Pats Should Draft for O-Line

[aluminum seats]

Or at the very least keep that thought in the mix. And here, I'm talking first round--seems to me third round on, it's a much different ballgame, and it's more speculative. Yes, there's a need for a young safety, and additional linebacking help/depth. And a running back will be selected somewhere in the late rounds. But the Pats have a tremendous track record of selecting immediate starters in the first round, and I for one would love to see an upgrade on the offensive line.

Don't get me wrong--I think it's a strength of the team, through good coaching, and general cohesiveness. But it's also true that a real stud lineman makes the rest of the line better, and it's also true that this isn't a line that just flat dominated last year. If you've got an overpowering line, it changes the whole team--you run the ball with greater ease, use the clock, make passing easier, keep your defense off the field, etc. It's the key to the whole thing. Let's bring in another top dog.

 

[amazinPats]

Or at the very least keep that thought in the mix. And here, I'm talking first round--seems to me third round on, it's a much different ballgame, and it's more speculative.

With a ton of draft picks, we can afford to be speculative. I believe that that will be our strength in this draft--we can take chances with later picks.

 

[CrazyDave]

Although OL may be a strength of ours, it can always be better.
Can an O-lone ever be "too good"?
If the right guy is there, they should grab him.

 

[Kontradiction]

An O-Line can never be too good. Look what Alexander did with Hutchinson in '05 and without him in '06. Of course he was injured, but when he was healthy, you could really tell the difference in his running style.

 

[patsfanofNC12]

We can improve on our O-Line, and if the right guy was at our pick I would hope we would draft him. But I think our first concerns should be Safety, and Linebacker.

 

[aluminum seats]

As far as linebackers go, it's just that the Pats are so leery about drafting them. The flip side of that is that if they do draft a linebacker in the first round, we can be confident that they REALLY like him.

 

[solman]

The bank breaking salaries that mediocre offensive linemen are getting make first round offensive linemen an incredibly valuable resource.

Add to this the fact that it is easier to identify great linemen in the draft than great skill players, and I think this is a no brainer.

If a great offensive lineman falls to us in the first, we should grab the opportunity.

I'm confident that BB will pick up on this.

I'm unsure whether or not the other NFL teams will similarly adjust their draft strategies.

 

[aluminum seats]

That's a good point--there's been an inflation in salary there beyond other positions, it seems.

The thing about building the offensive line is that it's harder to hide weaknesses than in, say, the secondary. If your line slips, you're in big trouble. Put it this way--if the Pats keep both first rounders (if forced to guess, I'd say they trade one down) I'll be happy with linebackers, safeties (or corners that can convert) or O-linemen.

 

[patsox23]

It's an interesting point, and certainly worth a bump. If a STUD OL falls, which I think is likely given the current climate, draft-wise, I can absolutely see the Pats going for it, and dealing off one of the young OL (Kaczur/O'Call/Yates) for a future pick or to move up. I kind of doubt it, but I wouldn't be shocked or anything.

 

[Ghost of Ben Dreith]

Good OL play is based upon continuity as well as talent. This line gets along well and plays well together. They are signed for the near future and I am sure OL will not be a target for this draft. The longer they stay together, the better they will be. They have not nearly peaked in abilites yet.

If a high value player drops, sure they will probably grab him. We have seen how a line can be decimated by injuries 2 years ago. But an OL won't be taken because it is seen as an area of need....all IMHO of course.