captain stone
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No it doesn't, because they do.This narrative that the Pats suck at drafting WRs needs to stop...
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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.No it doesn't, because they do.This narrative that the Pats suck at drafting WRs needs to stop...
And ownership was too cheap to have the team fly out early and get acclimated to the time change.I know it doesn't mean much, but it makes me feel good knowing the early money is going on LAC. Meanwhile they have 28th ranked Oline, exploitable linebackers vs great short game scheme, and on the road after back to back 3000 mile warm to cold jet lag travel. Just makes me feel good. Ho hum, just gotta show em again what the deal is
The data wasn't just the Broncos. The data encompassed the entire league. I think you need to read it.
No you are.
Everyone does. Thats the point.No it doesn't, because they do.
Everyone does. Thats the point.
How many teams can you honestly (I don’t know why I’m even bothering to ask you this) say have a worse receiver core than we do? The Bills, the Raiders? I really think of many that are worse than ours.
Then name me another actual receiver prospect we drafted that turned into even a top 32 receiver in the league at any given point.
Clearly they are near the top of landing productive talent.Steelers?
The day Tom Brady starts throwing wobbly helicopters like Manning did in his final season, thats when I’ll start agreeing Brady is in decline.
His Passing Numbers Don't Lie: Tom Brady Really Is Getting Old Just found this article released today.
Dobson, Taylor Price, Brandon Tate, Chad Jackson, Bethel Johnson, and Deion Branch were all drafted in the first 3 rounds of the draft. Deion Branch was the only one that wasn’t a bust. That’s 6 in 18 years in the first 3 rounds. That averages to 1 every 3 years so they do spend some draft capital on receivers. They just don’t do it well.You are changing the topic and expanding it beyond the draft to include overall talent/production on the roster.
Of course this year's receiver corps is weak. Thats not a debate.
2017, 2016, 2014, 2012, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2004, 2003 were solid.
Jules and Branch were top 32.
Pats dont draft WRs high for the reasons I cited. Thats basically it.
Plaxico Burress, Hines Ward, Antwan Randel-El, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown, and JuJu. Hire their scouts.Clearly they are near the top of landing productive talent.
With that said I would not be surprised if their success rate is league average. (more good players because they pick more WRs higher in the draft with AB being the exception.)
It would be a worth while exercise to see their hit rate from 2000 -2017.
Dobson, Taylor Price, Brandon Tate, Chad Jackson, Bethel Johnson, and Deion Branch were all drafted in the first 3 rounds of the draft. Deion Branch was the only one that wasn’t a bust. That’s 6 in 18 years in the first 3 rounds. That averages to 1 every 3 years so they do spend some draft capital on receivers. They just don’t do it well.
As for Jules take a victory lap if you want but he was a project and not a receiver prospect.
Plaxico Burress, Hines Ward, Antwan Randel-El, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown, and JuJu. Hire their scouts.
We have done fairly well holding our personal to a high mental standard. I would very much prefer continuing that formula.Again, I think the reluctance to draft receivers high (unless they feel like the value blows them out of the water) is so much tied to their complex system. I don’t think there’s much question that the Steelers are way more concerned with measurable physical attributes than immeasurable mental ones. To some degree that ultimately is a double edged sword, though, since you’ve seen how many times that simple offense gets shut down, often by a smarter team (like the Patriots.)
I don’t think the Patriots should completely dumb down their system, but they clearly need to adjust it. There’s no way 25 receivers should try out and no one sticks, while the start to this season had that little talent at the position.
Perhaps Brady needs a new OC who has him break some old assumptions about which players can provide value, rather than this Ivy League application process they’ve been doing for several years. Otherwise, it’s going to be a force fed relationship like in 2013 when Brady was throwing to Dobson and Thompkins out of necessity, except injuries aren’t even to blame this time.
Again, I think the reluctance to draft receivers high (unless they feel like the value blows them out of the water) is so much tied to their complex system. I don’t think there’s much question that the Steelers are way more concerned with measurable physical attributes than immeasurable mental ones. To some degree that ultimately is a double edged sword, though, since you’ve seen how many times that simple offense gets shut down, often by a smarter team (like the Patriots.)
I don’t think the Patriots should completely dumb down their system, but they clearly need to adjust it. There’s no way 25 receivers should try out and no one sticks, while the start to this season had that little talent at the position.
Perhaps Brady needs a new OC who has him break some old assumptions about which players can provide value, rather than this Ivy League application process they’ve been doing for several years. Otherwise, it’s going to be a force fed relationship like in 2013 when Brady was throwing to Dobson and Thompkins out of necessity, except injuries aren’t even to blame this time.
It wasn’t broken when Gronk was Gronk, without Gronk being Gronk it has been inconsistent. I don’t think whiffing on receivers in the draft “allows” us to hit big on FA receivers. The only big time receivers we have brought in were Moss, Cooks, and Josh Gordon, who were all trades. Obviously Moss we hit the jackpot, while Cooks and Gordon made an impact but for a very limited amount of time.Interesting thoughts. My thought is that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. It has worked for us for years. Also, it allows us to hit big on UDFA's or street FA's at WR.
Not mentioned here is one dynamic....Edelman's contract. We are only paying Jules about 1/3 of what an elite WR gets in the market. Because of that, we likely cannot trade for a WR making elite money as we might not want to upset Edelman.