Rookie "progress report"

[ctpatsfan77]

Who's making satisfactory progress (or better)? Remember, vote for as many as you'd like!

For reference, the rookies:
34. Patrick Chung
40. Ron Brace
41. Darius Butler
57. Sebastian Vollmer
83. Brandon Tate
97. Tyrone McKenzie—on IR
123. Rich Ohrnberger
170. George Bussey—on IR
198. Jake Ingram
207. Myron Pryor
232. Julian Edelman
234. Darryl Richard—on practice squad
UDFA. Brian Hoyer

 

[JSn]

Ron Brace is the only active rookie who's left me kind of "meh" so far. Is he a second-half surprise? Not surprised to not see Rich Ohrnberger not playing so far.

 

[Synovia]

Ron Brace is the only active rookie who's left me kind of "meh" so far. Is he a second-half surprise? Not surprised to not see Rich Ohrnberger not playing so far.

I agree, but we don't know if hes been inactive because the guys in front are better, or because hes no good. We don't know if he was even expected to play this year. He's just a big question mark.

 

[Sicilian]

I think everyone is pretty much where they "should" be, with some outperforming others. The only ones I didn't vote for are Brace and Orhnberger, because we haven't been able to really see them play.

Chung is starting to get me excited. He's reminding me of Meriweather's rookie year, where he started out non-existent but by year's end was contributing. If he can make the same leap from this year to next, we're going to have two damn good safeties for years to come.

 

[miDeuce]

It's still early but this could be the best draft BB has ever had and should set the Patriots up to be amongst the best NFL teams going into the next decade.

 

[AzPatsFan]

In all my years of watching football, I have never seen a draft produce so many players. But still the Steelers had a draft that produced 4 or 5 HoF players. But even they never had a draft produce what appears to be 13 players capable of playing in this league.

And that is without a #1 selection!

 

[DarrylS]

This has been a superb draft for this team, not only are we younger, we are faster and more athletic.... a better football team.

 

[Calciumee]

I think all of the rookies that have hit the field have all deserved to be there.

But I am not sating that RB and RO are crap, and don't deserve to be on hence they aren't, but I think that the players above them are better. Why put in a high pick player, if you have others that are better?

 

[patfanken]

Here are my grades...with an explanation


34. Patrick Chung - B- He only gets into the B catagory because he started to play more in the Bucs game with the regular D for the first time. He was our first draft choice and I'd have hoped he'd have had more of an impact thus far. Happy with the pick, though I had preferred Delmas. (and I bet so did BB, DAMNED those Liions.) This grade has more to do with WHERE he was picked than the fact he's a rookie playing behind 2 very good players.

40. Ron Brace - D- I can't believe I spend most of the preseason building this kid up. Now he isn't even being activated. I hope Ron is as pissed as I am about this, and is doing what he can to change it.

41. Darius Butler - A- The kid keeps getting better and better. He'll be a fixture in the DB for many years to come.

57. Sebastian Vollmer - B+ He's right on track. Still learning, yet good enough to see time with the first team. A great future ahead.

83. Brandon Tate - B - that's just for making it on the field, in a season I had him being IRed, and for being diligent enough to know the playbook so he could get on the field in his first week of practice. I have a feeling this grade will only go up.

97. Tyrone McKenzie - INC. on IR He might have gotten some playing time, if he hadn't gotten hurt. But no matter. He'll be like an extra draft pick next season.

123. Rich Ohrnberger - D - Hasn't played, not likely to ever play, surprised we drafted him, don't ever see him being more than a backup....and hope I'm very wrong

170. George Bussey—on IR- INC Even MORE surprised we drafted him. Camp fodder next season

198. Jake Ingram- B+ - snaps aren't "quite" as accurate as Lonnie's, but nothing bad yet.
He gets the grade for being good enough to beat out a quality vet.

207. Myron Pryor - A+ - Doing all the things I had hoped Ron Brace would be doing and doing them VERY WELL. What a find.

232. Julian Edelman - A - a couple of drops loses him the 'plus', but has WAY over exceeded expectations, especially from a kid who had never even played the position.

234. Darryl Richard— C+ on practice squad - this was the best we probably could have hoped for this kid. At least he's still with the team.

UDFA. Brian Hoyer A+ Talk about exceeding expectations. The very fact that the Pats have shown NO INDICATION that they are even looking at a vet QB shows how much they think of this kid. WOW! who'd have thunk.

Kudo's to the personel department. They did a hell of a job Amazing that 9 guys made the team and 7 are already contributing...significantly.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

As someone not especially thrilled about the last several years' draft results beyond the 1st pick, I'm VERY satisfied with this class so far. Brace is only a disappointment because he 'seemed' to be doing so well pre-season. I wouldn't expect any rookie OLs to be contributing this early so Ohrnb is actually within expectations. Pre-season I had 'expected' more from Chung but he's where a rookie should be given McGowan's stellar contributions. Good problems to have.

 

[patchick]

I couldn't vote for Ohrnberger, just because who the heck knows? INC. But I'm kind of amazed that half of posters gave thumbs down to Ingram. The kid beat out a perfectly solid vet and has been reliable, if not pitch-perfect. That's not "satisfactory progress"?

All in all, this group is off to a remarkable start. Edelman and Pryor look like the best day-2 finds in a while, and Butler and Vollmer have the potential to be really special. Already Butler looks like the best rookie CB of the Belichick era.

 

[BTTA]

Would the people who voted AGAINST Edelman and Pryor please raise stand up and explain themselves? They aren't even satisfactory? It didn't ask about all world, or pro bowl, or even all rookie team. Just SATISFACTORY.

 

[willdeespats]

Would the people who voted AGAINST Edelman and Pryor please raise stand up and explain themselves? They aren't even satisfactory? It didn't ask about all world, or pro bowl, or even all rookie team. Just SATISFACTORY.

I'd like to see those who voted for Brace to also explain themselves. I'd like to hear about what I'm missing.

 

[patchick]

Would the people who voted AGAINST Edelman and Pryor please raise stand up and explain themselves? They aren't even satisfactory? It didn't ask about all world, or pro bowl, or even all rookie team. Just SATISFACTORY.

Perhaps some people just didn't realize they could vote for more than one player?

Edelman is pretty darned exciting when you consider he was drafted purely as a raw athlete and had never played WR before at any level. His potential is huge.

 

[Synovia]

Edelman is pretty darned exciting when you consider he was drafted purely as a raw athlete and had never played WR before at any level. His potential is huge.

Thats one of the reasons I get irritated when people say Edelman is just a Welker backup and should only play the slot.

He's bigger, faster, and more agile than Welker. Theres a good chance that he'll never be the football player Welker is, but this "mini-welker" stuff is absurd.

 

[NEPatriot]

09 draft is very successful because nearly every rookies is playing right now. It's a good year. They are doing well. BB and his company need to keep up their good work.

 

[Kontradiction]

Not sure why Chung is garnering so many votes thus far. He's had a sack this season, sure, but hasn't really caught my eye that much outside of that.

As for my list, I went to the usual: Edelman, Butler, Pryor, and Vollmer.

Edelman is obvious. Kid is a beast. Butler has been playing extremely well and, IMO, should be starting regularly by season's end. Pryor has been getting extremely good push and doing a good job of disrupting plays when he has been in there (especially this past week). And Vollmer has done very good for being a rookie (and as raw as he is) in the place of Matt Light.

I was tempted to put Tate in there because I think he's going to be seeing some serious time as the season goes on. However, like Chung, I can't put anyone on this list just for seeing time. So this is my preliminary list. I might come back and revise it at the end of the season.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Does Shawn Crable count as a rookie still?

 

[fillylabinga]

I didn't vote for him, but the argument in Brace's favor is simply that Pryor has so far overacheived that there is no room for him on the active roster.

I suspect it's more a combination of Brace underacheiving and Pryor overacheiveing, but still there was probably only ever going to be room for one rookie DL on the active roster.

Next year the Pats will likely lose at least one of Wilfork and Green so there might be room for both these guys.

I wonder if either of them can play the 3-4 NT or the 3-4 DE though. I feel like I've only seen Pryor in the 4 man front packages as DT. Maybe the Pats will be playing even more 4-3 next year.

 

[BPF]

This class reminds me a lot of the 49ers 1986 draft class:
NFL's top 10 draft classes in league history

....which is considered one of the greatest drafts in NFL history. Walsh and the 49ers maneuvered for extra picks by trading down, sound familiar, and came away with a class of Charles Haley, John Taylor, Tom Rathman, Kevin ***an, Don Griffin, Steve Wallace, Tim McKyer and Larry Roberts – who were all key starters in their future Super Bowl championships. Walsh also traded away quarterback Matt Cavanaugh and OL Billy Shields for more picks -- like BB traded Cassel and Vrabs, albeit for 1 pick, but things are different now due to cap.

I love this Pats draft class.