Note that all comments are based on a 53 man roster. A larger roster changes things.
I'll have to respectfully disagree.
Wasn't talking about the whole draft. Just drafting for positions on day 3 or UDFA.
Getting a true stud DE is a need.
For example, the Pats should get a stud DE on day 1, but that type of guy isn't going to be there in the later rounds. Why draft a guy late when you already have Deaderick, Pryor, Love, Richard and Weston on the roster.
Getting another legit OLB is a possible need. And keeping Ninkovich doesn't exclude getting an upgrade.
Again, a top OLB should be a day 1 priority. Add in Cunningham, Ninkovich and TBC and they have all they need. Fletcher can play outside and Moore has also proved competent. Don't think the roster can hold a developmental guy unless someone leaves.
A RB to develop behind BJGE is a need. I'm not sure if Taylor or Morris are coming back and they are both old and injury prone.
Agree. Should have a complementary skill set though. Getting a 5'10", 210, between-the-tackles guy seems like overkill.
WR is not really a need however Branch and Edelman have shown themselves to be fragile so it might not be a bad idea to develop talent there if a good player drops to the mid rounds.
We go through this every year. People think you have have 8 or 9 WR on a 53 man roster. On this team, 3 WRs will get almost all the snaps in practice and games (Welker, Branch, Tate). #4 is a package guy (Edelperson) and #5 is a ST ace (Slater). #6 is a gameday-inactive developmental insurance policy (Price). There isn't a #7 role except roster filler. If you want a developmental backup, someone will need to go.
Offensive line is a definite need. Light and Mankins coming back is not a lock by any means.
I'm not sure you get a Light/Mankins replacement in the later rounds in this draft.
Safety can be improved upon. I'm not buying the theory that Meriweather 'gets it' yet when he still takes bad angles that takes out his own man from the play.
Nice one play evaluation. If you are looking for bad angles, Sanders would have been cut last year.
At cornerback you can never have enough talent. The NFL has become a pass first league. CBs can be fragile, and Butler is far from a certainty. Neither is Bodden guaranteed to come back 100% from his injury.
Which is why you address CB early. Anyone you draft day 3 will be farther from a certainty than Butler is.
There are still plenty of positions on the roster that can be either upgraded or a future player developed for depth. If the Pats have a monster 2011 draft similar to 2010 than the NFL better watch out, because we could be talking about a second Dynasty for the Pats then.
Anyone the Pats draft early will likely be upgrading someone at the top of the depth chart, not filling in at the bottom. The Pats are already loaded with developmental talent at a number of positions and it makes little sense to cut a known developmental project to add an unknown one.
