Alleged Character Issues in Patriots Draft

[SlowGettingUp]

So Bedard has some claims from League sources about potential character issues among some of the Patriots' draft choices.

Nothing on Mayes, and not much on Polk: "Another league executive said there was a red flag with Polk but he would not offer specifics. Other teams said this was a surprise to them, they had nothing."

Wallace a bit of question on drive.

Baker significant issues - fights, guns, very problematic father. "One league executive estimated that Baker was off the board for half the league." Arrived at OTAs with an entourage.

Milton - "heavy maintenance, partier."

Bell - "He was a borderline (non-fit/off-the-board) for us. The questions or concerns were personality fit: diva, selfish, party habits. Emotional maturity."

So all-in-all sounds like a much riskier group than in past years - they clearly had a looser cut-off than the old regime, where Belichick allegedly only wanted to coach non-problematic guys. Perhaps why we could never draft a WR given they seem to be more inclined to divadom.

Bedard: Another perspective on the Patriots' draft picks, including more character concerns than years past

Here are the thoughts of an AFC senior personnel executive, including some of the concerns on Javon Baker, Joe Milton and Jaheim Bell straight from their pre-draft research on the players.

www.bostonsportsjournal.com

 

[Urgent]

Great.
Good thing they avoided AD Mitchell..

They don’t have a lot of outspoken veteran leaders like Rodney or Hightower to demand commitment.

Not sure this group after Polk profiles as mentally tough.

 

[TheRainMaker]

We’ve heard through multiple sources that Bill purposely would avoid a more talented player who may have character issues in favor of a less talented player that was a gentlemen. However, there were rare exceptions.

The reality is, if you want to field a good competitive team, you’re going to have to roll the dice on some knuckleheads who are talented.

 

[Love The Drake]

We’ve heard through multiple sources that Bill purposely would avoid a more talented player who may have character issues in favor of a less talented player that was a gentlemen. However, there were rare exceptions.

The reality is, if you want to field a good competitive team, you’re going to have to roll the dice on some knuckleheads who are talented.

They are college kids not 30 year olds who won’t change.
Between Mayo and Slaters guidance they will be fine.

 

[signbabybrady]

We’ve heard through multiple sources that Bill purposely would avoid a more talented player who may have character issues in favor of a less talented player that was a gentlemen. However, there were rare exceptions.

The reality is, if you want to field a good competitive team, you’re going to have to roll the dice on some knuckleheads who are talented.

What sources? I think there was one quote by Bill himself that's been spun and taken out of context but I have not seen any sources indicating what you are suggesting.

 

[Patjew]

Bill took plenty of chances on "character issue guys."

 

[tuckeverlasting]

if bedard thinks bakers the only kid in this draft that's been around guns he's dense. seems like a lot of bedards league sources focus on the patriots when they need to be focusing on their own team.

 

[Steve102]

We’ve heard through multiple sources that Bill purposely would avoid a more talented player who may have character issues in favor of a less talented player that was a gentlemen. However, there were rare exceptions.

The reality is, if you want to field a good competitive team, you’re going to have to roll the dice on some knuckleheads who are talented.

I have been beating this drum for some time. I am ok with the risk.

Bill took plenty of chances on "character issue guys."

Not early in the draft, and none that I can recall since Hernandez.

 

[ahmed]

What sources? I think there was one quote by Bill himself that's been spun and taken out of context but I have not seen any sources indicating what you are suggesting.

Bill appearantly had a quote that says he will only coach people who he wants going forward and that has been taken as gospel as with everything Bill. I don't even know where this quote is from.

Bill clearly valued high character as part of his criteria based on a lot of the guys he drafted. Does not mean that was the be and all of things. Probably just meant if the potential of people was similar (he always said past a certain threshold all their potential blends and hard to gauge) then character is a good tiebreak.

18-20 year olds who have been told they are special their entire lives and treated as such by their colleges will always have some divas/egos. There is also the fact that a lot of them come from difficult environments and that shapes some into great people and twists others. It's all luck of the draw.

To me it all comes down to work ethic which should on the field in effort all the time. Everything else is noise. Of course there are always crazy exceptions such as our one TE.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I have been beating this drum for some time. I am ok with the risk.

Not early in the draft, and none that I can recall since Hernandez.

The only early round guys were Merriweather and Brandon Spikes. I don't remember if Easley had any character issues, but it was quickly noted he was a problem in the locker room. Later round guys were Hernandez, Alfonzo Dennard and Willie Andrews.

 

[TheRainMaker]

What sources? I think there was one quote by Bill himself that's been spun and taken out of context but I have not seen any sources indicating what you are suggesting.

Damien Woody has mentioned this on ESPN. Chris Simms had mentioned this as well on his show where he talked about working in the Pats front office for a year. He said Bill purposely pass on the more talented player to avoid any potential headaches. He also had the funny story where scouts walked out of the war room because Bill wanted to take Chandler Jones in the late 1st round in 2012.

 

[Triumph]

Threes are college kids not 30 year olds who won’t change.
Between Mayo and Slaters guidance will be fine.

Mayo and Slater are not in the lockeroom.

You need players in the lockeroom who are on board with the program so that a lot of drama is taken care of before it reaches the coaches. Before it becomes a bigger problem than it already is. BB and Parcells always had "their guys" imbedded into the culture of the lockeroom.

I predicted that the image of the NE Patriots over the last 20 + years would slowly unravel. Mayo is a players coach and the opposite of BB.

 

[Triumph]

if bedard thinks bakers the only kid in this draft that's been around guns he's dense. seems like a lot of bedards league sources focus on the patriots when they need to be focusing on their own team.

WRs are problematic.

Rarely do you find a WR that doesnt cause headaches.

 

[Patjew]

I have been beating this drum for some time. I am ok with the risk.

Not early in the draft, and none that I can recall since Hernandez.

I was thinking more about free agency.

 

[signbabybrady]

Damien Woody has mentioned this on ESPN. Chris Simms had mentioned this as well on his show where he talked about working in the Pats front office for a year. He said Bill purposely pass on the more talented player to avoid any potential headaches. He also had the funny story where scouts walked out of the war room because Bill wanted to take Chandler Jones in the late 1st round in 2012.

I'd need to know more about what Woody said but I'm guessing he was just parroting what others said he's not out investigating or anything.

Simms is a little different but he's also known to be a clickbaitor. And his one year here would seem to be an interesting draft for this debate that I don't think you can make any assumptions based on:

We drafted Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower, Tavon Wilson, Jake Bequette, Nate Ebner, Alfonzo Dennard, and Jeremy Ebert. Take want you will from this list but you clearly have talent in the first, but you also have a STer rugby guy who would be a Bill likes this kind of guy in ebner, but you also have the troubled kid take a flyer on in Dennard. Basically Simms first hand experience seems like he got a taste of all sorts of types.

 

[denverpatsfan]

Unless these kids start murdering people, I think the team is ok. The bar is set as low as possible by the previous administration. Give these kids and coaches a ****ing chance. Camp hasn't even started yet.

 

[hornetfb85]

Interesting. The ones that appear to have the most issues are mid to late rounders. I’m fine with Baker having an edge, but he also has to back it up on the field or him and his entourage” will not be around long. Love the “partier” red flags. Can’t imagine college kids like to party. Let’s see how they act now that their livelihoods depend on them making a team and getting on the field.

 

[signbabybrady]

Mayo and Slater are not in the lockeroom.

You need players in the lockeroom who are on board with the program so that a lot of drama is taken care of before it reaches the coaches. Before it becomes a bigger problem than it already is. BB and Parcells always had "their guys" imbedded into the culture of the lockeroom.

I predicted that the image of the NE Patriots over the last 20 + years would slowly unravel. Mayo is a players coach and the opposite of BB.

Nothing slow it fell off a cliff at the very end and we never gave it a second chance

 

[Sciz]

Bill appearantly had a quote that says he will only coach people who he wants going forward and that has been taken as gospel as with everything Bill. I don't even know where this quote is from.

It’s from the 2017 Ohio State coaching clinic. The second hand quote from Urban Meyer (“players he likes”) gained a ton of traction while the presentation from Bill himself (“tough, smart, dependable”) has largely been ignored.

 

[Triumph]

Nothing slow it fell off a cliff at the very end and we never gave it a second chance

With the hundreds if not thousands of NFL players to come through the Pats front door over the last 23 years relatively few were bad hombres.

Hernandez was the worst. Kraft always patted himself on the back because his players were not typically in trouble. People here want to believe that nothing will change and that Mayo is the same as BB. Randy Moss feared what BB would do if he persisted complaining about money. Same with Gronk.