And just BTW, if Belichick intended to re-sign Wilfork, he would have used a 4th round draft choice on a developmental NT, much as he spent a 4th on a developmental guard. There were also plenty of safeties available in the 4th. It is hard to believe that belichick thought that he couldn't find backup safeties in free agency.
Brace was a WTF choice as it was. If Wilfork stays, it was a really aweful choice. Obviously, Wilfork can be franchised to secure his services for a year.
The Brace pick kind of reminds me of the infamous 4th and 2 against Indy. It smells like we hadn't really thought out a long term plan.
We knew that Seymour and Wilfork would both be FAs. The possibility of an uncapped year was looming. If we knew that we were going to prioritize Wilfork over Seymour and franchise him as necessary, then spend a 2nd round pick on a developmental NT wasn't necessary. There were lots of talented guys projected to the 3rd-4th rounds.
Belichick is looking to the future and is in full rebuilding mode and this will continue again in 2010.
We could be in much better shape if Belichick was focused on 2009 as much as he is focused on 2011. We'd have Matthews, Laurinitis, Seymour and Hobbs on this team. Instead we have Brace, Chung, Ohrnberger and a couple of future draft choices, although we'd still have what we gave for Burgess if we were keeping Seymour.
We'd still have an extra 2nd round pick, since the 2011 2nd rounder from Tennessee was obtained for our original #89 pick. As you note, we wouldn't have the Jacksonville 2nd round pick, but we would likely have the 3rd and 5th that we traded to Oakland for Burgess.
The decade is over. We still have a chance for the playoffs (and therefore the Super Bowl) and still have a better team than 2001. But the team doesn't have the heart and the leadership of the Super Bowl teams. And just BTW, that comes from the coaches even more than from veteran players.
This team stands apart from all other BB teams in terms of the inexperience at all levels of the organization except for BB:
- FO: Scott Pioli was more than a personnel evaluator and contracts guy. He was a daily foil to BB and something of a counterweight to BB's aggressive personality. Floyd Reese isn't involved in daily operations. Nick Caserio doesn't have Pioli's gravitas.
- Coaching Staff: Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis were experienced and respected assistants who were head coach material. Josh McDaniel was a keen young offensive mind who quickly became head coach material. Dom Capers was a former HC and experienced DC. O'Brien and Pees don't carry much credibility.
- Players: Bruschi, Vrabel and Harrison (and McGinest before) provided experienced veteran leadership and "heart". That hasn't been replaced. Seau was presumably brought in to provide some needed leadership, but he's barely gotten on the field.
What we're left with is BB and a very inexperienced organization, at all levels. BB can't do it all by himself.
