How would you rate the Jones and Hightower picks?

[Marqui]

Why would Hightower impact Ninkovich's snaps? If the Patriots go 3-4, wouldn't it be more likely to be

Hightower
Mayo
Spikes
Ninkovich

than for it to be

Hightower
Mayo
Spikes
Cunningham

?

I guess you're not buying Jones as an OLB.

 

[Deus Irae]

I guess you're not buying Jones as an OLB.

I'm seeing him as a situational player in year one. Assuming Carter returns, I see Jones as having a shot to be the Mark Anderson replacement. His future is probably in the 'elephant' role, because the reports I've seen indicate that this kid's not going to handle putting on 40 pounds.

 

[BritPat]

please tell me you thought Downing and Henderson would be massive successes

Check out LFCTalk for my opinion on those two, especially Downing Syndrome

 

[BritPat]

I guess you're a member of the 1%

Seems so.

I'm hoping I'm proved wrong too

 

[Marqui]

I'm seeing him as a situational player in year one. Assuming Carter returns, I see Jones as having a shot to be the Mark Anderson replacement. His future is probably in the 'elephant' role, because the reports I've seen indicate that this kid's not going to handle putting on 40 pounds.

That's certainly a possibility but I don't see how we can really know for sure at this point. If Jones is very raw and a slow learner, you're right he won't have a big role year one. But if he's like Dowling who is just a natural at his position and the coaching staff thinks he's ready, they'd have no problem starting him day one. It's all going to come down to how he performs in TC, how quickly he takes in the coaching, and how much Belichick trusts his ability to execute the schemes right now.

 

[buffalobills365]

I thought the number was closer to 30 million (27.5 range)? Has that been adjusted since initially reported?

Yes. The reported 27.5 was an error. It's 19.5 with 8 guaranteed over 4 years

 

[buffalobills365]

Gilmore's reaction after he got drafted by your Bills was priceless. He looked like someone had told him his dog got ran over by a car.

He was on the radio here this morning and said he was busy saying a prayer and thanking god that it was finally over.

 

[goheels22002]

Jones just turned 22...he's listed at 266, but he's 270+ right now.

when I was 22 I was 185 pounds...by the time I turned 28 I weighed in at a rock hard 225...I made the jump in weight without the benefit of an NFL modern day workout and diet regimen.

I think all you "experts" who are already damning this kid as "too light!!" and all the rest of your negative Nicky bullcrap should step back from your Kiper perches and try a little bit of extrapolation as far as this kid's future goes. He's BIGGER than Willie McG was in his prime (255/265), has a tremendous reach and great character. He is TWENTY TWO YEARS OLD yet some of you blowhards want him to be an All Pro right now before he even plays a snap and you are blitheringly negative about his weight, for crissakes...as if he's going to weigh the same the next five years.

I don't get some of you clowns...it seems you just HAVE to rip and tear away at anything the Patriots do if it doesn't fit into your narrow little anal retentive "mastermind window" of player paradigms..newsflash...there are no perfect draft picks...what you look for are FOOTBALL players...and Jones IS just that...a TWENTY TWO YEAR OLD football player with his entire career in FRONT of him.

Whoa! Dude, check the poll results. Overwhelming grade A vote. No need to blast all of us with "narrow little anal retentive 'mastermind windows' of player paradigms..." Some of us have labored on our narrow little anal retentive 'mastermind windows' of player paradigms and have perfected them to the point where we are infallible and can sharpen a #2 Ticonderoga pencil while juggling flaming Tiki torches.

On the draft picks - two #1s who can provide flexibility in the 3-4/4-3 as edge rushers and linebackers, and who bring speed and tackling skills to specials teams is exactly what this team needs. Both guys are great open field tacklers - especially Hightower. This reminds of the Gronk-Hernandez one-two punch. Two outstanding players who bring different but interchangeable skill sets to a position of great need. I love this.

 

[DaBronxPats14]

All for these 2 pick ups especially Chandler Jones I mean anybody who is a great grandson of HOF Deacon Jones is cool with me plus I like Jones's attitude lookin forward to playin in NE and for BB. I've been screaming for yrs about lettin Julius Peppers slip by so I guess this could be a blessin in disguise & a younger player to boot. Jones model's himself after Peppers in article below.

Jones: 'Belichick picked me for a reason' - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

 

[condon84]

He was on the radio here this morning and said he was busy saying a prayer and thanking god that it was finally over.

His NFL career?

 

[Uncle Rico]

Saw this in Peter King's column today:

8. I think the Patriots, moving up twice and making both picks in the round (shock!), did what I thought they should have done last year -- take pass-rushing difference-makers in Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower. I've said for the past year I thought New England should have taken either Jabaal Sheard or Brooks Reed last year. Bill Belichick made up for it Thursday night.

Now, King's not the only one who can say he's been thinking for years the Pats needed to fix the pass rush, and been frustrated that they hadn't. But my impression right now is that I'd much rather have Jones and Hightower going ahead than Sheard and/or Brooks.

Could either of those two guys made a difference in, say, the Super Bowl? Maybe -- but if you play that game you then wonder if everything else changes and maybe the Pats don't get there in the first place.

Main thing is that, to me, this shows Belichick's approach; he won't draft based just on need, but on the player (and value). I think he sees a lot more in this year's picks than he saw in either of the guys King mentions. I think things worked out well.

 

[Off The Grid]

I weighed in at a rock hard 225...I made the jump in weight without the benefit of an NFL modern day workout and diet regimen.

I think all you "experts" who are already damning this kid as "too light!!" and all the rest of your negative Nicky bullcrap should step back from your Kiper perches and try a little bit of extrapolation as far as this kid's future goes.

He's BIGGER than Willie McG was in his prime (255/265), has a tremendous reach and great character. He is TWENTY TWO YEARS OLD yet some of you blowhards want him to be an All Pro right now before he even plays a snap and you are blitheringly negative about his weight, for crissakes...as if he's going to weigh the same the next five years.

I don't get some of you clowns...it seems you just HAVE to rip and tear away at anything the Patriots do if it doesn't fit into your narrow little anal retentive "mastermind window" of player paradigms..newsflash...there are no perfect draft picks...what you look for are FOOTBALL players...and Jones IS just that...a TWENTY TWO YEAR OLD football player with his entire career in FRONT of him.

The Votes are OVERWHELMINGLY in FAVOR of the Picks!!

Lighten UP, Francis!!

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Grade: A

Boosts the front 7, should help with the pass rush, even if the guys play situationally as rookies.

For all the critiques on Jones, there's no way he'd last until 21 if he was some 30+ sack guy in college. He's an upside pick and with his leadership and work ethic, he has potential to blossom. He's an athletic freak from a set of brothers that rival the Gronkowskis in superhuman genetics.

Hightower looks like he could play inside or outside and BB loves those flexible guys. Maybe Hightower's presence will allow the Pats to take the leash of Mayo and let him rush the QB more. I'll be looking for that later in the year as Hightower develops and sees more reps.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Joker]

The Votes are OVERWHELMINGLY in FAVOR of the Picks!!

Lighten UP, Francis!!

you talkin' to ME????

 

[Kontradiction]

Grade: A

Boosts the front 7, should help with the pass rush, even if the guys play situationally as rookies.

For all the critiques on Jones, there's no way he'd last until 21 if he was some 30+ sack guy in college. He's an upside pick and with his leadership and work ethic, he has potential to blossom. He's an athletic freak from a set of brothers that rival the Gronkowskis in superhuman genetics.

Hightower looks like he could play inside or outside and BB loves those flexible guys. Maybe Hightower's presence will allow the Pats to take the leash of Mayo and let him rush the QB more. I'll be looking for that later in the year as Hightower develops and sees more reps.

Regards,
Chris

Ultimate Dont'a Hightower Highlights (2012 Draft 25th Pick - New England Patriots) - YouTube

If anything, Hightower should be the one rushing the passer.

 

[Husse]

On principle, I can only rate this an A. We've been asking for BB to trade up instead of down to get those sexy pass-rushers for years. So even if both picks turn out to never play a down in the NFL I can still say atleast we took the chance this time.

 

[manxman2601]

Draft-Hubs Comprehensive Measurement Grade combines all a prospects measurables (speed, explosion, size, length, strength) to come up with a determination as to who the best all round athletes are by position. If you want the details, use the below link:

Draft Hub DMR | NFL Draft Hub

Here's their DL rankings:

Chandler Jones DE, Syracuse- Grade: 7.36
Tyronne Crawford DE, Boise St- Grade: 6.84
Nick Perry DE, USC- Grade: 6.78
Fletcher Cox DT, Mississippi St.- Grade 6.7
Mike Martin DT, Michigan- Grade: 6.68
Jack Crawford DE, Penn St.- Grade: 6.68
Jake Bequette DE, Arkansas- Grade: 6.42
Derek Wolfe DT, Cincinnati- Grade: 6.4

Just one piece of a puzzle but at least it's one box ticked.

 

[patfanken]

Draft-Hubs Comprehensive Measurement Grade combines all a prospects measurables (speed, explosion, size, length, strength) to come up with a determination as to who the best all round athletes are by position. If you want the details, use the below link:

Draft Hub DMR | NFL Draft Hub

Here's their DL rankings:



Just one piece of a puzzle but at least it's one box ticked.

but on the other hand this is how the same site ranks the DEs

Rank Name.  Pos School
6 Coples, Quinton DE North Carolina
26 Perry, Nick DE USC
24 Ingram, Melvin DE South Carolina
42 Mercilus, Whitney DE Illinois
46 Jones, Chandler DE Syracuse
52 Johnson, Cam DE Virginia

So if you are being fair, you'd have to score this one for the Jets and wonder why 2 of the 4 players ranked ahead of Jones got drafted later.

 

[Ivan]

I would be willing to bet the same Bills fans who are dissing the Patriots draft absolutely loved the Maybin pick.

 

[manxman2601]

but on the other hand this is how the same site ranks the DEs

Rank Name.  Pos School
6 Coples, Quinton DE North Carolina
26 Perry, Nick DE USC
24 Ingram, Melvin DE South Carolina
42 Mercilus, Whitney DE Illinois
46 Jones, Chandler DE Syracuse
52 Johnson, Cam DE Virginia

So if you are being fair, you'd have to score this one for the Jets and wonder why 2 of the 4 players ranked ahead of Jones got drafted later.

But that's just one amateur scout's ranking so subjective rather than objective. Who knows what we've got in him but the impression in the last couple of weeks before the draft was that teams were high on Chandler Jones. So we shall see.