Let's Play "This was the TE to take"

[patchick]

I just mentioned this in another thread but the PFW boys seriously intimated on the day 3 draft show that they had inside knowledge that Bill wanted Kahale Warring but the Texans jumped on him in the 3rd. Think we took Harris the pick after.

Obviously no other opportunities presented themselves.

Ahh, he was my pet favorite--the raw prospect with the most promise. But sometimes another team just gets there first.

 

[Ras-IR Dowling]

Ahh, he was my pet favorite--the raw prospect with the most promise. But sometimes another team just gets there first.

It’s possible that’s what happened, if so we must’ve had Harris and warring graded pretty close as I recall our pick was turned in pretty quickly after warring was announced.

 

[Patriot Missile]

I just mentioned this in another thread but the PFW boys seriously intimated on the day 3 draft show that they had inside knowledge that Bill wanted Kahale Warring but the Texans jumped on him in the 3rd. Think we took Harris the pick after.

Obviously no other opportunities presented themselves.

Can you imagine this forum if they would of landed Warring plus all the other picks? I know a lot of folks were very high on him. I really liked Sternberger or Warring. But I choose to look at the bright side of the pick which was made instead of getting down on what I think they should of done. If that makes me a homer or someone with rose colored glasses than so be it.

 

[mgteich]

There was no TE that I would have taken instead of our picks. I say that in hindsight; Belichick got much better value than I might have gotten if I were to have drafted a TE.

 

[mgteich]

I'm certainly glad that we drafted Harris instead of Warring.

It’s possible that’s what happened, if so we must’ve had Harris and warring graded pretty close as I recall our pick was turned in pretty quickly after warring was announced.

 

[LJRomanoff]

If they'd kept their pick at the bottom of the fourth I might have taken Moreau. But the TEs were all JAGs after Hockenson (and yes that includes Fant and Smith.)

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

The te we are looking for is hard to come by. In all of bb’s years one te really flourished for the long term.

Watson and graham turned out ok but didn’t live up to the 1st rd billing. Ahern slipped because of character concerns, and eventually did us in. Martellus (who wasnt a cheap sign either) flashed early but injuries did him in, could have been amazing with gronk. Those were probably the closest ones.

Bottom line its a tough one to fill, and why take a long shot on a te prospect bb clearly wasnt high on when he sees a much better value elsewhere.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Just trade for George Kittle. Problem solved.

 

[rads2005]

My theory is that Gronk or Martellus told the Pats that a training camp and a full season were too much but were willing to come back for the last 6 games and playoffs. I think in Gronk's case the only way to do that and allow the Pats to use the cap room for the first half of the season would be to retire.

Martellus made an offhand comment about it in an article, but I'm hoping it's actually his plan.

Martellus Bennett discusses life in retirement, brother’s perfect fit with Patriots – Boston Herald

"Shut it down pretty quick so it wasn’t really lingering out there like that. You never know, though. I stay in shape, so one day I might wake up and be like, ‘F— it.’ Back half of the season. Second half, last six games before playoffs.”

 

[scott99]

Sternberger was the one. Despite not being a GREAT blocker, he has similar ability to catch the ball as Dallas Goedert in my opinion. If drafted, he automatically becomes the best pass catching TE on the team. And OBVIOUSLY instead of SlowJuan, whom I wasn’t a fan of.

No offense, I actually HATE this thread. It’s a real sore subject for me. The usual Belichick draft apologists will say, “oh he must’ve hated this TE class”, like they say every time when he passes up a TE in the draft. The last TWO draft years were extremely deep at the TE position. Is it possible the maniacal trade downs keep taking him out of position to take one he likes ?

 

[scott99]

Just trade for George Kittle. Problem solved.

Yeah, that’s pretty simple, I’m sure the 49ers, who had a GREAT draft, especially loading up on top offensive weapons, would be thrilled to trade the 2nd best pass catching, record holding TE to us. In fact I’m sure they are on the phone with Belichick right now as we speak

 

[mgteich]

Your views of what is a good TE for the patriots is different that Belichick.

I suspect that Belichick (strongly) prefers LeCosse over Steinberger, and therefore used the pick elsewhere.

Sternberger was the one. Despite not being a GREAT blocker, he has similar ability to catch the ball as Dallas Goedert in my opinion. If drafted, he automatically becomes the best pass catching TE on the team.

No offense, I actually HATE this thread. It’s a real sore subject for me. The usual Belichick draft apologists will say, “oh he must’ve hated this TE class”, like they say every time when he passes up a TE in the draft. The last TWO draft years were extremely deep at the TE position. Is it possible the maniacal trade downs keep taking him out of position to take one he likes ?

 

[State]

No, Edelman had the right idea all along. Zion Williamson as Gronk 2.0.

That reminds me of Bill Parcells, who wondered aloud thirty years ago how Charles Barkley had the physical makeup of a great TE.

 

[everlong]

I don't think you can draw the conclusion that they didn't like any of them just because they weren't drafted by the Pats. Sternberger went two picks ahead of where they took Winovich and then later in the 3rd round Warring went right ahead of Harris.

I actually think they were taking Winovich over Sternberger but had he or Warring made it to the Harris pick there's a good chance they draft then. I think the Pats have their value system and they don't vary from it and players were taken higher than the Pats wanted them.

Anyway even though I really like quite a few of the TEs in this draft I'm really excited with what the Patriots did so no complaining from me.

 

[Family]

They think more highly of what Ryan Izzo showed than most on this board believe.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

They think more highly of what Ryan Izzo showed than most on this board believe.

Remember that he wasn't put on IR on cutdown day; he was placed on IR after the final cutdowns when the Pats were awarded those two useless WRs on waivers.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Not trying to hijack the thread but
1)Bill might have been ok w what we have even if some aren't. We're never replacing 87. We just need to replace some production & that doesn't need to come from 1 player.
2)I can see this conversation taking place or a scenario like this happen.
"Yea we have X a lil higher than Williams but when are we seeing Williams skill set, personality & total package come along again"?

Very possible he was the highest prospect, he definitely was up there for us & he was a borderline 2nd from me. So its entirely possible we just loved the person/player & weren't letting him go.

If Harry was gone we might've gone JJ Rd1.

 

[patman52]

I would have taken Dawson Knox over Harris.

And then let Hill try again

 

[TBR]

Irv Smith.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Sternberger was the one. Despite not being a GREAT blocker, he has similar ability to catch the ball as Dallas Goedert in my opinion. If drafted, he automatically becomes the best pass catching TE on the team. And OBVIOUSLY instead of SlowJuan, whom I wasn’t a fan of.

No offense, I actually HATE this thread. It’s a real sore subject for me. The usual Belichick draft apologists will say, “oh he must’ve hated this TE class”, like they say every time when he passes up a TE in the draft. The last TWO draft years were extremely deep at the TE position. Is it possible the maniacal trade downs keep taking him out of position to take one he likes ?

I agree that Sternberger is the TE that we might regret having missed out on, but I don't get the nickname and generally ****ting on Williams. Yeah he ran a pretty slow 40 time, but so what? Malcolm Butler ran the same 40 time at his pro day, some guys have better game speed than shorts-and-t-shirts speed. Some guys just have a bad day. Some guys don't spend weeks leading up to the combine refining their sprinting technique in a way that maximizes their 40 time without contributing in any way to their game speed. If Williams' game tape doesn't show him to be overly slow--and it doesn't--then writing him off based on a bad combine 40 time is just lazy and makes little sense.

In Williams' case, if his 40 time is .05 seconds faster he probably goes in the first round. If nothing else, I'd think a good takeaway from this draft should be that Belichick doesn't necessarily care all that much about 40 times.