The Patriots' 2013 "extra draft picks"

[WhiZa]

I think it's finally time for the sig to go

Definitely. I'll change it after we sign Ed Reed in March.

 

[Hudson Pats Fan]

I want new stregnth and conditioning coaches. This team can't stay healthy.

Maybe they should pump the Patriots' injured players with whatever Suggs and Lewis got to comeback from normally season ending injuries so quickly!

 

[PatsFan2]

Does Ballard run a 4.4?

Ballard = SLOW!

 

[bigcountry75]

Ballard = SLOW!

Yes he is but Ballard gives you another blocking TE and decent receiving option as he can catch the ball so these 3 TE's next season would be nice.

 

[The_Riddler]

Gronk is the only one that matters.

Patriots need WRs, more than 1.

This is clearly the biggest need on this team right now.

 

[Gronkandez]

You forgot to include Ras-I Dowling! He is going to make the LEAP next year....then pull up with a nagging hip flexor that will put him in IR.

 

[zoostation]

Maybe they should pump the Patriots' injured players with whatever Suggs and Lewis got to comeback from normally season ending injuries so quickly!

Must have been extra strength Aderal

 

[Hudson Pats Fan]

Well, now we know that it was a couple cans of deer antler spray a day!

 

[NE_PATS_FAN_54]

TE Jake Ballard
RB Jeff Demps
LB Dane Fletcher
GRONK Rob Gronkowski

Not bad before the Pats even get to FA and the draft, especially if the Pats can get Julian Edelman resigned.

Let's all take a step back and relax here with the "extra draft picks". I believe that is the way one of the ESPN Boston guys referred to it as well. They also mentioned the CFL signings of Armstead and Vega. Let's just be clear here, these aren't "extra" draft picks. These are all guys with huge question marks. Every team has guys like this. The patriots are no different here.

-Jeff Demps: probably the fastest Patriot that BB has ever had on the roster, but this is a team that has had very little success on the kick return. Even if Demps turns out to be a capable player with the ball in his hands, the entire UNIT needs a makeshift. And also with Demps, can this guy stay on the field? Can he contribute anywhere else on this team besides kick return? With/without woodhead, running back is a crowded position. Belichick has proven he will not waster a roster spot on a kick return specialist. Also, with today's kickoff rules - does the kick return even matter?

-Dane Fletcher: seems like a great dude, but he is right there with Tracy White/Koutivides/Tarpinian - end of the roster LB who has to perform well on special teams to stay on the roster. No guarantee he even makes the 53 out of camp next year (especially coming off of injury).

-Jake Ballard: considering Gronk and Hernandez can't stay on the field, this the guy from the group who has the best chance to help in my opinion. Had a solid rookie year for the Giants. Haven't seen much of him besides the super bowl, but he sounds like a definite upgrade from Hooman and Fells. But, how effective will he be coming off a devastating knee injury?

Gronk shouldn't be in the same conversation here. He played in 12 games, most of which he was probably much less than 100%. You have to count on him and Hernandez missing 4-5 games each next year. Have to expect it, have to plan for it.

 

[borg]

Maybe they should pump the Patriots' injured players with whatever Suggs and Lewis got to comeback from normally season ending injuries so quickly!

Our guys get caught, their guys get healthy.

 

[DocHoliday]

Our guys get caught, their guys get healthy.

Our guys are stupid (Bolden, Cunningham).

Then again Suggs and Lewis can probably afford more 'help'

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

-Dane Fletcher: seems like a great dude, but he is right there with Tracy White/Koutivides/Tarpinian - end of the roster LB who has to perform well on special teams to stay on the roster. No guarantee he even makes the 53 out of camp next year (especially coming off of injury).

Disagree about Fletcher Rabbit. Of course as a non-starter he needs to play STs but unlike those true roster bottom scrapers you list, Fletch has shown coverage skills, something that even the starters don't possess. He has played in games and made plays. He's a great situational sub for Spikes who could not even cover me. God forbid if he caught me though.

 

[Deus Irae]

Let's all take a step back and relax here with the "extra draft picks". I believe that is the way one of the ESPN Boston guys referred to it as well. They also mentioned the CFL signings of Armstead and Vega. Let's just be clear here, these aren't "extra" draft picks. These are all guys with huge question marks. Every team has guys like this. The patriots are no different here.

ehhh..... winning bidding/asking wars for CFL players that scouts evaluate as mid/high draft pick equivalents seems like a pretty good "extra draft pick" claim to me. It's not a perfect equation, but it's about as close as you're going to get outside of the supplemental draft.

 

[Sicilian]

Disagree about Fletcher Rabbit. Of course as a non-starter he needs to play STs but unlike those true roster bottom scrapers you list, Fletch has shown coverage skills, something that even the starters don't possess. He has played in games and made plays. He's a great situational sub for Spikes who could not even cover me. God forbid if he caught me though.

The thing I always liked about Fletcher is he seemed to be a solid open field tackler, which makes him useful covering running backs who get dump offs and screens. It remains to be seen though how this injury will affect him. Players are coming back from these a lot easier than they used to, but all the major success stories were with players who were already great to begin with (Peterson, Welker, Brady, Mankins, etc). Fletcher was still trying to find his legs when one was cut out from under him.

 

[NE_PATS_FAN_54]

ehhh..... winning bidding/asking wars for CFL players that scouts evaluate as mid/high draft pick equivalents seems like a pretty good "extra draft pick" claim to me. It's not a perfect equation, but it's about as close as you're going to get outside of the supplemental draft.

Agreed to an extent. I think they are more equivalent to undrafted free agents. We can call it whatever we want, but let's just calm expectations. After all, Armstead couldn't even make it as an UDFA last year. Seems like he has upside but can he make it on the field? Why didn't anyone sign him last year as an UDFA and stash him on IR for a year?

 

[Deus Irae]

Agreed to an extent. I think they are more equivalent to undrafted free agents. We can call it whatever we want, but let's just calm expectations. After all, Armstead couldn't even make it as an UDFA last year. Seems like he has upside but can he make it on the field? Why didn't anyone sign him last year as an UDFA and stash him on IR for a year?

Because the guy had suffered a heart attack.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Because the guy had suffered a heart attack.

As an UDFA, what's the risk?

 

[NE_PATS_FAN_54]

Disagree about Fletcher Rabbit. Of course as a non-starter he needs to play STs but unlike those true roster bottom scrapers you list, Fletch has shown coverage skills, something that even the starters don't possess. He has played in games and made plays. He's a great situational sub for Spikes who could not even cover me. God forbid if he caught me though.

Good point about the coverage skills. What he has done in the past has been respectable. Will be interesting to see how the injury affects him. Doesn't matter what he has done in the past if the injury restricts him going forward.

 

[Deus Irae]

As an UDFA, what's the risk?

1. money wasted
2. roster spot
3. possibly having a dead guy on your conscience
4. lawsuit

 

[BritPat]

1. money wasted
2. roster spot
3. possibly having a dead guy on your conscience
4. lawsuit

Succinct and to the point.