A tale of a draft SQUANDERED....

[DaBruinz]

No it says late third round.

Let me quote the line for you:

"Projected Round: 3-4 High: Late 2 Low: Mid-late 4 "

That is what it says. Even the projected round says 3-4. And the low was Late 4th. My membership is still active so I know what I am quoting.

You're wrong. Admit it already and move on.

 

[DaBruinz]

Mister know it all strikes again.

You can be smarmy all you want. The reality is that you are wrong about the type of runner that Ridley is.

I quote you their 3 Cone, Shuttle, broad jump and verticals earlier, showing you how Ridley was BETTER than BJGE in those categories. And in the 3cone and shuttle by a significant margin.

Instead of getting upset about it, how about you just deal with the facts. Or can't you be bothered?

 

[DaBruinz]

How do you know Hoyer is better than Mallett? Mallett was the #1 QB on the Patriots board.

Because Hoyer has 2 years in the system while Mallett has none. Hoyer will be the #2 and Mallett the #3.. 2012 may be a completely different story.

 

[condon84]

Some people are fine with the draft this year as well..

Some people here would have been fine had BB drafted 7 QBs.

 

[Patjew]

What a depressing thread. Pass me the razor blades and Bread album please, my warm bath is ready.

Maybe I'd feel better if I tell a great story about how I've been following Solder for 7 years.

Or instead I might wait until FA and the actual season before I start criticizing the team.

 

[DaBruinz]

The waste is you even coming here ...

it's a waste that you don't know how to use your brain when talking football.


epic fail ... your usual.

The draft is 1/3 of the player process ... 1/3 and the most risky of all.

While I disagree with PFK's assessment of the draft, I have to disagree with the rest of your comments. PFK offers up some of the best, well thought posts on this board. Saying otherwise just reflects poorly on you.

 

[Patjew]

Some people here would have been fine had BB drafted 7 QBs.

Well that's a shocker.

 

[ATippett56]

Sorry but he is right. Low: Mid-Late 4th.

I could care less about the low projection. I look at the average projection which was low third round/high fourth round. There is a big difference where Vollmer was drafted to his average draft projection and where Ridley was drafted to his average draft projection. I don't mind Ridley (since I watched a number of SEC football games) but the better value would be if Ridley was selected in the fifth round since the New England Patriots traded their third and fourth round picks to the Oakland Raiders.

 

[eom]

Or instead I might wait until FA and the actual season before I start criticizing the team.

some people are just lazy

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

You can be smarmy all you want. The reality is that you are wrong about the type of runner that Ridley is.

I quote you their 3 Cone, Shuttle, broad jump and verticals earlier, showing you how Ridley was BETTER than BJGE in those categories. And in the 3cone and shuttle by a significant margin.

Instead of getting upset about it, how about you just deal with the facts. Or can't you be bothered?

Don't let the critics bashing the new RBs to get to you

When Ridley becomes part of a dynamic running game in Foxboro in 2011 then some people in here will finally shut the hell up

When Ridley puts down 500 yards of hard nosed running in 2011 then the critics in here will beg Belichick for forgiveness.

This is going to be the most exciting ground games since Dillon wore his cleats on the Foxboro field....bank on it.

 

[Ring 6]

It's a shame more people can't be objective and have to love everything Belichick does.

This team's biggest problem has been its inability to get off the field on 3rd downs. That correlates directly with the pass rush. There is no edge presence on this team at all. If you want to rely on scheme to pass rush, that's fine but I don't see Belichick turning his defense into a high blitzing Dom Capers/**** LeBeau/Rex Ryan type of defense.

If you're not going to do that, you need to get impact pass rushers who can collapse the pocket as part of a 4 man rush. The Pats have 0.0 of those guys. Banta-Cain, Cunningham, Ninkovich, Moore -- none are elite or even great. Cunningham has some potential, but is seen as more of a solid/steady Colvin-type that doesn't have gamebreaking ability.

Look at the final 4 teams this past year. They could all rush the passer extremely well. The Jets had Pace, Ellis, an aging Jason Taylor and a pretty aggressive scheme. The Steelers have an aggressive scheme as well as Woodley and Harrison. The Packers have Clay Matthews, an aggressive scheme, and some difference makers on the DL like Jenkins and Raji. The Bears have a passive scheme, but shelled out the cash for one of the best pass rushers in the game -- Peppers.

Even look at the Colts who have Freeney and Mathis, the Chargers when they had a healthy Merriman and Phillips, the Giants when they beat us with Strahan, Tuck, Osi, etc.

The Pats edge presence is laughable in comparison to that. They don't have anyone that instills fear in the opponent's protection scheme. And that's a major problem and a major reason why they allowed nearly 50% of third down attempts to be converted into first downs.

Did you know:

In the second half of last season:

The Patriots were tied for 2nd in the NFL in sacks (1 out of first)
Allowed only a 57.4% completion percentage, 9th best in the league
Led the league in Ints
Allowed the 3rd fewest points at less than 16 per game.
Held half of their opponents to 7 points or less. Think about that 7 points or less in half of the games.
And were 8-0
Beat 5 playoff teams in those 8 wins
While allowing a 46% 3rd down conversion rate.

These numbers suggest something different than what you are saying.
They developed into a good pass rushing team. (Good by comparison to the league, not some opinion)
Pass defense was good
Overall defense was very good
3rd down conversion stats werent so good, even with the 2nd most sacks but the defense still dominated.

Maybe using terms like laughable to describe a defense that opened the season with a slew of new starters and young players and developed into the one that accomplished what you see above when it gelled.
Is there room for improvement, sure. Is there a reason to describe the defense of this team as if we were the Panthers? Of course not, and it cheapens whatever point you are trying to make.

 

[eom]

I want to hear more about who mike mayock drafted.

 

[ausbacker]

Some people here would have been fine had BB drafted 7 QBs.

I would have preferred 6QBs and 1 TE but that's just nitpicking.

 

[DaBruinz]

There were 4 QBs taken in the top 12, how is that a bad QB class, and BB felt Mallett was the best QB in the draft.
If you seriously think it is negligent to have a backup who could be beaten out by the best QB in the draft, you should go back to the analysis drawing board.

Andy-
Just because there were 4 QBs taken in the top 12 doesn't mean it was a good QB class. One only has to look back at 1999 when 5 QBs were taken in the top 12 (Couch, Akili Smith, Culpepper, McNabb, and Cade McNown) to know that the number doesn't mean anything.

This was not considered a very strong class. I honestly felt that only Mallett, Stanzi, and possibly Dalton and McElroy had legit shots. The others just looked bad.

Cam Newton looks like JaMarcus Russell or Vince Young 2.0. I don't see him succeeding. Same with Ponder, Kaepernick, Locker, or Gabbert. But that is just my opinion.

Also, going into the Senior Bowl, the quality of this QB class was questioned. Yet, 3 months later, there are 4 QB picks in the top 12. I'll be honest. I think it has something to do with the labor uncertainty.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

As long time members know here about me is that I am one of the most pessimistic SOBs you will ever see in a Pats fan, but as far as this draft is concerned I was proud to see that Belichick loves his most prized player so much that he has certainly put all the parts around him to protect him from defensive pass rushers pounding him to the ground with some new blood on the OL,and with an apparent new unpredictable offense started by a new and certainly young ground game that has me excited as I love time killing drives.

This draft focused less on defense and more on keeping our QB around and healthy for a long time,not to mention some good insurance in Mallett should Tom be injured for any period of time.

Defense will come in the FA period,Belichick probably knows there will be much more talent in the FA pool on defense than on offense and that's why I think he focused on Brady as his biggest concern and took appropriate measures with those picks and worry about defense later.

 

[Ring 6]

Andy-
Just because there were 4 QBs taken in the top 12 doesn't mean it was a good QB class. One only has to look back at 1999 when 5 QBs were taken in the top 12 (Couch, Akili Smith, Culpepper, McNabb, and Cade McNown) to know that the number doesn't mean anything.

This was not considered a very strong class. I honestly felt that only Mallett, Stanzi, and possibly Dalton and McElroy had legit shots. The others just looked bad.

Cam Newton looks like JaMarcus Russell or Vince Young 2.0. I don't see him succeeding. Same with Ponder, Kaepernick, Locker, or Gabbert. But that is just my opinion.

Also, going into the Senior Bowl, the quality of this QB class was questioned. Yet, 3 months later, there are 4 QB picks in the top 12. I'll be honest. I think it has something to do with the labor uncertainty.

You can trash them all you want, but the fact is that 4 teams felt there were QBs in this draft good enough to use thier top 12 picks on.
How else do you rate the strength of the QBs in the draft other than where they are picked?
With your logic, I can argue anything by saying even though the guy was drafted high, he sucks because I don't see him succeeding, then sprinkle in names of failures that arent even similar players to totally invalidate my point.
How labor uncertainty could affect that must be a secret only you know, but its a nice twist on this fairy tale of a post

 

[IllegalContact]

If I had to guess, Meriweather is gone after this year. 2 Pro Bowls? This guy is going to get a big paycheck from someone. Is he worth $6-7 million a year?

no, but it will likely result in a 3rd round compensatory pick....... and you know how this team like to collect future draft picks.......

 

[Ring 6]

As long time members know here about me is that I am one of the most pessimistic SOBs you will ever see in a Pats fan, but as far as this draft is concerned I was proud to see that Belichick loves his most prized player so much that he has certainly put all the parts around him to protect him from defensive pass rushers pounding him to the ground with some new blood on the OL,and with an apparent new unpredictable offense started by a new and certainly young ground game that has me excited as I love time killing drives.

This draft focused less on defense and more on keeping our QB around and healthy for a long time,not to mention some good insurance in Mallett should Tom be injured for any period of time.

Defense will come in the FA period,Belichick probably knows there will be much more talent in the FA pool on defense than on offense and that's why I think he focused on Brady as his biggest concern and took appropriate measures with those picks and worry about defense later.

I think we have to recognize a few things.
-We went into the draft with a uniquely young defense and a veteran offense. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to conclude filling the offensive needs in the draft and defensive in FA would make sense.

From the 14-2 team we had last year, we have the following subtractiins.

QB None
RB Lost Taylor, Morris and probably Faulk plus BJGE is an RFA who could be lost
WR None
TE None
T Lost Light
C/G Lost Neal but have a replacement who started most of last season

DE ADDED Warren
NT None
OLB None
ILB None
CB ADDED BODDEN
S None

I dont know why we are surpised that 3 of the first 4 picks went to those areas.

 

[DaBruinz]

I could care less about the low projection. I look at the average projection which was low third round/high fourth round. There is a big difference where Vollmer was drafted to his average draft projection and where Ridley was drafted to his average draft projection. I don't mind Ridley (since I watched a number of SEC football games) but the better value would be if Ridley was selected in the fifth round since the New England Patriots traded their third and fourth round picks to the Oakland Raiders.

So, you change your tune after being proven wrong.

Tour original claim was that Vollmer was a 3rd round pick at worst. Now you've changed your story to say High Fourth at worst. Let me explain something about that site. They give you their HIGH and their LOW as they've had him graded. Fixating on just the final grade is silly and defeats what your point.

The Pats clearly had a 3rd round value on Ridley, at the very worst. Heck, they may have even had a 2nd round value on him so, in their eyes, getting him in the 3rd was a steal. Would he have been a better value in the 5th round.. Sure. Especially if the Pats had a 2nd or 3rd round value on him.

The trap you've fallen into is assuming that the grades on the site we have access to have anything to do with the Pats grading system. They don't. So, to make the comparison like you are is just setting yourself up for a headache.

As for the Pats trading their 3rd and 4th round picks for a 2002 next year, this is the Raiders we're talking about. They are destined to fall back to earth.

 

[eom]

that' be pretty sweet if we could nab 3 of the top 40 next year........