The draft wasn't bizarre at all. All seven of our first seven picks were highly graded by Gosselin (the draft guru I respect after Belichick). All seven fit needs that we discussed here ad nauseum before the draft, including special team help.
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Our second round players had Gosselin ratings that ranged from #28 to #76. The only one that was a bit of a reach was Vollmer at 58 (76 on the value board). But tackles are often drafted a bit earlier than their overall talent. Butler was a first rounder on Gosselin's value board.
Our third and fourth round players were a question mark (Tate), a bargain (Ohrenberger the #80 player at 123) and one right on at his value (McKenzie). Tate was not in Gosselin's top 100, persumably because of his injury and off the field issues.
We got the normal assortment of long-shot five late rounders. Ingam seems to fit a need, competition for our only full-time long snapper. He was the best available in the draft at his position.
After the draft, we added Hoyer and Appleby who we easily could have drafted in the 6th or 7th rounds. They seem to have a better chance at the 53-man roster than anyone after the fourth except for Ingram.
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MY SURPRISES
1) There were so few surprises. Once one understood that Belichick was happy with our linebacker situation, the draft made a lot of sense in all its picks.
2) Tate doesn't seem to be a patriot-type pick.
3) No matter how many times we tried to understand, it was still a surprise that we drafted only one linebacker, a 3rd round developmental ILB (we think).
4) I expected a DE rather than a NT, but was happy to get DL depth.
I think you summarize my thinking about this draft, pretty well. Except that you keep making the assumption that BB will let Richard Seymour walk. And that is why you wanted a DE,despite having Jarvis Green, Matt Wright and LeKevin Smith as DE reserves.
In my eye, "Foundation linemen" are never let go. These guys are future HOF players who may not even get all the celebrity on a defensive line, but they are key to its success. They make everyone else, as well as themselves better. Bob Liily, Alan Page, Merlin Olsen, Dan Hampton and Richard Seymour are all "Foundation Linemen". What is more Belichick feels the same way. He payed Seymour "Haynesworth money", four years ago, and will do so readily once again.
I also think that this was a Lineman, draft. After all most teams have 7 selections; the Pats drafted 6 linemen and actually 7, if you consider the ST Center and LS Ingram is a "lineman".
I also think this was the culmination draft of Belichick's rebuilding of his Defense. His Defensive line is now complete 1 through 7. His CB position is 6 deep before you get to the scrubs. His Safety position is five deep before you get to the Spann and Ventrose types.
Even the LBs corps, with only a single ILB drafted is "complete" if you grant that BB was not blowing smoke when he said he liked his own transitioning OLB candidates better than the slower, smaller draft possibilities. At ILB it is clear that Mayo, Guyton have shown abilities on the Field last season. its easier as rook there. McKenzie is the designated replacement when Tedy retires. Even Appleby may be the two-down thumper specialist, also.
At OLB it takes 2 or 3 years to develop one. You can't afford to pay a top pick big dollars while the candidate spends his entire contract learning and playing only in spots. Either you have to start with low price, but talented candidates, and groom; or buy fully developed veterans.
BB has done the second alternative, with Colvin and AD. Now he is embarked on the first course. It appears that he is succeeding, but we haven't seen it on the field, yet, although the most advanced Woods, did inherit/earn a starting position and pushed the old incumbant to the other OLB position and then off the team.
In Woods 6-5 250, Crabel 6-5 245, Redd 6-6 255, Craig 6-5 245, he has OLB trainees with ideal measurements. AD Thomas and TBC are both veterans that have been proven to fit the Pats OLB qualifications, at different talent levels, even if not ideally sized for the position. That makes 6 OLBs and 3 /4 ILBs on a roster usually alowing 9 or 10 LBs. And not a single one is a ST only player as it use to be with Izzo, Alexander and others. That is not to say that Woods, and TBC and maybe others are not fine ST players, but they are mainly Defense players as well.
I like this big, young, fast, mean Defense. Especially when it produced a TopTen/Top Eight Defense when it was even more raw, and inured last season.
