FredFromDartmouth
In the Starting Line-Up
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2009
- Messages
- 3,343
- Reaction score
- 1,656
Registered Members experience this forum ad and noise-free.
CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.The more I think about this question, the more interesting it becomes. The key is the phrasing -- putting aside the hypotheticals about what they MIGHT have been able to do trading down, and just naming a player.
Three things in evidence at the time of pick #48:
- The Pats really needed a young safety with leadership potential
- This was a weak draft for safeties with leadership potential
- The Pats only had one more pick remaining in the whole draft, at #62
So let say the Pats picked LaVonte David or Kendall Reyes or another non-safety of your choice at #48. At #62, can you still afford to trade down? Chance are there are only 1 or 2 safety prospects left you have any confidence in at all. They could go any moment (e.g. Brandon Taylor at #73). I think you have to take your top remaining safety NOW. So then your draft is done, with four players selected.
The non-safety player at #48 would thus have to be worth more than:
Jake Bequette
+Nate Ebner
+Alfonzo Dennard
+Jeremy Ebert
+the chance of having to take a safety they rated lower
Three things in evidence at the time of pick #48:
- The Pats really needed a young safety with leadership potential
- This was a weak draft for safeties with leadership potential
- The Pats only had one more pick remaining in the whole draft, at #62
The more I think about this question, the more interesting it becomes. The key is the phrasing -- putting aside the hypotheticals about what they MIGHT have been able to do trading down, and just naming a player.
Three things in evidence at the time of pick #48:
- The Pats really needed a young safety with leadership potential
- This was a weak draft for safeties with leadership potential
- The Pats only had one more pick remaining in the whole draft, at #62
So let say the Pats picked LaVonte David or Kendall Reyes or another non-safety of your choice at #48. At #62, can you still afford to trade down? Chance are there are only 1 or 2 safety prospects left you have any confidence in at all. They could go any moment (e.g. Brandon Taylor at #73). I think you have to take your top remaining safety NOW. So then your draft is done, with four players selected.
The non-safety player at #48 would thus have to be worth more than:
Jake Bequette
+Nate Ebner
+Alfonzo Dennard
+Jeremy Ebert
+the chance of having to take a safety they rated lower
I was thinking that Peter Konz would have been solid choice. Dominant centers are hard to find and he could also play guard. I guess Koppen must be doing well...
I still can't believe how badly Bill effed-up that 2nd round.
New England Patriots: GRADE: B+
You have to give the Patriots credit for acquiring even more picks for next year's draft. Safety Patrick Chung, defensive tackle Ron Brace and cornerback Darius Butler were all good selections in the second round, although offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer was a reach. Wide receiver Brandon Tate was a decent third-round pick and I really like the sixth-round selection of Jacob Ingram, the best long snapper in the draft.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: A-
I loved/hated New England's draft. Not just because of the players, either - they got some good ones, as they do every year. I just can't help but be impressed with/irate at the way this team can move up and down the draft board at will, collecting future picks along the way. There are two reasons this team is competitive every year: Tom Brady (or, in last year's scenario, a weak schedule) and their steadfast approach to finding cheap, talented players in the draft, having them for a few years, and then trading them for more picks (see: Hobbs, Ellis). Stupid Patriots.
Best pick: CB Darius Butler, Connecticut
I thought he was the best corner in the draft. Naturally, I was happy when the Dolphins passed on him at 25, and pulling my hair out when the Pats took him with their third pick at No. 41. The Pats signed Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden during free agency and have a promising talent in Terrence Wheatley, but Butler is their best cornerback - right now.
Worst pick: OT Sebastian Vollmer, Houston
This pick was weird. I thought New England's offensive line was terrible last season, particularly at tackle. So naturally, it didn't surprise me to see the Pats take a tackle - it just surprised me which player they chose. Clearly, the Pats had Vollmer rated higher than UConn product William Beatty (who went two picks later to the Giants), but I don't see how Vollmer helps them this year. Tom Brady better be ready to throw the ball quickly... and, yeah, I'm gonna stop giving advice to Tom Brady now.
Sleeper pick: LB Tyrone McKenzie, South Florida
I was a big fan of McKenzie's entering draft weekend - he's an outstanding athlete with a good deal of potential. He'll work on the inside in New England - and the fact that he doesn't need to play right away is scary. Down the line, McKenzie could team with 2008 first-round pick Jerod Mayo to give the Pats one of the more devastating 3-4 ILB combos in the NFL. Sigh...
I honestly like the players that we drafted but I really feel some of them definitely would have gone undrafted. No one values special teams like us and I definitely see its worth but I honestly feel like no one would have scooped up ebner since he barely played, kinda like last years malcolm williams and no one seems interested in finding underrated slot receivers in ebert like us either. Welker too was undrafted and that alone makes you not count out ebert's chances but we probably could have scooped him up just like we did danny farnam last year. Dennard was a surprise to still be there and him alone eases the passing on lavonte david for me. Since i watched alot of nebraska football i know him fairly well and i feel that he is the clone of kyle arrington and will definitely make this team. Lastly, Jake Bequette might turn out great but in my gut, I don't see him playing because i still feel that cunningham is better.
taken Johnson at 62
Trumaine Johnson
Trumaine Johnson
Trumaine Johnson
I'm a little surprised at this name being the most mentioned in the thread. My guess is Johnson was never even in the mix -- many, many reports of major attitude problems, a "diva" who "needs to be managed carefully." Athletic skills aside, that's just not what the Patriots' secondary needed.
I can definitely understand feeling that a player at a different position was special enough to take the risk on at #48. But if it's just a matter of WHICH safety to take there, the more I look the less I like on most of them.
I think the Pats took a very long hard look at Trumaine Johnson and decided to pass. They had Johnson in for a visit, and clearly had a chance to evaluate him. Whether because of his small school background, off-field incidents, rumored diva attitude and selfishness, or lack of actual experience at FS, they clearly preferred Tavon Wilson.
I'm sure they did their homework. I also think safety is a position where teams across the league are weighing intangibles heavily. There seemed to be a pattern this year of the guys considered to be good leaders (Barron, Wilson, Taylor, Hardin) going on the early side, and the personality question marks (Johnson, Iloka) going later than projected.