I'm sorry, the reason why the Pats haven't been able to win a super bowl for the last 4 years is because they have lacked impact players at the LB, CB and S position. Sometimes, you can't keep drafting "best available" and have to bite the bullet and take a player based on "need". If the Pats fail to upgrade their pass rush, they will once again miss out on the Lombardi trophy.
I have no idea what we will do draft day but I do agree with you on this. We can trade up if BB wants but I hope we get 2 SOLID players on defense this year with our picks. We have a great chance to upgrade both LB and DB.
Throw in a solid OL and I think this would be a great draft for us.
If you listen to the talking heads, the BPA is the cry for all good teams. I think that is bogus. Every team looks at their needs prior to the draft. They TELL you that "so and so" was the BPA but they had the guy hiding out on their board for a reason. Don't you think they have a contingency if a guy like Curry or Raji drops slips down to a certain picks, that it triggers an up-trade
attempt?
Reading the tid bits of information and not that I agree with the picks, the Pats have invested time and resources (smoke?) on the following players:
Merridith OT South Carolina, has been visited more than once. Dante went down to work him out privately. He is listed as an OT, but the Pats will look at him as a G who can play OT in a pinch. Reiss suspects they are going Guard not Tackle as Logan and Neal are in their last contract year. Put him down as a lock in round two (again, not my choice). He is my only thought of a lock because we know he will be available at #34.
I love Dalmas but I think the Pats have other ideas. The other picks that have been resourced heavily are SS William Moore, OLB Jason X. Williams (I suspect he might actually be an SS project with 4.46 speed for an LB!) Eric Wood (fall back on Merridith) and a DL pick of Hood or Ayers. Now Ayers spikes interest. I don't see him available at #23 with his pass rush ability being perhaps the top in the draft for a DL. Maybe they see a pick going #14 (too early for Ayers but Maualuga?) from the pick starved Saints. I think Ayers becomes an OLB/DE hybrid. Perhaps they go to #20 from the Lions for Ayers?
The mystery in Conn. is Butler....or Donald Brown, but there could be Cody Brown OLB/DE between the third and fifth. Maybe on Cody but I don't think BB travels to view fifth rounders. I know this is blaspheme on this site, but if they go Donald Brown to learn under Taylor, Faulk or Morris for a year because they are all over 30, Maroney is gone. 750kCAP loss or not he will be traded for a pick. Butler? Interesting. He might have the best pure skill of any DB in the draft but considered less competition (this ain't the Yankeee Conference Mel!). With the addition of Bodden and Springs and at least one or both of last years CB picks "un-busting", maybe Hobbs will be shopped? (Miguel is this his last year under contract?).We know Bodden has only a one year. Maybe they groom Butler as a true shut-dowm CB in the Champ Bailey mold. Prime Time Sanders believes so. He should be there at #23 or even #34(?).
I am sure in the event Andre Brown slips down the board to a certain pick, the Pats will up-trade on the advise BB gets from Nick Saban.
After all this I would rather see them trade down to say Seattle for our #23 for their #37 and #68. The Seahawks need a OT badly so they go Monroe or Smith from Baylor, but a RB or OLB are needed as bad. They could use our #23 for Wells or Moreno at RB or Cushing or Matthews (even English) to take Petersons place.
Those picks we get back are in our "sweet spot".
Think #34,#37,#47, #58,# 68,#89,#97 and #120. 8 picks in the top 120 (not including #170,#199,#207,#234). Project 4 potential starters of that mix and it would be a successful draft.
So I say trade down.
DW Toys