Kraft acknowledges drafting woes, says approach is changing

[PScottman]

You don't know what you're talking about but keep being smug about your wrong opinions.

I know right? How dare anyone question the orthodoxy that the Patriots have simply overcome the miserable ability of their coaching and team assembly and that message board posters themselves are the true genius in draft and team building despite the overwhelming evidence that many of the players drafted didn't truly blossom until often three, four and even five years into their careers (Bruschi, Edelman, Chung, etc). Let's just declare everyone a bust after year one because we know better.

 

[Patsgofor4]

Thanks I should have prefaced by saying high picks.
1. I think McCourty/Ryan was more blind luck that 2 Rutgers guys had good coaching from either Schiano or someone over there on defense. They busted so many other CB picks I think it was some luck with 2 Rutgers guys.

So his misses show that he is a terrible drafter and his hits are dumb luck? LOL.



Second round DBs are a 50/50 proposition, at best. Bill has definitely whiffed on several CBs, but Dowling and Dawson were highly rated guys and were picked where they were projected to go. They just didn’t work out. He was too impatient on Butler, who performed well in Indy.

He has more than made up for his CB draft failures with his unbelievable ability to find starters in the undrafted free agent pool.

 

[Huckleberry1]

it's a possibility. He was probably upset that the Pats blocked him from going to the Texans. Who knows? I'd be a little disgruntled if my place of employment blocked me from getting what I perceived of as a better job.

Just a theory. I have no proof.

Didn’t Caserio sign a new deal with the Patriots after they blocked the move?

 

[Huckleberry1]

Chubb just explodes through holes with incredible speed while Sony runs in slow motion through them...

kraft finally Acknowledged BBs drafting blunders and hopefully we start taking the better athletes with explosive speed!

Still waiting for you to list all those coaches and GM’s who have accomplished more than Belichick over the Past 20 years? You can cut it to the last 10 years if you want, but if you don’t come up with that list then we can all simply acknowledge that you are just talking out of your @ss, as always.

 

[ralmat55]

Didn’t Caserio sign a new deal with the Patriots after they blocked the move?

Yes

 

[moosekill]

Yes. Exactly. We have a ******ed CB and WR drafting system that hasn't worked since 2004. Deion Branch and Asante Samuel are the last good picks at WR and CB. At this point don't even draft CB or WR anymore. We have morons with John Carroll university IQ's thinking a CB or WR will be good based on a guy's height or some stupid combine metric. This might be a revolutionary thought but how about carefully vetting if a WR can get open, or if a CB can cover. Next war room guy who brings up height or 3cone should be fired.

Thank you for posting this Patsgo. These number show just how much of a crap shoot the draft is. Now we also have to remember that all of those percentages are for the entire round, so a player picked last in the first round would not have the same chance of being a starter as a player picked 1st in the 1st round. Realistically, the percentage should be 1/2 way between the 1st and 2nd round failures/success. Additionally, a player going to a poor team with little talent has a much greater chance of becoming a starter than a player going to a playoff team. There are tons of players every year who are good enough to play in the nfl but they never get a chance, they can't beat out the incumbent, never get time, get cut and by then it is too late for them.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

So his misses show that he is a terrible drafter and his hits are dumb luck? LOL.



Second round DBs are a 50/50 proposition, at best. Bill has definitely whiffed on several CBs, but Dowling and Dawson were highly rated guys and were picked where they were projected to go. They just didn’t work out. He was too impatient on Butler, who performed well in Indy.

He has more than made up for his CB draft failures with his unbelievable ability to find starters in the undrafted free agent pool.

So you're proving my point. The Pats have been abysmal at WR and CB draft picks, it's way lower than these average NFL hit rates for using a higher pick on a CB and WR. Just stay away entirely from CB/WR as the Patriots CB/WR system has been broken since updated in 2004 by McDaniels/Caserio.

For simpletons who have logic breakdowns, I still think Belichick's been the best because he can routinely find diamonds out of UDFA garbage. And there are certain positions we do draft well (OLine, Defense not counting CB). But we should acknowledge where the team has blind spots. I don't even pin it on Belichick. There's no way he can see thousands of college players. He relies on a highlight reel in the war room and what a staff person says. The reason we do well amongst UDFA is Belichick sees with his own eyes who can and can't play in actual camp.

.

 

[RIpats88]

So you're proving my point. The Pats have been abysmal at WR and CB draft picks, it's way lower than these average NFL hit rates for using a higher pick on a CB and WR. Just stay away entirely from CB/WR as the Patriots CB/WR system has been broken since updated in 2004 by McDaniels/Caserio.

For simpletons who have logic breakdowns, I still think Belichick's been the best because he can routinely find diamonds out of UDFA garbage. And there are certain positions we do draft well (OLine, Defense not counting CB). But we should acknowledge where the team has blind spots. I don't even pin it on Belichick. There's no way he can see thousands of college players. He relies on a highlight reel in the war room and what a staff person says. The reason we do well amongst UDFA is Belichick sees with his own eyes who can and can't play in actual camp.

.

Patriots record at drafting receivers/cornerbacks has been abysmal generally. Luckily bill shifted in 2012 to just getting guys in free agency. Talib/Revis/Gilmore as he seems to have been pretty good at evaluating the cornerback talent for guys who are already in the NFL.

even receivers. Bill has more success in bringing guys in as free agents than drafting. Even guys who were only 1 hit wonders here like brandon Lloyd or Brandon cooks did have success here. Unfortunately the draft is where you are going to get elite talent at a discount for 5 years. And for some reason we cant draft a receiver to save our lives.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

d for some reason we cant draft a receiver to save our lives.

No surprise given our most influential offensive voice in the war room is a guy who decimated the Denver Broncos roster and traded up for Tim Tebow in the 1st round. The cornerstone offensive players we all got when this guy was not around, both 2009-2012 and 2001-2004.

 

[Rob0729]

Didn’t Caserio sign a new deal with the Patriots after they blocked the move?

But was that more of a Gilmore type of thing where they threw money at an employee who was upset at his situation to try to keep him happy?

Again, I am only speculating.

 

[amfootball]

Still waiting for you to list all those coaches and GM’s who have accomplished more than Belichick over the Past 20 years? You can cut it to the last 10 years if you want, but if you don’t come up with that list then we can all simply acknowledge that you are just talking out of your @ss, as always.

It's moot because none of those GMs had Brady. I think Licht, Ballard, Veach would have had as much or more success than Bill had they had Brady for 20 years.

 

[PScottman]

I don't even pin it on Belichick. There's no way he can see thousands of college players. He relies on a highlight reel in the war room and what a staff person says. The reason we do well amongst UDFA is Belichick sees with his own eyes who can and can't play in actual camp.

Despite differences in other areas we agree here.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

 

[NG Pats Fan]

What physical attributes showed decline?

1. His arm is still clearly strong. Are you saying it's lost something, despite last year seeming (just saying seeming, not clearly or anything definitive) to refute that notion?
2. His pocket mobility is still clearly as good as anyone in the league. Are you saying it's down a bit?
3. His out of the pocket running has always sucked. Are you saying it's even worse?
4. Is it another, unlisted physical attribute? Is so, what's the decline?

I ask because last year, post-bye week, sure made it seem as if reports of decline were inaccurate. Last year, post-bye week and through the playoffs, Brady was probably the best quarterback in the NFL, so I'm curious as to what you saw that indicated the lessening.

in 07 he threw the Ball 75 yards downfield with insane velocity. Can he still Do that?

 

[NG Pats Fan]

Still waiting for you to list all those coaches and GM’s who have accomplished more than Belichick over the Past 20 years? You can cut it to the last 10 years if you want, but if you don’t come up with that list then we can all simply acknowledge that you are just talking out of your @ss, as always.

i said since 2013. I have never complained about BBs drafting from 2000-2013.

i said from 2014-present BB has arguably been the leagues worst GM at drafting

As for “accomplishments”...well he had Tom Brady. Whose no longer here. First season without him 7-9 with a historically bad offense. Belichick also had himself as a coach, and there is no doubt he is one incredible coach. Maybe the best ever. As a GM? He manages the cap well and for the most part makes solid FA findings, the draft is his weakness especially lately. And his ability to scout WRs and CBs is historically awful.

 

[Deus Irae]

in 07 he threw the Ball 75 yards downfield with insane velocity. Can he still Do that?

I do not know.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

I do not know.

not saying you’re wrong just saying I saw him do that in 07

 

[Deus Irae]

not saying you’re wrong just saying I saw him do that in 07

It's a great question to ask, as far as potential arm strength decline goes. I just don't know the answer. Perhaps one of the reporters who checks this site will think to ask it of Tom during the week Tampa plays the Patriots this upcoming season.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Give him his raise.

 

[Huckleberry1]

i said since 2013. I have never complained about BBs drafting from 2000-2013.

i said from 2014-present BB has arguably been the leagues worst GM at drafting

As for “accomplishments”...well he had Tom Brady. Whose no longer here. First season without him 7-9 with a historically bad offense. Belichick also had himself as a coach, and there is no doubt he is one incredible coach. Maybe the best ever. As a GM? He manages the cap well and for the most part makes solid FA findings, the draft is his weakness especially lately. And his ability to scout WRs and CBs is historically awful.

You don’t seem to understand that you don’t get the best prospects when you are drafting last or next to it in every round every year, and you also don’t seem to understand that the most successful teams have the least cap space because they have to pay the most to their players. Belichick won 3 Lombardi’s in each of the first two decades of this century, and 9 Conference Championships, and that is despite a league that is structured to prevent exactly that from happening. And everyone in their right mind knew that when the greatest QB in NFL history left that the Patriots would have to rebuild to become a consistent contender again, but Belichick cleaned out his cap space, filled most of their actual needs in one free agency, and they are now a QB away from being serious contenders again. Belichick sucks at drafting WR’s, no question about that, and his picks at CB have been hit or miss, which is true of most teams. But no one is better at picking up umdrafted free agents and turning them into quality players. If you were being reasonable these would be discussions you could have, but when you and the other haters go scorched earth all the time, completely disregarding their successes, then you are going to get push back.