**The official Day 2 Patriots Draft Thread**

[TriplecHamp]

Can never have enough cornerbacks

or a legitimate pass rusher

 

[jays52]

Does this portend the end of Meriweather, in your opinion?

Yeah, I do. Meriweather is going to be after money and I think that Dowling is a better fit given the coverage complexities. He potentially can fit in on the outside as well as I think he's strong enough to be a good x defender. Best fit in my opinion is at safety though.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

Does anyone know compensation for the Broncos?

 

[Rob0729]

Did Bodden or McCourty retire without us knowing?

No but Brandon Meriweather is in the last year of his deal a year after he was benched for freelancing and an offseason where he was allegedly involved in a shooting.

I think the starting secondary of the future if Belichick has his way is Bodden and McCourty at CB and Dowling and Chung at safety.

 

[Banjo]

why didn't we trade?? 49ers seemed ready...

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

So after having all night to think about it, the Pats forgo a trade, watch the 2 QBs get pick right after them (one via a trade) and reach for yet another CB in the second round, A CORNERBACK THAT HAS BEEN HURT SINCE HIGH SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YOu have to be kidding me, yet another waste, how many failed second round picks at CB does one team need??? what is this six of them now.

 

[BKBroiler]

whats the deal guys?

do you not like the picks or are you just pissed they make your predictions look dumb?

I think its the making people look stupid thing. Either that or people don't realize that there are good players that aren't necessarily household names.

Dowling is a good pick in the 2nd. He's most likely going to play safety instead of corner. You'd think people would like the pick since Dowling can cover and his skills would minimize the recent problems of the safeties (Meriweather, etc.) taking bad angles for tackling and covering. Plus thhe DB depth left in the draft is not very good. Once Dowling, Moore, and Williams go, then there will be slim pickings.

 

[ausbacker]

And alot of people said the same thing after we traded 28. Hopefully Wilkerson or Heyward will be there at 33. Didnt happen.

Only if you wanted them to begin with.

Still though, any good corner will struggle with a bad pass rush. A good pass rush can make mediocre corners look good(giants 07). Still have to wait out the round, but the next pick you would HAVE to assume would be a pass rusher. Maybe Cunningham makes a big jump like Chung did last year. Hopefully Dowling is the real deal though and they would have 3 very good corners. But pass rush is still a major need.

McCourty played pretty well in a bad pass rushing defense last season. We've signed Marcus Stroud to help the line, Ty Warren is returning and Leigh Bodden is returning. I'm of the opinion that our defense is better already especially with the signing of a big, physical thumping cornerback/safety.

The only query I have is the injuries but I'm happy with what the Patriots are doing right now.

 

[italia44]

Interesting that Buffalo went for CB,too(Williams) right after the pats.......kind of validates the pick,doesn't it?.......I bet the pats are going to give up a 3 or 4 to come into the 2nd rd again.

I'm starting to understand BB a little.....OT and CB trump just about everything but QB's.

 

[Isaac]

Love the Ras-I!! Hearing about him during the combine coverage made me think that he is one of those guys that is undervalued solely due to minor injuries, which to me is an ideal guy to take. We needed help for the pass defense, this is a big part of the puzzle. Probably a year away but that's okay.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

why didn't we trade?? 49ers seemed ready...

Maybe 9ers were only ready once Dalton got selected. Maybe they knew they had a partner in the Broncos if they needed it.

 

[MossWelkowski]

LOL i bet this is what the board looked like after mccourty last year

 

[Joker]

there goes Sheard...

 

[JackBauer]

Yeah, I do. Meriweather is going to be after money and I think that Dowling is a better fit given the coverage complexities. He potentially can fit in on the outside as well as I think he's strong enough to be a good x defender. Best fit in my opinion is at safety though.

'tis a shame. I had such high hopes for Meriweather when he came out

 

[TealSox]

Dowling... surprise, surprise.

I like it, but these picks all seem too early.

 

[Patspsycho]

Reiss is going to be confounded now. Sheard was his binkie.

 

[patchick]

...there's my buzzkill. Ah well.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

There goes Sheard, anther year with Banta Cain missing tackles, why do I even bother?

 

[Rob0729]

Yeah, I do. Meriweather is going to be after money and I think that Dowling is a better fit given the coverage complexities. He potentially can fit in on the outside as well as I think he's strong enough to be a good x defender. Best fit in my opinion is at safety though.

I agree. I think this is a Meriweather replacement pick. I agree that Meriweather is going to try to parlay his two Pro Bowl selections into big cash. He has been a bit of headache in the past year too.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Okay now ... emergency rooms in New England will go on overload if Bill selects Kyle rudolph.