What draft grade would you give the Patriots so far?

[MAYOnnaise]

It's funny..I always considered myself a Patriot fan through and through. But lately I feel it's more like I am a Pat's fan despite BB. Now that may sound extreme, but over the years I have just grown tired of his antics. He Comes across as very egotistical, and I firmly believe it has a negative effect on the organization. His win/loss record is hard to deny however.

How is BB egotistical? People say that all the time but never back it up.

 

[jukes]

BB with an ego? What do you make of the harbaughs then?

 

[Jimke]

Duron Harmon turned a B into a D for dumb. Bill has to get his son, Steve, out of the draft room.

 

[DarrylS]

I think you should grade this draft in January of 2014... right now incomplete.

 

[UK_Pat37]

i dont care what anyone else thinks, this is the all time worst BB draft ever

Great analysis. Your clueless.

We got the cover LB I wanted, the 'go up and get it', deep threat WR, and we increased our depth in the secondary (which is all we needed to do in that area). The only thing I feels we need now is interior O line depth, and a DT who can rotate in and generate some interior pressure.

Drafts are graded on whether or not they've filled their needs (and the Pats didnt have any true holes other then WR)...not on whether they draft players you've heard of. These guys are paid to do what they do and delve deeper than your able to. They also actually know what they're doing.

Nice to know you've graded a draft class before its even played a down though. I'm sure yu were a Tavon Wilson basher too.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

Who knows how these players will work out but I really like the positional focus of these choices. All are areas of need.

 

[moosekill]

I hate whiney *****es.

 

[Nunchucks]

I love this draft. Patriots got a pass rushing olb that can put his hand on the ground and play in space with much athleticism. Then they got a prototypical x receiver with size, speed, and the ability to go get the ball over defenders. That is fantastic stuff right there..then a cb who can push cole and dowling off the roster.

What else do I need to see?

 

[WhiZa]

I love the Collins pick. I think he will be a good NFL player.

I'm not a fan of Dobson. Seems like too much of a project and we need production today. It was almost like the Pats wanted to pick best player available, but WR is such a needy position they just took best WR available, but for me it was too little too late.

Ryan seems OK. I'll never regret drafting CBs since they are just about as hard to find as good QBs.

Harmon was a reach and it was almost like Steve Belichick told daddy that he should take him because he partied with him in college.

 

[patsinthesnow]

I guarentee if someone posted this mock in the forum before the draft, there would not be 54 Bs.

1. First pick is a project freak athlete OLB from a small school that has a questionable motor.

2. Second pick is a tier 2 WR from a small school that had small production. Just like Tate/Price, a high ceiling prospect with a 3rd-4th round grade.

3. Third pick is a classic depth CB.

4. Fourth pick is thrown away rubbish.


How can you objectively look at that and say "B"? I'm going C for now.

 

[Sparetire]

I love the Collins pick. I think he will be a good NFL player.

I'm not a fan of Dobson. Seems like too much of a project and we need production today. It was almost like the Pats wanted to pick best player available, but WR is such a needy position they just took best WR available, but for me it was too little too late.

Ryan seems OK. I'll never regret drafting CBs since they are just about as hard to find as good QBs.

Harmon was a reach and it was almost like Steve Belichick told daddy that he should take him because he partied with him in college.

Are you the guy with the Rodney Harrison - 15 years = pat chung signature? cause last time it didnt work out so well.

 

[FCB02062]

So the pats drafted....shawn crable, a taylor price/brandon tate hybrid, darius butler/brock williams combo, and some guy, who if not for belichick trying to prove he and his staff are the smartest guys in the room, would be an udfa at best.....a weak C but only because bb won super bowls 9, 10, and 12 years ago.....

 

[fair catch fryar]

I wouldn't even know how to grade this draft. BB was going to the grocery store with a pocket of change and food stamps going into the draft when other teams had a wad of cash. All in all, I think he did pretty well with what he had. As far as the talent goes, well...personally, I don't believe BB is any more talented than the average NFL evaluator because he has a slew of great picks, average picks, and busts like anyone else, but what I do believe that makes BB smarter than most is his ability to see unique talents and pick the "diamonds in the rough" and how he is able to coach them up and get the most out of them to perform in his system. What the hell do I know?

My only concern about this draft is the fact that the window for the greatness that is Tom Brady is getting smaller and I am hoping that the players he brings in this year and the next will have a much smaller learning-curve and be able to step in immediately because that is what we need. I know everyone feels that WR/outside threat is the biggest need, but IF healthy, the O can beat anyone, it's the D that I've been wanting to see turn into a legit top 10 unit since the likes of Rodney and Tedy left. The fact that 3 of the top 4 picks were on D makes me feel good about it regardless of how I feel about those players personally.

The bargain-shopping of the draft begins today and that is where BB's best work has happened, who knows maybe this is the year where they pick lightning in a bottle again(2000) or even hitting on a Dennard type talent in the seventh would be good too.

 

[fair catch fryar]

It's funny..I always considered myself a Patriot fan through and through. But lately I feel it's more like I am a Pat's fan despite BB. Now that may sound extreme, but over the years I have just grown tired of his antics. He Comes across as very egotistical, and I firmly believe it has a negative effect on the organization. His win/loss record is hard to deny however.

Do you know what "contradict" means?

 

[Patsrock]

I give an A+. Because no one has any idea what these players will become.

 

[Ring 6]

Count me as extremely disappointed.

I'll give BB benefit of the doubt on Collins and Logan Ryan. Dobson is the tall receiver -- the X-- that everyone is clamoring for.

But with their own 3rd round pick at 91 (the pick that was offered to Pittsburgh for Sanders) -- that was a wasted pick. If BB loved Harmon, he could have signed the kid as an undrafted rookie free agent, and the kid who NO ONE knows, would have happily signed. But for BB to claim, Harmon represents good value at 91, is for him to be a bit disingenuous. NO TEAM was expected to draft "this gem" in the 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th rounds. Most experts had him as a "priority free agent". Kipper had him as his 42nd ranked Safety for Pete's sake. How can it be GOOD "VALUE" when the Patriots could have in all likelihood, had him as an uncontested free agent signing for a $25,000 signing bonus. He may have a 3.8 gpa but last I checked that does not make him a good football player. If he came in as an undrafted player, he would then represent good value if he earned a roster spot based on TC competition. As it is, if Harmon is good value, BB is admitting Tavon Wilson (another unknown, he positioned as a "value pick" last year) was a mistake after his rookie year.

I'm sorry. I believe BB is a great coach. I believe he is a good GM. But I am not buying into investing a valuable 3rd round on an unknown when a number of attractive WRs like Bailey, Patton, Rodgers or any number of highly productive DL and OL are available.

Draft picks are a scarce commodity. When you use them to grab a 1st or 2nd round highly rated, productive players who fall to you in the late third round, that is a VALUE PICK. Picking someone who likely would have been undrafted in round 3-- that on draft day called A REACH (politely).

The flaw in your approach is that you think you know how all other 31 teams viewed him.
Teams do not read Mel Kipers book and know who is available when like a fantasy draft. Many players are chosen earlier or later than the experts say.
They quality of the pick really has nothing to do with where someone who isn't drafting thinks they would be drafted.

 

[olschool]

The only thing to grade as an A, would be turning one pick into four, which for BB is expected.

Picking small school players occasionally works out, with probably the best being Dobson. But even he didn't play in a complex pro style offense, so I'm hoping he can cope with a 500 page playbook.

Why couldn't BB's son have gone to Alabama instead of Rutgers ? BB seems to establish these strange ties to coaches and schools (remember Fresno St.?),that don't seem to pay off that well.

 

[jimache]

How about an INCOMPLETE for now...none of them have even seen the field yet.

 

[JackBauer]

I think he's the best coach bar none in the NFL, but leaves much to be desired as a GM. I also truly believe he has to show people he's the smartest and that is why you get WTF picks like Tavon Wilson and Duron Harmon.

If you're going to do your usual ***** and moan routine, why don't you use, I don't know, players who were actually busts as your examples. And then tell us of all the great GMs out there who have a 100% success rate in the draft.

 

[Kontradiction]

Assigning a letter grade to the draft for them would be too harsh. Instead, I'll just say that they went 2-4 on day two. They shot 50%. Loved the selection of Dobson. Liked the selection of Ryan, though I was never a fan of using that early of a pick on a CB (but I can see why they did it). Indifferent on the selection of Collins since he needs to work on his pass rush technique and might have effort questions. Very low on the selection of Harmon, given where he was selected at. If Harmon was picked in, say, the 7th round, I wouldn't have minded it. The third is WAYYYYY too high. Today, I'm hoping they look at Patton. He'll be falling within their range and WR is still a need. Okafor is also available still.