]

I dont want Lloyd back. Hes old Deon Branch part 2.