The Most Questionable 2014 Draft Choice

[varjao]

Garopa's by far

 

[james87654]

I would say Jimmy G is the most "questionable" because if he doesnt end up being starter quality down the road then its a waste......Easley i dont mind because from what others have said his upside is close to john randle, so i like taking that chance on him

just my opinion

 

[Deus Irae]

Except now Collins in our starting LB and we are thin at the position. Another way of looking at it is, BB was a year ahead of you by addressing the LB position before it became a need. while also addressing safety (the position you think is a need) with Harmon and rumor has it (although i don't see it) Logan Ryan may convert to S as well.

It's all in the eye of the beholder and the proof of the pudding is that Harmon played well (if unspectacular) Collins played well and is now slotted into the starting LB spot. So S and Lb were addressed. Just not in the way you wanted.

Please don't take this personally, in any way, but I'm not going to get into the Collins thing with you, or anyone else, beyond keeping the facts of my position straight. I don't agree with your position, and I'll leave it at that.

 

[yukon cornelius]

of course JG is questionable......drafting a starting NFL QB is generally a questionable move......drafting a replacement for TB12 even more so


but from a franchise standpoint, it is a smart, logical move at this point

 

[Rob0729]

2.) My issue with the Collins pick was not Collins, but the choice of a DE/LB tweener when it was not a position of need compared to others (i.e. safety).

Collins ended up filling the biggest position of need (a LB who could cover TEs with any consistency). That arguably was a far bigger need that safety and the biggest need on defense going into the draft last year.

You may have looked at him as a tweener, but the Pats always looked at him as a 4-3 OLB which was a big need.

 

[Rob0729]

I did not like the Garoppolo as a pick in the second round, but I wouldn't have liked any pick of a QB until late in the third or fourth. i did not like this QB class at all. Overrated from the beginning.

If the Pats took Garoppolo late in the third, I might not have had an issue with the pick. Really don't know much about the guy.

 

[Ring 6]

1.) The reasons the picks are questionable have nothing to do with their ability.

2.) My issue with the Collins pick was not Collins, but the choice of a DE/LB tweener when it was not a position of need compared to others (i.e. safety).



But it's all good now. BB can do no wrong. We're about to see 17-18 straight SB wins by the Patriots.

1) Collins is not a DE/LB tweener, he is a LB. Now that you have learned that, perhaps your opinion will change.
2) Drafting in the second round with only the current year needs in mind is foolhardy, and as of now without Collins LB would be by far the biggest need.
3) We drafted a safety in the next round.

Again, check the facts, and if you are honest, you will change your opinion.

 

[Rob0729]

1) Collins is not a DE/LB tweener, he is a LB. Now that you have learned that, perhaps your opinion will change.
2) Drafting in the second round with only the current year needs in mind is foolhardy, and as of now without Collins LB would be by far the biggest need.
3) We drafted a safety in the next round.

Again, check the facts, and if you are honest, you will change your opinion.

Although I didn't agree with Deus' logic at the time, I can see how someone could argue at the time of the draft that Collins was not a need pick. But 12 months later after we have seen how the Pats intend on using the guy and how he fit a very big need for the Pats going back to when Dennis Pitta burnt the Pats' LBs in the AFCCG, I don't know how he cannot admit he was wrong about the pick.

Yes, when he was drafted there was a lot of debate on how he was going to be used. There is no debate now other than maybe how his role may be expanded this year and throughout his career. Anyone in hindsight saying he didn't fill a huge need for the Pats is not looking at it objectively.

 

[jboston19]

I'm surprised we took 3 on the OL and ignored LB. As much as I wasn't a fan of the Garrapollo pick, I understand it from BB'S point of view.

 

[bigballas]

garappolo is no aaron rodgers...that pick sucked. we didnt need to draft a QB this year...garappolo was a nobody before this year...and there will be plenty of those around in future drafts (QB's that pop up out of nowhere)

 

[ripatsfan91]

1.) The reasons the picks are questionable have nothing to do with their ability.

2.) My issue with the Collins pick was not Collins, but the choice of a DE/LB tweener when it was not a position of need compared to others (i.e. safety).



But it's all good now. BB can do no wrong. We're about to see 17-18 straight SB wins by the Patriots.

Quit while you are ahead, Collins looks like a genius pick now. Contributed a lot last season and improved every week he played. Can't ask for much more.

I don't think the team ever thought of him as a DE, he has always been an athletic LB. Plus you could really make the case that LB is a bigger need than Safety.

I am sure if Collins wasn't the pick last year, you would be clamoring for another LB now that Spikes isn't on the team.

 

[ripatsfan91]

As for the rest:

1. Loved the Easley pick. The guy is arguably a better player than Aaron Donald and has an extremely high ceiling. Who else would have filled the role of interior pass rusher? How many times last year did we get zero push up the middle (think Denver playoffs)? Easley may have an injury history but its still a steal to get a top 10 talent with the 29th. If he reaches his full potential he very well maybe Geno Atkins or better. Obviously a risk, but a risk worth taking. No one left on the board at 29 had the same talent or upside that Easley does.

2. Jimmy G. Not a fan of the pick, but I can live with it. Would have liked to bring in more prospects at other positions, but where would we have done that (all the good safeties were gone and Fiedorowicz in the 2nd would be a massive reach). Sometimes the board falls a certain way and you have to live with it. Had the QB been a 1st round pick, I would have definitely been very angry. I know it hurts to recognize that Brady can't play forever (this draft was the first time I really came to grips with this), but I do think he will start every game for the remainder of his contract and perhaps a year or two longer.

3. James White. Didn't know much about this guy seems like a reach but definitely a "complete" back who does a little bit of everything (block, catch, run). Not sure he can handle the load, but he won't be asked to be.

4. The OL picks: Stork, Fleming, Halapio. Liked the Stork pick the guy was unanimous All-American and won the award for best college lineman. Should compete with Wendell and is an upgrade in terms of size from Wendell. The other two are very successful college players; I know a lot of people get hung up in numbers from combine (rumor that BB loves lineman with great broad and VJ numbers and looks for those with 30" or greater in VJ), but there was only 1 OL prospect who had that in this draft. Both guys are smart and tough players. Should be good for depth in their first years. I am pretty high on Kline as a replacement at RG. Ton of prospects on the interior OL, protect the franchise and don't allow pressure up the middle. Brady was sacked the most in his career this past season; extend his career by giving him protection up front. Remember the best weapon for Brady is a good OL.

5. Jamea Thomas and Gallon. Both guys likely don't stand a shot at making the roster. Wild cards who might show something in camp. I think some UDFA will likely make a bigger impact than these guys. For instance, think that UDFA S from Rutgers Deering, has more potential and more likely to make the 53 than Thomas. Ditto with Justin Jones and Gallon (TE vs WR I know but both OW).

To Summarize: We have a very young team. How many rookies did we carry last year? Expect them all to improve or they will be gone in camp. Guys like Collins, Ryan, Dobson, Thompkins, Boyce, Kline, Armstead, Jones, Siliga, etc will all return with more experience and more time to work on their craft and build a better team.

How many positions could we have reasonably upgraded in this draft? Safety? All the impact prospects were gone by 29 (Pryor, Dix, Bucannon, etc). TE? The top 6 were gone by our third round pick and many were gone by our second round pick. The rest were likely not better than an UDFA. So Bill and the gang improved our OL.

The only guys I am expecting to be an upgrade of last year's players are Easley and Stork. Easley will most assuredly be an upgrade from Vellano/Jones and will create interior push next to either Wilfork/Kelly/Siliga/Armstead. Stork will likely be an upgrade from Wendell and will decrease pocket push exponentially.

We have definitely improved this team through the draft.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I am shocked on how everyone misses the point on the Garopollo pick. Quarterback is the most important position in the NFL, bar none. If you see a QB who you think has a chance to be a long-term solution, you grab him. Whether it pans out or not, it's not like there aren't tons of busts at every position, and even most these "sure-fire" quality players that were available at the time will certainly bust as well.

With the quarterback position, if you win, you win big. The Patriots have picked guys like Hoyer, Mallett, Cassell, and O'Connell, most of which served of capable backups, understudies to Brady, and in the case of Cassell, capable of being a solid NFL player. How many defensive backs, linebackers, and wide receivers have done even less? Luckily, this is not a need position, but this is the NFL and our beloved QB won't be here forever.

So, do you guys think that Nick Foles was a need pick by the Eagles? Was Russell Wilson a need pick by the Seahawks, who drafted him after signing Matt Flynn that same offseason? Aaron Rodgers? What a guy named Tom Brady, who was picked despite having a franchise QB and two capable backups on the roster? No- these players impressed the scouts, who urged the teams that they flashed great potential and could thrive in their teams systems. I'm sure that these fanbases were outraged at wasting a pick, but now look at the tremendous dividends that those picks are paying. Quarterback is a different beast- it leads more directly to wins and losses- and I don't see why you fault a team for "reaching" or doing whatever necessary to land someone who they think could be the answer.

On another note: The Eagles have publicly stated that they wanted Russell Wilson badly in 2011, but they passed on him, thinking they'd get him later in the draft. The Raiders passed on Colin Kaepernick, thinking he'd fall to them in the second round. Think both those teams wish they'd been more aggressive and less concerned about whether they are "reaching"? I also bet that most people on here would be applauding had we taken a media household name like McCarron in that last second round spot, calling it a steal. I trust the Patriots scouting better than ours. If Garopollo busts, I can live with it. If the player drafted after him is a star, I can live with it. The draft is not a science, but draft strategies can be good or bad... I think the Patriots have a good overall draft strategy, placing a premium on the QB position.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

And back to the original question, I'd merely say that I'm most surprised by the Easley pick but am not an expert to say whether it is "questionable." It is a deviation from the Pats' normal draft strategy, which is to always take the sure thing in the first round. They usually take the guys with zero durability concerns and zero character concerns even if it means the player does not have as much upside as someone else available without those intangibles, simply because I think they realize teams cannot afford a first round bust with little return on investment. Usually the Pats will take chances in the later rounds on guys with the talent but the question marks as well. This is why they always surprise us because whenever we think we have them pegged, they go and do something seemingly out of character. I will say that I think interior pass rush is a tremendous, overlooked need. They typically have a bunch of space eaters in there on third and long.

 

[supafly]

I did not like the Garoppolo as a pick in the second round, but I wouldn't have liked any pick of a QB until late in the third or fourth. i did not like this QB class at all. Overrated from the beginning.

If the Pats took Garoppolo late in the third, I might not have had an issue with the pick. Really don't know much about the guy.

I think that you're offering a very fair opinion here, and I tend to agree.

It isn't necessarily the selection of QB in and of itself, as some of us felt that the odds were rather high that someone would be taken in the 3rd/4th--as you said. It was the selection that high that I can see being in question.

This all said, perhaps Belichick felt that JG was one of a couple QBs who stood apart from the rest in a rather mediocre QB pool, and/or maybe he didn't see as much outright need for a TE in round 2 as most of us assumed. There's also the thought that any of his possible choices in round 2 weren't all that much different on a grading scale, such as the decision to take a center in round 4 instead.

Who really knows what swirls around in his head come draft weekend, aside from the fact that he's attempting to fill depth for 2014 while also drafting ahead for the future?

 

[supafly]

And back to the original question, I'd merely say that I'm most surprised by the Easley pick but am not an expert to say whether it is "questionable." It is a deviation from the Pats' normal draft strategy, which is to always take the sure thing in the first round. They usually take the guys with zero durability concerns and zero character concerns even if it means the player does not have as much upside as someone else available without those intangibles, simply because I think they realize teams cannot afford a first round bust with little return on investment.

That aspect of the process was likely the most surprising to me as well, for the reasons that you mention above.

One thought that crossed my mind was the fact that we can have the 5th yr option with Easley, so even if the thought is more geared towards the 2nd half of the season + the future, it may end up paying off. It still doesn't alleviate the concern about the different type of drafting strategy that was used this year, but again...that's anyone's guess as to what BB was thinking.

 

[ATippett56]

I did not like the Stork pick in the fourth round.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2014/C

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1664465/bryan-stork

I felt there was better value on the board.

 

[RayClay]

Belichick wants to groom a quarterback for when Brady retires. I know that reality is tough to take, but...

 

[AzorianPats]

I am shocked on how everyone misses the point on the Garopollo pick. Quarterback is the most important position in the NFL, bar none. If you see a QB who you think has a chance to be a long-term solution, you grab him. Whether it pans out or not, it's not like there aren't tons of busts at every position, and even most these "sure-fire" quality players that were available at the time will certainly bust as well.

With the quarterback position, if you win, you win big. The Patriots have picked guys like Hoyer, Mallett, Cassell, and O'Connell, most of which served of capable backups, understudies to Brady, and in the case of Cassell, capable of being a solid NFL player. How many defensive backs, linebackers, and wide receivers have done even less? Luckily, this is not a need position, but this is the NFL and our beloved QB won't be here forever.

So, do you guys think that Nick Foles was a need pick by the Eagles? Was Russell Wilson a need pick by the Seahawks, who drafted him after signing Matt Flynn that same offseason? Aaron Rodgers? What a guy named Tom Brady, who was picked despite having a franchise QB and two capable backups on the roster? No- these players impressed the scouts, who urged the teams that they flashed great potential and could thrive in their teams systems. I'm sure that these fanbases were outraged at wasting a pick, but now look at the tremendous dividends that those picks are paying. Quarterback is a different beast- it leads more directly to wins and losses- and I don't see why you fault a team for "reaching" or doing whatever necessary to land someone who they think could be the answer.

On another note: The Eagles have publicly stated that they wanted Russell Wilson badly in 2011, but they passed on him, thinking they'd get him later in the draft. The Raiders passed on Colin Kaepernick, thinking he'd fall to them in the second round. Think both those teams wish they'd been more aggressive and less concerned about whether they are "reaching"? I also bet that most people on here would be applauding had we taken a media household name like McCarron in that last second round spot, calling it a steal. I trust the Patriots scouting better than ours. If Garopollo busts, I can live with it. If the player drafted after him is a star, I can live with it. The draft is not a science, but draft strategies can be good or bad... I think the Patriots have a good overall draft strategy, placing a premium on the QB position.

We've been spoiled rotten by Brady. Besides 2008, how many games has Brady missed? Only speaking for myself here, but I don't want to fall into that trap, like GB almost did last year where Rodgers got hurt, and they almost watched their playoff hopes disappear. I don't want that to happen with us. Not this coming year, or next.

Sucks to say but Brady's time is coming. When it happens, I have no clue, but I appreciate the team taking steps, getting somewhat prepared for the transition.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I should have rephrased : to help us this year and in the years to come.
Some of the players I think could have had an impact this year that were still available are:

- Marcus Martin
-CJ Fed
-Scott Chrichton
-Chris Borland
-Terrance Brooks
- Louis Nix
-Trai Turner
-Tre Mason

There were only a handful of players at that slot worth considering...CJF, Martin,chrichton and nix. Garappolo was not as much a reach as everyone thinks.