Assessment of the '09 draft...

[DarrylS]

Our new Pats reporter.. Robert Lee, has appeared pretty vanilla so far after following on the heals of Tom E. Curran and Shalize Manza Young.. but today he gives a pretty good persective on last years draft..

Did not realize that Chung was that involved.. more interesting is that 9 of the 12 contributed.. and of the other three two on injured reserve, and 1 was on the practice squad.. it is always too early to tell, but interesting article nonetheless..

From the start, Pats rookies made impact | New England Patriots | projo.com | The Providence Journal

Of the 12 players that New England drafted last season, nine of them contributed as a member of the active roster, while defensive tackle Darryl Richard helped the team as a member of the practice squad for the entire season.

Only two players that New England drafted last season, linebacker Tyronne McKenzie (torn ACL) and offensive lineman George Bussey (knee), were not able to contribute. They were placed on injured reserve before the start of the regular season.

That number of rookies who contributed in meaningful ways last season is impressive considering that in 2007 the Patriots had only five rookies on the team at the end of the season, and only Brandon Meriweather saw serious playing time.

 

[Fencer]

IIRC, 2 sacks and 1 interception is three more big plays that Lawyer Milloy made his last season with the Pats.

--------------------------------

Anyhow, he's basically saying that second-year players who project as starters this season are:

Vollmer
Edelman (until Welker returns)
Pryor (unless they upgrade the position)
Butler (he didn't actually say that in Butler's case, but it's implicit)
Chung (maybe)

Four of those guys plus Brace had starts last season.

 

[Fencer]

Hmm. His offensive line analysis is pretty suspect:

Patriots’ offensive line hopes to build upon last season’s success | New England Patriots | projo.com | The Providence Journal

He rates them pretty solely on sack numbers.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Hmm. His offensive line analysis is pretty suspect:

Patriots’ offensive line hopes to build upon last season’s success | New England Patriots | projo.com | The Providence Journal

He rates them pretty solely on sack numbers.

He wrote
>>>
In 2008, the Patriots gave up 48 sacks, the team’s highest total since 2000.<<<<
>>>
Which was mostly due to having Cassel as QB starting for the first time since high school which he failed to mention.....
a better analysis would have been 2007 versus 2009. In 2007, 21 sacks in 578 attempts and last year 18 sacks in 565 attempts, better than 07.

 

[bucky]

IIRC, 2 sacks and 1 interception is three more big plays that Lawyer Milloy made his last season with the Pats.

Or more importantly, it's 3 more big plays than 2009 starter James Sanders. If Chung is not starting in 2010, it would be a major disappointment.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

He wrote
>>>
In 2008, the Patriots gave up 48 sacks, the team’s highest total since 2000.<<<<
>>>
Which was mostly due to having Cassel as QB starting for the first time since high school which he failed to mention.....
a better analysis would have been 2007 versus 2009. In 2007, 21 sacks in 578 attempts and last year 18 sacks in 565 attempts, better than 07.

Like Bill says, sacks are over rated. The 2007 OL gave up a few plus a good deal of pressures in the last game of that season... That trend continued in 2008 when Neal was out early on. I'm sure it was exacerbated by essentially a rookie QB, but there is more to the story than that or probably even Neal.

Bill was more critical than usual about the OL including how we needed better run blocking and more consistency last season. He drafted a couple of developmental OLmen including a potential starting tackle of the future. Kaczur is what he is. Neal is injury prone and admittedly on his personal back nine. Koppen is bright and a good technician, but he's undersized and getting worn down by increasingly bigger defensive fronts. Mankins is the only returning starter not on the wrong side of 30 and he's in his second contract mini holdout phase that could go either way. Light is in the last year of his contract and on the back nine career wise. With Brady due an extension to retirement the time is at hand for retooling the OL incrementally in anticipation of it being largely manned by a new crew of metaphors come 2011-12 capable of protecting the franchise and playing at a championship level through 2015 or so...

 

[satz]

Or more importantly, it's 3 more big plays than 2009 starter James Sanders. If Chung is not starting in 2010, it would be a major disappointment.

??? we play more snaps with 3 safeties than 2 . so chung if he beats out mcgown will be the 3rd option

not sure about starting as sanders lets merriweather do his roaming and attacking play . if put chung in there to set the defensive backend you are asking for trouble. merriweather showed a few times including the NO game he had trouble in that area.so you want chung to be the defensive cb caption and handling players ?.

 

[Bertil]

Two words (well...names, actually) Floyd Reese!

I'm more confident in the draft day Front Office with him on board.

 

[mgteich]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

You might recall waht happened when our defensive leader and signal caller James Sanders didn't play last year. I would suggest reviewing what Meriweather says about him.

There is absolutely ZERO reason to believe that Chung will start at safety, unless you know about an injutry that we don't know about.

Believeing the Chung will start is a function of far hate for Sanders and/or a reasonable expectation that Chung was chosen at 34 and is therefore expected to start in his second year.

Or more importantly, it's 3 more big plays than 2009 starter James Sanders. If Chung is not starting in 2010, it would be a major disappointment.

 

[larryo]

Two words (well...names, actually) Floyd Reese!

I'm more confident in the draft day Front Office with him on board.

I'm with you on this one. Would be nice to hit a homerun in the second. Hopefully he'll be able to pull it off.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Two words (well...names, actually) Floyd Reese!

I'm more confident in the draft day Front Office with him on board.

I don't think Floyd has that much to do with player selection or evaluation. He was hired mainly to mentor and ease the transition of a young player personnel director in Nick Caserio by handling much of the contract negotiation paperwork end of the equation. Nick is in charge of the scouting staff and conducts or attends a lot of the workouts himself. He in fact was the one who decided last season that an undersized QB from Kent State had some serious potential as a WR and another from Michican State had the makings of a solid #2 backup for Brady... Floyd's been free to go ever since he signed on. Just hasn't had any takers to date.

 

[patsox23]

what do people have against James Sanders? He was the most stablizing force on the defensive secondary all year. They played better once he got put back in the starting lineup. Is this even up for debate?

 

[Nonentity]

There is absolutely ZERO reason to believe that Chung will start at safety, unless you know about an injutry that we don't know about.

Believeing the Chung will start is a function of far hate for Sanders and/or a reasonable expectation that Chung was chosen at 34 and is therefore expected to start in his second year.

It's not the worst thing ever to suggest though. I agree that there's no reason to expect Chung to start now, but by the end of training camp we may find that Chung is outperforming Sanders. And if he does, I want him to start.

 

[Nonentity]

what do people have against James Sanders? He was the most stablizing force on the defensive secondary all year. They played better once he got put back in the starting lineup. Is this even up for debate?

I think it's the high floor/low ceiling thing. You know what you're going to get with Sanders - solid but outclassed on some plays. It'd be nice to give Meriweather an improved partner.

 

[larryo]

I don't think Floyd has that much to do with player selection or evaluation. He was hired mainly to mentor and ease the transition of a young player personnel director in Nick Caserio by handling much of the contract negotiation paperwork end of the equation. Nick is in charge of the scouting staff and conducts or attends a lot of the workouts himself. He in fact was the one who decided last season that an undersized QB from Kent State had some serious potential as a WR and another from Michican State had the makings of a solid #2 backup for Brady... Floyd's been free to go ever since he signed on. Just hasn't had any takers to date.

I think you're selling the guy way short making it seem like he's a charity case. I know the media says he is there for helping with contract negotiation but I don't believe that he is there for just that. Floyyd Reese is a very well respected name in all NFL circles. With his 11 first round picks as the general manager of the Titans he chose 3 rookies of the year. I think he has more of an input than others do I guess.

This article about the pre draft party leads me to believe he's a little more involved than just contract negotiations.

Patriots Senior Adviser Floyd Reese Gives His Drafting Two Cents - Pats Pulpit

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

what do people have against James Sanders? He was the most stablizing force on the defensive secondary all year. They played better once he got put back in the starting lineup. Is this even up for debate?

Your being sarcastic right? Sanders wasn't as bad in '09 as in previous years but he's not a starting safety. He plays a lot better in limited time ('09) but if you ask him to be a starter, you start to see all his flaws. What most people have against Sanders is that he doesn't make plays and notoriously takes bad angles.

Or more importantly, it's 3 more big plays than 2009 starter James Sanders. If Chung is not starting in 2010, it would be a major disappointment.

If Chung can't beat out McGowan or Sanders, he's a bust.

 

[zoostation]

I think you're selling the guy way short making it seem like he's a charity case. I know the media says he is there for helping with contract negotiation but I don't believe that he is there for just that. Floyyd Reese is a very well respected name in all NFL circles. With his 11 first round picks as the general manager of the Titans he chose 3 rookies of the year. I think he has more of an input than others do I guess.

This article about the pre draft party leads me to believe he's a little more involved than just contract negotiations.

Patriots Senior Adviser Floyd Reese Gives His Drafting Two Cents - Pats Pulpit

I agree.

Bill Belichick has an immense amount of respect for Floyd as their football relationship goes back over 40 years.

 

[patriotscpfc]

Your being sarcastic right? Sanders wasn't as bad in '09 as in previous years but he's not a starting safety. He plays a lot better in limited time ('09) but if you ask him to be a starter, you start to see all his flaws. What most people have against Sanders is that he doesn't make plays and notoriously takes bad angles.

If Chung can't beat out McGowan or Sanders, he's a bust.

This must be the same McGowan that people were touting for all-pro honours last year.

Sanders is a number 2 Safety.

Is he Ed Reed? No.

Look around the League, there are not that many Free Safeties as good as him. I'd say he's in the top half at the minimum.

His tackling is excellent. He may not be a playmaker, but i'd rather have someone who wont get caught on playaction passes in key games and will actually make the tackle.

 

[zoostation]

If Chung can't beat out McGowan or Sanders, he's a bust.

correct me if I'm wrong... but isn't next year only his second in the league?

I'm sure you're also with the Brandon Tate is a bust crowd.

I, for one...am going to give them both at least another year before I plant any labels.

 

[jmt57]

I agree.

Bill Belichick has an immense amount of respect for Floyd as their football relationship goes back over 40 years.

As I recall it was Floyd Reese (and Ernie Sims) who recommended Belichick to Ray Perkins, who hired him as one of the coaches with the New York Giants. Reese and Belichick were relatively unknown low-level assistant coches with the Lions in the late '70s. Perkins wanted to hire Reese but he had already accepted a position with Minnesota, and recommended Belichick to Perkins. Getting that job with the Giants was obviously a big stepping stone in Belichick's career.

Though Perkins may have had a mediocre coaching career, he did hire a few familiar names: Bill Belichick, Bill Parcells, and Romeo Crennel.