Shock
The overall sense of negativity in response to the cutdown day. In my view, depth issues at WR/PR and DE were solved with young, inexpensive, high ceiling players. Dorsett may be a "bust" by 1st round pick standards, but he is an established NFL player who brings a unique skill set to the table and will allow the offense to scheme Cooks into the slot without sacrificing deep speed. Marsh was a solid backup on one of the best lines in the league last year. He fits the size profile for a Patriots tweener and was a more productive pass rusher than Ninkovich. Yesterday was a win.
In regards to blown draft picks, perception is relative to pick number. Yes, we can look to blown opportunities in the form of Aaron Dobson, Dominique Easley, Jordan Richards, Jacoby Brisset and maybe Cyrus Jones. To do this is to ignore recent gems like Trey Flowers, Malcolm Mitchell, Shaq Mason, Elandon Roberts, not to mention the high round talent we have acquired via trade at low price (Rowe, VanNoy, Dorsett, Marsh). Think of it this way, had Flowers been picked in round 2, and Richard in round 4, we'd be singing a very different tune about the 2015 draft.
Surprise
It seems that we are so knowledgeable about the quality of backup OL on all 32 teams that we are capable of evaluating and ranking the quality of Fleming, Waddle and Croston. It may not be an inspiring group, but few backup OL are.
Disappointment
Injuries and retirements. Losing Edelman, Ninkovich, Rivers and Garcia hurts. Two months ago, the Patriots were the unbeatable cartoonish supervillans of the NFL. Now, after some attrition, they are merely Super Bowl favorites.
