Pats are on the clock

[primetime]

I'd go with Merriweather or Beason.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Carriker is a no-brainer at #24, another good safety will be available at #28.

Got to be Beason at 28. Carricker was a bad pick. Beason at 24 and Griffin at 28 would been a great draft.

You're kidding right?

Carriker is a GREAT pick at this point in the draft. Give BB defensive weapons and he'll scheme up ways to use em.

At this point, with #28, I'd be looking for the best CB/Safety left in the draft. I'd be ok with Staley too, but realistically we have to prepare for the departure of Samuel.

 

[mcbee]

What's so great about Carriker? What did he do at Nebraska? And where would he play exactly? "BB will think of a scheme!". Really? To play 4 DL? Is there enough speed at LB for that to work? How about if you draft a QB #1, will he think of a scheme with 2 QBs playing at the same time?

Suppose you go through the entire draft drafting the "best available player" (which is a slippery target since opinions can vary so much) and wind up with 4 DEs, 3 TEs and 2 QBs? The Pats go into the year, the secondary, without new blood falls apart and the team loses out on chances to win the SB. How does that make sense?

 

[Warren94]

The problem was not secondary and Carriker can play outside LB. With Thomas, Colvin, Bruschi, (P/T) Vrabel. Best Value on the board at this time. You do realize Beason is more of an OLB? Hill has been a bust. Seymour, Wilfork, Warren (fine) What type of depth? Carriker can also play inside to go 4-3.

 

[VJCPatriot]

What's so great about Carriker? What did he do at Nebraska? And where would he play exactly? "BB will think of a scheme!". Really? To play 4 DL? Is there enough speed at LB for that to work? How about if you draft a QB #1, will he think of a scheme with 2 QBs playing at the same time?

Suppose you go through the entire draft drafting the "best available player" (which is a slippery target since opinions can vary so much) and wind up with 4 DEs, 3 TEs and 2 QBs? The Pats go into the year, the secondary, without new blood falls apart and the team loses out on chances to win the SB. How does that make sense?

Carriker is a great fit for the Patriots system. He draws comparables to Richard Seymour. I know that's probably an exaggeration but any really good big man that can command double teams is worth his weight in gold especially for the 3-4.

Carriker is a better prospect than Beason. Take the best player every time. And if you don't believe BB could find a way to use a talent like Carriker, I think you are underestimating BB.

What has Carriker done at Nebraska? Read the profile:
http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2007/carriker_adam

"Compares To: Richard Seymour, New England -- Carriker is more suited to play like Seymour does in the 3-4 alignment -- out on the edge as a run stuffer and inside as a pass rusher. He has outstanding strength and size, but needs to develop better hand usage in his attempts to disengage. He does a good job of splitting double-teams and does a good job of keeping his feet when moving through trash. He won't spend most of his time chasing down quarterbacks; he doesn't have the explosive closing speed. But he is very effective at pushing blockers back into the pocket. With his size/strength combination, using him as anything outside of the way Seymour plays would be wasting his athletic ability. "

I won't take it against you if you reconsider your position after finding out a bit more about this young man. Like I said I don't think Carriker actually lasts this long, but if he does it becomes a no-brainer pick for the Pats.

 

[danny88]

Got to be Beason at 28. Carricker was a bad pick. Beason at 24 and Griffin at 28 would been a great draft.

Stop talking..... Carricker a "bad pic" ? Lol..........................

 

[patchick]

I'd shudder and take Carriker too, since in my little impact=talent+fit+need equation he's tops on two of the three...plus earns a bonus point for rare-bodytypeness.

But in the real draft, how do the Steelers pass on him?

 

[Seymour93]

I don't like the Carriker pick either. I don't think he's going to be a bust, but if you draft by need then this is a pick you want to avoid. We already have three excellent OLB's in Thomas, Vrabel, and Colvin.... not much room for Carriker there. OK, let's look at DE. Well we have Sey and Warren plus a solid backup in Jarvis Green. Carriker doesn't fit. Neither do Spencer or Woodley due to the Thomas signing. In the first round you want to draft a player who's going to contribute within the first year. Carriker would find it hard to get on the field.

I'd go with Meriweather for #28.

 

[shirtsleeve]

Ok, ok, no point in discussing what was or wasn't bad at #24, at 28 I'm liking a S. To me, FS is a bigger need than SS, but this is a matter of opinion. I take Meriweather here. All goes well, Geno moves to corner and plays nickel next year.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

24. New England- bakes781 Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska
25. NYJ- J-E-T-S 1083 - Aaron Ross, CB, Texas
26. Philadelphia- porky88 - Greg Olsen, TE, Miami (FL)
27. New Orleans- BJames1156 - Marcus McCauley, CB, Fresno State
28. New England- bakes781

Using the handy dandy Box has bad brain flatulence scorecard, Staley is the next BPA option. But, havng landed a rock solid value like Carriker already, you can go a little crazy if you like. That could mean Brian Leonard, or Lamarr Woodley, or a reach for Jason Hill who won't be there at 91, or a reach for the next best CB Josh Wilson. If you wanted to be really crazy you'd reach for Stewart Bradley and move him to ILB. If you felt one Ellis Hobbs was enough, skip Josh Wilson and take raw talent Jonathan Wade.

To recap:
BPA: Staley, not really a need, but a potential All-Pro LT.

More risk, but maybe more for need: Woodley at OLB isn't a pure need, but adds to the LB pool, he might even play ILB some day.
- Leonard at RB/FB is also not a pure need, but makes the RB pool deeper (remember dinged up RBs in January).
- WR Jason Hill had 143 career catches, 111 went for first downs, a deeper WR pool with two vets on one year trial contracts, yuh dig?
- Everybody loves CBs (I'm having flashbacks to that scene in Shrek, "everybody loves cakes."), Wilson is an instant nickelback day one; Wade is taller, as fast, more upside athletically, but rawer.
- Folks have been screaming for an ILB in the draft, if you want one, why not take one that already has the size and can play inside or out, Bradley (a dual purpose LB like Vrabes has to be worth more than a one trick pony, right ).

Lots of folks want a Safety, but you can get a slower CB later for FS and the big SS aren't here. Center is a nice safe pick, Kalil fits the new zone blocking scheme and backs up Koppen through 2011 in case Traylor lands on him again. If you wanted another WR option, Gonzalez is Welker.

Either way, job well done with Carriker, an outstanding choice in the BB mould - you've got a future kid! :rocker:

 

[Warren94]

well said box.

well said.

I would change Hill to McKnight from ND. (Got Givens written all over em)

 

[mcbee]

McKnight is horrible. Drops more passes than he catches. He's a 6th/7th rounder.

There is another option besides "take the BPA who won't see the field for the first year" and "make a reach of two or three rounds". They could trade down out of the 1st and get a decent player who would actually help them and also pick up another draft pick.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

well said box.

well said.

I would change Hill to McKnight from ND. (Got Givens written all over em)

Hill was there using Gosselin's rankings and McKnight is looking at day two.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Beason is actually still available at #28 if you insist on drafting a linebacker here. If you go for bpa I'd say Staley. Meriweather and Griffin are not off the board yet either are they or you can wait till the third round to get a Gattis or Wendling. Aaah I almost forgot... Aaron Ross CB is not off the board yet and he'd be the perfect replacement to groom for Asante's spot.

 

[Warren94]

Mcknight was better than Samarjza (however you spell that baseball player's name)

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Mcknight was better than Samarjza (however you spell that baseball player's name)

I think he would have been the better fit for the Pats of the two, and is an option on day two yet.

 

[bakes781]

I went with Meriweather

 

[cstjohn17]

Beason is actually still available at #28 if you insist on drafting a linebacker here. If you go for bpa I'd say Staley. Meriweather and Griffin are not off the board yet either are they or you can wait till the third round to get a Gattis or Wendling. Aaah I almost forgot... Aaron Ross CB is not off the board yet and he'd be the perfect replacement to groom for Asante's spot.

I would be very happy with Carriker and any of the players Staley, Merriweather, Griffin, Ross, Beason.

However, it was posted earlier that because we receive good value with Carriker we can reach for players like Leonard, Bradley, etc. That is crazy talk, if you get good value with one pick you try to get good value with the next pick and the next pick. You don't just roll the dice because you hit blackjack on the first hand.

 

[bakes781]

Either way, job well done with Carriker, an outstanding choice in the BB mould - you've got a future kid! :rocker:

The credit goes to those who posted earlier in this thread. If you look back I was leaning towards Meriweather at 24. I believe in value over need though especially knowing we had another pick at 28. It was pretty much a consensus opinion that Carriker presented the greatest value at 24, so having the additional pick made it easy for me to pass on need.

 

[VJCPatriot]

The credit goes to those who posted earlier in this thread. If you look back I was leaning towards Meriweather at 24. I believe in value over need though especially knowing we had another pick at 28. It was pretty much a consensus opinion that Carriker presented the greatest value at 24, so having the additional pick made it easy for me to pass on need.

Good choices imo. Taking Carriker instantly vaults New Englands DL to the best in football in terms of depth and talent.
Meriweather also fills a need. I am leery of character but he has the talent to be a very good safety in the NFL.
There are still some very good linebackers left in this draft in later rounds.

I would be very happy with Carriker and any of the players Staley, Merriweather, Griffin, Ross, Beason.

However, it was posted earlier that because we receive good value with Carriker we can reach for players like Leonard, Bradley, etc. That is crazy talk, if you get good value with one pick you try to get good value with the next pick and the next pick. You don't just roll the dice because you hit blackjack on the first hand.

I agree. A drafting philosophy should be consistent. If you don't reach with your first pick, why reach with your second? Well unless that person really does believe that a guy like Leonard is BETTER talent than those other players. I like Leonard but don't see him as more than a 2nd rounder.