The real fools today is not the F.O......

[Uncle Rico]

Well John Clayton puts the Past as the "Biggest Loser" in the draft ...

In that case, I'm feeling better about this year's draft already

 

[upstater1]

Well John Clayton puts the Past as the "Biggest Loser" in the draft for not getting a pass rusher. The Pats had the best offense in the NFL last year and the absolute worst third down defense. What helps your third down defese? A PASS RUSH!!

So, that doesn't make you look in the mirror and make you wonder where you went wrong? I mean, John Clayton agrees with you. What more proof do you need? Do you want God himself to tap you on the shoulder?

 

[scout]

In that case, I'm feeling better about this year's draft already

Are we seriously quoting John Clayton to make our point?

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

So, that doesn't make you look in the mirror and make you wonder where you went wrong? I mean, John Clayton agrees with you. What more proof do you need? Do you want God himself to tap you on the shoulder?

Mike Reiss has just said the same thing, look break it down anyway you want, BUT the Pats had the WORST third down defense last year (opponents covered 47% of the time) NFL players only scored at a higher rate on hookers. All of that is because the Pats can't rush the passer, How did Dirty Sanchez run around forever until he threw that prayer in the plyaoffs? No pash rush. How many times did the Pats sack him? How many times was Brady sacked? Face it: The Pats lost to a team that they had beaten by 40 points earlier in the year, because, their defense clogged the middle of the field and put pressure on Brady. And our defense did NOTHING with one of the worst offenses in football. The Pats are spoiled because their division has lousey teams with bad quarterbacks. Could you imagine if the Pats were in the NFC South, they woudl be a last place team! Unless you think this team can beat the Packers (who got better, Sherrod, Randall Cobb), the Falcons (Julio Jones, Akeem Dent), the Bucs (Clayborn, Bowers, Foster), granted they might be able to beat Cam Newton, but other than that 2-6 in that division.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

Great first post. Thanks to the OP.

Pretty much sums it up.. in the last two years have revamped TE, Punter, RB's, a Back up QB and CB's... continue to beef up the line.

It seems that too many youngsters on the D side could have some negative consequences, right now we have a bunch of maybe's and promising guys..

I totally agree..... the pendulum might have swung a little to far back. We need a year or two of "healthy" play from young guys on defense to really access what we have or not. Perhaps add a few more "vets" on D, but I'm sorta glad we really only attended to CB right now. You can never have to many of them and he might be able to make the transition over to FS and replace our soon-to-be departing, freelancer-in-chief back there.

I love the RB picks. Sure, we have BJGE (who I love) and Woody's fun to watch, but behind them, we had some real dinosaurs that were old and slow. He now have a potentially explosive guy in Vereen as a 3rd down back option. We also added a (non-sexy) high character 3 down back that can contribute immediately on ST.

If I'm not being nostalgic, at this point, I'm a little more comfortable having Vereen and Ridley in the stable then Morris, Taylor and Faulk. Good moves.

As for the Mallet pick....... Ummm, a top-20 talent prospect in the 3rd at the most important position on the field...... Yeah, I can live with that move.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

Mike Reiss has just said the same thing, look break it down anyway you want, BUT the Pats had the WORST third down defense last year (opponents covered 47% of the time) NFL players only scored at a higher rate on hookers. All of that is because the Pats can't rush the passer, How did Dirty Sanchez run around forever until he threw that prayer in the plyaoffs? No pash rush. How many times did the Pats sack him? How many times was Brady sacked? Face it: The Pats lost to a team that they had beaten by 40 points earlier in the year, because, their defense clogged the middle of the field and put pressure on Brady. And our defense did NOTHING with one of the worst offenses in football. The Pats are spoiled because their division has lousey teams with bad quarterbacks. Could you imagine if the Pats were in the NFC South, they woudl be a last place team! Unless you think this team can beat the Packers (who got better, Sherrod, Randall Cobb), the Falcons (Julio Jones, Akeem Dent), the Bucs (Clayborn, Bowers, Foster), granted they might be able to beat Cam Newton, but other than that 2-6 in that division.

Which could also not be a personnel issue as much as an injury and inexperience issue. You can't really address the injury thing so much, but you can surely address the inexperience thing........... and it ain't with adding younger guys.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Look,I wasn't a guy who liked the fact that we didn't take an OLB yet,but I am intelligent enough to respect and figure the reason why we didn't,was a FACT that Belichick had looked deep and long into the draft,and at this point did not see ONE OLB or DL that fit the type of mold he wants on this team.

The problem with most of you is you look at a guys college career and get hard-ons thinking of him in a Pats uniform because of what he has accomplished thus far.

Problem is no one in here has been deep in this teams system and has absolutely no fukin idea of what a prototype Patriot player really is.

No one in here knows crap of whether a player in college fits this team well or he doesn't,are you idiots enough to believe that your keyboard typing ass really knows anything about a good or bad fit here?....you are ten times more wrong than right and will always be wrong than right.

No one in here will ever know unless Kraft hires you as a BB consultant so just keep your insults to yourself when another in here makes an attempt to make a mock.

It's one thing being a fan and a stats geek or college study mongrel who has studied every player.......it's another being deep into the Pats F.O.

Everyone in here knows jack crap about the interiors of this system ....and everyone in here will always be that way,no one has a right to think their draft is better than another so either compliment another for at least a try at a mock or simply shut your pie hole.

 

[Observer]

It is a no brainer that the best pass defense is the best pass rush and I think everyone knows that. There are multiple (5 or 6) receivers that you have to cover but there is only one guy that does the passing. It makes complete sense to target the passer and disrupt the accuracy of the pass; it makes even more sense to knock him down and actually gain yardage on defense; and most importantly, it is pure intimidation. Hit him well a few times and you can throw him off his game - you have effectively neutralized the most important player on the team. It happens to any athlete in any sport; when the pain starts to kick in, instincts slow down, you get anxious and you are "off your game".

Clearly BB and the rest understand that this is important - hence they draft Solder with their very first pick. They see that the entire league wants a good pass rush and therefore they picked up an athletic freak to counter that. He was not the first OL to go - third, actually. If the patriots had picked a DL with that pick, they would have the 7th DL to go. I personally would have the third best OL than the 7 th best DL too so I was pretty happy with this pick. The guy is huge, thats a measurable you can't go wrong with.

For some reason they decided that this draft was not the place to improve the pass rush - probably because so many such picks were made prior to the pats that they decided that they would rather have a truly elite O-lineman than a somewhat better D-lineman. Why they didn't pursue any pass-rush help at all though is confounding. Clearly BB likes to have more picks than a higher pick and the argument for that is that the likelihood for success is improved when you choose two players rather than if you choose the one higher-ranked player. Staying with that philosophy would mean acquiring one or two prospects for addressing the pass rush to see if you hit; unless you thought you were set at that position - I highly doubt that. Maybe he will take a flyer on a couple of OLB/DE later in the draft...

My conclusion is that BB decided that he simply did not want to address the pass rush with this draft. Trends indicate that he likes to complete positions on the field rather than go for a scattering of good players. He has been on a quest to finish cornerback and Dowling may well complete it. He more or less completed tight-end last year. He has been trying to complete an O-line. He may have rapidly finished with the RB as well. We will have to wait to get our pass rush in free agency, or in some future draft.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I see the Mallett pick as an aftershock from the Aaron Rodgers success story

Maybe BB sees a little of Mallett as a Rodgers type QB and took the gamble to have him wait until Brady is done.

I do think the team will either trade or less likely cut Hoyer in the not too distant future,I really don't know if Hoyer is worth more than a 6th rounder but it may not happen until 2012 and if BB happens to think that's the time to unload him then expect to see a lot of Hoyer in 4th quarters this year when the Pats have the game well in hand ( at least we HOPE there will be games under that scenario )...BB will want to showcase his backup QB to get as much in trade as possible,that's why we go with 3 QBs this year for sure.

 

[NEGoldenAge]

Do we know everything that BB does, No we don't.But we do know that the Pats have gotten spanked in their last two playoff games.

We do know that they can't rush the QB to save their lives.

We do know that its been 10 years since the last SB.

We do know that a bar has been set and the Pats have under performed.

We do know that last years 14-2 record was nothing more than fools gold.

We do know that other teams have won the SB since 2004.

We do know that just because a player doesn't fit perfectly in the system does not mean that they can't play..aka Clay Mathews anyone?

Please stop and recognize that BB and the team has made some good picks and have really messed up others. Blind allegiance is a waste of time and not how the Patriots do things.

Since when is deferring to a proven expert the same as blind allegiance? You "know" a lot. People used to "know" that the planets and sun moved around the earth.

 

[DW Toys]

Hey, I did get Vereen correct....I do know some sh!t

I got Dowling as a Safety, of course later in the 2nd. Wiffed on all the rest. Considered Solder at first but changed. So I guess we are all blind squirrels.
DW Toys

 

[BradyAlright]

I was going crazy last night with the picks but after looking back this team is set for the near future! Why? Well we still have free agency coming up and I think the team will address the pass rush with perhaps Marcus Spears from Dallas or Mathias Kiwanuka from NY Giants or still get a Greg Romues in the draft.

Step away from the cliff!!!!!

 

[Sfpat]

We do know that last years 14-2 record was nothing more than fools gold.

I know lots of teams fans who would be ecstatic if their team went 14-2. Texan fans for one (and even Jet fans).

 

[JoeSixPat]

Fans have not come to term with the fact that this year, the draft is happening BEFORE free agency and WITHOUT the ability to conduct trades.

I underestimated how much fans would panic, most of whom seem to be forgetting that the other two pieces of the puzzle haven't even been played yet.

 

[Sfpat]

We do know that last years 14-2 record was nothing more than fools gold.

I know lots of teams fans who would be ecstatic if their team went 14-2. Texan fans for one (and even Jet fans).

To continue, 14-2 with a team in transition/rebuilding mode, an extremely young defense, excessive injuries to the DL and an extremely difficult schedule (we played and beat practically every playoff team) - Yes I would take that all the time. I don't think anyone dreamed prior to the start of the season, that last year would be so successful. Wake up.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I would be near certain of 3 things right now....

The Pats will be signing a good player,but not big name or flashy player at OLB as soon as FA opens for business.

The Pats are happy with the signing of Marcus Stroud and I think he will be more than a situational player like some here think
...I see him on the field most of every game this year and he may be in top physical form,not a beaten up old guy,I also think the team has seen Ty Warren and are expecting him a full recovery from his injury

Expect another Ojinnaka type OL to be signed and maybe use up a late draft pick next year on him

 

[Bigfatcat999]

I love drafts, they are my crack. I freebase the NHL draft. I'm 4 for 5 for picking ym NHL teams 1st rounders. Every GM has a pattern. A modus Operandi. It's like reading a comic book. Trying to read BB is like trying to read Ulysses or War and Peace.

 

[Ring 6]

Could you imagine if the Pats were in the NFC South, they woudl be a last place team! Unless you think this team can beat the Packers (who got better, Sherrod, Randall Cobb), the Falcons (Julio Jones, Akeem Dent), the Bucs (Clayborn, Bowers, Foster), granted they might be able to beat Cam Newton, but other than that 2-6 in that division.

You have convinced me without any question that you are the stupidest poster on this board.
You have done me a great favor with this post because I will never waste a minute reading another one of yours.
(Insert the famous Billy Madison line here)

 

[Ring 6]

Do we know everything that BB does, No we don't.But we do know that the Pats have gotten spanked in their last two playoff games.

So you are saying losing 2 playoff games is your evidence that you are a better talent evaluator than BB?

We do know that they can't rush the QB to save their lives.

Actually we were about average. Who would you have drafted yesterday that was going to solve that problem/

We do know that its been 10 years since the last SB.

We do? Guess you forgot about 2 SBs wins a 16-0 season and SB trip.

We do know that a bar has been set and the Pats have under performed.

Where above best team over the last decade is that bar?

We do know that last years 14-2 record was nothing more than fools gold.

What does that even mean?

We do know that other teams have won the SB since 2004.

Since your argument is you are right and BB is wrong, I guess you were responsible for a few of them?

We do know that just because a player doesn't fit perfectly in the system does not mean that they can't play..aka Clay Mathews anyone?

Many players can play OK in other system but not very well in ours, because the skills required, techniques used, and responsibilities differ. Sadly, you think that number of sacks is the sole criteria of a players ability. Matthews gets many of his sacks as an unblocked rusher due to scheme. Are you telling me he would get those in our system that is much more risk averse? Or are you just whining?

Please stop and recognize that BB and the team has made some good picks and have really messed up others. Blind allegiance is a waste of time and not how the Patriots do things.

I have seen zero instances of blind allegiance. I have seen numerous fans give the benefit of the doubt that the best in the business knows what he is doing.
I have seen zero reason to believe that when BB says X was the best pick, and you say no Y would have been better that you have a shred of the data, knowledge or football intelligence to be right. Eveyone drafting players is wrong often. You would be wrong a lot more often.

 

[Flounder]

You have convinced me without any question that you are the stupidest poster on this board.
You have done me a great favor with this post because I will never waste a minute reading another one of yours.
(Insert the famous Billy Madison line here)

Mr. Williams, what you just said is the most insanely idiotic thing I have ever heard. At no point in you incoherent rambling response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. We are all now dumber for having had listened to it. I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul!!

Sorry.. had to do it.