Today In Patriots History April 30, 1985: NE trades down for a LS; SF takes Jerry Rice with pick

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Day One of the 1985 Draft​

April 27, 1985:
The 50th Annual Player Selection Meeting, better known as the 1985 NFL Draft
Omni Park Central Hotel, New York City
Day One, Rounds 1-3


On the tenth anniversary of the end of the Viet Nam War, GM Pat Sullivan did not exactly do head coach Raymond Berry any favors. Fortunately that '85 team already had enough talent to win the AFC championship. Unfortunately this draft was the beginning of a lengthy talent drain, with the Pats regressing and missing the playoffs from 1987 to 1993.

• Pats trade down, sending their 1st round (#16) and a 3rd (#75) to the 49ers for a 1st (#28), 2nd (#56) and 3rd (#84).
  To my eyes that looks as though San Francisco gave up very little to move up that far in the first round.
  Now consider who the 49ers selected with that pick: Hall of Fame WR Jerry Rice.
  .
• C Trevor Matich, Brigham Young (1st round, #28) [pick from SF trade above]
  .
• DE Garin Veris, Stanford (2nd round, #48)
  .
• CB Jim Bowman, Central Michigan (2nd round, #52) [one of two picks received from Raiders in 11/11/83 Mike Haynes trade]
  .
• DE Ben Thomas, Auburn (2nd round, #56) [obtained from SF in trade above]
  .
• (3rd round pick, #75, had been sent to SF in trade above)
  .
• Pats trade out, sending a 3rd (#81) to Seattle for a 1986 2nd (Mike Ruth)
  .
• CB Audray McMillian, Houston (3rd round, #74) [third and final pick from the SF trade above]

I realize that it is easy to nitpick a draft after the fact once you have the benefit of hindsight, but. . . wow; there are so many things that went wrong here. You seemingly start out in good shape with your own three middle-of-the-round picks (1.16, 2.48, 3.75), plus another pick acquired in a prior trades (2.52 - for Mike Haynes, ugh).

Four of the first 75 picks; this is going to be great, just like the '76 draft, right?

No.

First you pass on one of the greatest players in NFL history - by trading down for an offensive lineman who couldn't crack the starting lineup, and was able to stay in the NFL only by becoming a long snapper. Garin Veris started out great, but multiple injuries - including three visits to the IR list - ruined a promising career after 3½ seasons. Jim Bowman was okay, but he was only a starter for one season; his production was not worthy of being a third round pick. Ben Thomas only lasted for a year and a half. Audray McMillian was good, he had an eight-year NFL career - but none of it was in New England; he was cut too soon, at the end of his rookie training camp.

Yikes.



Day Two didn't get any better. The Pats took Western Michigan guard Tom Toth in the fourth round, #102 overall; he spent '85 on IR and was waived as part of '86 final roster cuts, never playing a single down. The Patriots also BC WR Gerard Phelan, the guy who caught Doug Flutie's Hail Mary. That selection created a lot of buzz - but he dislocated his kneecap very early in training camp, and the injury was so severe it ended his football career. The Pats did not own a fifth round pick (used to trade up for Irving Fryar in '84), a sixth (traded earlier for K Tony Franklin, nice trade), or their own seventh (lost as compensation for signing assistant head coach John Polonchek). Their own eighth had been traded away the previous year for S Rod McSwain (another good trade). A second eighth was used on DE Milford Hodge who was released at the end of camp, re-signed in '86, placed on IR and released again.

At least the Patriots got Franklin, McSwain and Polonchek with those day two picks.

 

[Clonamery]

Today in Patriots History
Day One of the 1985 Draft​

April 27, 1985:
The 50th Annual Player Selection Meeting, better known as the 1985 NFL Draft
Omni Park Central Hotel, New York City
Day One, Rounds 1-3

• Pats trade down, sending their 1st round (#16) and a 3rd (#75) to the 49ers for a 1st (#28), 2nd (#56) and 3rd (#84).
  To my eyes that looks as though San Francisco gave up very little to move up that far in the first round.
  Now consider who the 49ers selected with that pick: Hall of Fame WR Jerry Rice.
  .
• C Trevor Matich, Brigham Young (1st round, #28) [pick from SF trade above]
  .
• DE Garin Veris, Stanford (2nd round, #48)
  .
• CB Jim Bowman, Central Michigan (2nd round, #52) [one of two picks received from Raiders in 11/11/83 Mike Haynes trade]
  .
• DE Ben Thomas, Auburn (2nd round, #56) [obtained from SF in trade above]
  .
• (3rd round pick, #75, had been sent to SF in trade above)
  .
• Pats trade out, sending a 3rd (#81) to Seattle for a 1986 2nd (Mike Ruth)
  .
• CB Audray McMillian, Houston (3rd round, #74) [third and final pick from the SF trade above]

I realize that it is easy to nitpick a draft after the fact once you have the benefit of hindsight, but. . . wow; there are so many things that went wrong here. You seemingly start out in good shape with your own three middle-of-the-round picks (1.16, 2.48, 3.75), plus another pick acquired in a prior trades (2.52 - for Mike Haynes, ugh).

Four of the first 75 picks; this is going to be great, just like the '76 draft, right?

No.

First you pass on one of the greatest players in NFL history - by trading down for an offensive lineman who couldn't crack the starting lineup, and was able to stay in the NFL only by becoming a long snapper. Garin Veris started out great, but multiple injuries - including three visits to the IR list - ruined a promising career after 3½ seasons. Jim Bowman was okay, but he was only a starter for one season; his production was not worthy of being a third round pick. Ben Thomas only lasted for a year and a half. Audray McMillian was good, he had an eight-year NFL career - but none of it was in New England; he was cut too soon, at the end of his rookie training camp.

Yikes.



Day Two didn't get any better. The Pats took Western Michigan guard Tom Toth in the fourth round, #102 overall; he spent '85 on IR and was waived as part of '86 final roster cuts, never playing a single down. The Patriots also BC WR Gerard Phelan, the guy who caught Doug Flutie's Hail Mary. That selection created a lot of buzz - but he dislocated his kneecap very early in training camp, and the injury was so severe it ended his football career. The Pats did not own a fifth round pick (used to trade up for Irving Fryar in '84), a sixth (traded earlier for K Tony Franklin, nice trade), or their own seventh (lost as compensation for signing assistant head coach John Polonchek). Their own eighth had been traded away the previous year for S Rod McSwain (another good trade). A second eighth was used on DE Milford Hodge who was released at the end of camp, re-signed in '86, placed on IR and released again.

At least the Patriots got Franklin, McSwain and Polonchek with those day two picks.

Belichick was the worst.

 

[BennyBledsoe]

I've had people who don't believe me when I say the Patriots could have drafted Jerry Rice. I remember when I first read through the 1996 Patriots Media Guide (one of my favorite Patriots things I ever got) and saw that trade...my jaw dropped in disbelief. "WE COULDA HAD JERRY RICE?!"

 

[jmt57]

Today in Patriots History
Alex Smith​

April 30, 2009:
Tampa Bay trades TE Alex Smith to New England for a 2010 fifth round pick


Three days after the '09 draft the Pats acquired a veteran tight end. (The other) Alex Smith was originally a third round pick in 2005, from Stanford. He played in 58 games (with 43 starts) in four seasons for the Bucs, with 129 receptions and 11 touchdowns. Tampa was overstocked at the position after trading for Kellen Winslow and re-signing Jerramy Stevens earlier in the offseason - and were likely happy to get anything for Smith, after presumably not being able to get something for him during the draft.


Smith was waived during final roster cuts, as Bill Belichick elected to trade for a bigger blocker (Michael Matthews) at tight end to compliment Ben Watson and Chris Baker at the position. Smith signed with Philadelphia a few days later, and remained in the NFL for seven more seasons - while Matthews appeared in just four games for the Pats before being released.

 

[A Defiant Goose]