NBC Article on Patriots Draft Strategy

[BaconGrundleCandy]

@BaconGrundleCandy I'm curious about these numbers. Over 230 players are taken. A team could go in with only 75 players on its board? What happens if they are all taken by the end of round 5? That doesn't seem out of the question at all.

Very good question(s).

So I actually asked this year's ago wondering the same myself.

A team can/will do several things from what I gathered.
1)Priority udfa. Every team has a list of guys they think will go undrafted or make it as the draft unfolds. The difference between a 5th & udfa is almost non-existent so you can start there.
2)Trade out/Trade for vets
3)Most teams have boards where weighed out strictly by athletic testing. Again in the 5th round, why not? Athletes make up the sport, the draft is a bit of a gamble. Especially the further on you get. Take a shot.
4)This area, let's say 5th round. Is when you start to really think about ST players so there's always a few of those guys floating around that might not land on your top 50 or 75.
5)A team might only have 75 prospects that fit but chances are the people in the room have enough knowledge on others guys that might not have checked every box. Are good football players and around the 5th-6th round again why not take a shot.

 

[BTTA]

Very good question(s).

So I actually asked this year's ago wondering the same myself.

A team can/will do several things from what I gathered.
1)Priority udfa. Every team has a list of guys they think will go undrafted or make it as the draft unfolds. The difference between a 5th & udfa is almost non-existent so you can start there.
2)Trade out/Trade for vets
3)Most teams have boards where weighed out strictly by athletic testing. Again in the 5th round, why not? Athletes make up the sport, the draft is a bit of a gamble. Especially the further on you get. Take a shot.
4)This area, let's say 5th round. Is when you start to really think about ST players so there's always a few of those guys floating around that might not land on your top 50 or 75.
5)A team might only have 75 prospects that fit but chances are the people in the room have enough knowledge on others guys that might not have checked every box. Are good football players and around the 5th-6th round again why not take a shot.

Thanks. To boil it down, the "board" is the priority fit players, but everyone in the draft room has additional lists of players to fall back on.

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

Thanks. To boil it down, the "board" is the priority fit players, but everyone in the draft room has additional lists of players to fall back on.

Exactly, from guys that might have just missed the cut on fits to binkys. Absolutely, most of these guys are prepared for almost everything.

 

[captain stone]

If I'm understanding the article correctly the horizontal/vertical boards are done without regard to team need, but are done solely on scouting evaluation, and the scouting evaluation is based on how they project the player will fit into the Pats system. Then, once the horizontal board is in place, BB and Ziegler are the only ones who can adjust according to team need, player availability (i.e. move down if needs says you need a slot receiver the most and plenty are available), lack of player availability (you really need a big physical WR and none are available), etc.

Exactly...just as every other team probably does...

The team needs vs other teams' needs is merely one of the last factors when deciding between similarly-ranked players of different positions when the time comes to make a pick; e.g.: We have a WR and a DT ranked similarly, but we already drafted a WR so let's take the DT; or, There are a few more DTs we like but only 1-2 more WRs this good, so let's take the WR now and one of the DTs later; etc...

 

[captain stone]

@BaconGrundleCandy I'm curious about these numbers. Over 230 players are taken. A team could go in with only 75 players on its board? What happens if they are all taken by the end of round 5? That doesn't seem out of the question at all.

Agreed; and this also ties in with Ice Ice Brady's posts about, in this day & age, the IDIOCY of having such a small draft board when there is no longer ANY EXCUSE WHATSOEVER not to have a COMPLETE database of nearly Every. Single. Draft-eligible. Prospect.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Agreed; and this also ties in with Ice Ice Brady's posts about, in this day & age, the IDIOCY of having such a small draft board when there is no longer ANY EXCUSE WHATSOEVER not to have a COMPLETE database of nearly Every. Single. Draft-eligible. Prospect.

Yes it was ridiculous to have mini-BB proteges (without BB's actual talent) go to other franchises and act all smug to only have a draft board of 30 total players... and completely wreck other franchises in the process.

.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

2021 NFL Draft rumors: Patriots, Saints 'very high' on Mac Jones

Mac Jones is one of the most interesting prospects ahead of next week's 2021 NFL Draft, and the Patriots reportedly are among the teams "very high" on the Alabama QB.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[captain stone]

2021 NFL Draft rumors: Patriots, Saints 'very high' on Mac Jones

Mac Jones is one of the most interesting prospects ahead of next week's 2021 NFL Draft, and the Patriots reportedly are among the teams "very high" on the Alabama QB.

sports.yahoo.com

Mac Jones would be perfect for NO, but they're too far down the order to be able to move up far enough to have a chance at him...Unless they pull a Mike Ditka/Billy Kuharich and give away their Entire draft for him...

 

[Bill Lee]

If I'm understanding the article correctly the horizontal/vertical boards are done without regard to team need, but are done solely on scouting evaluation, and the scouting evaluation is based on how they project the player will fit into the Pats system. Then, once the horizontal board is in place, BB and Ziegler are the only ones who can adjust according to team need, player availability (i.e. move down if needs says you need a slot receiver the most and plenty are available), lack of player availability (you really need a big physical WR and none are available), etc.

Exactly...just as every other team probably does...

The team needs vs other teams' needs is merely one of the last factors when deciding between similarly-ranked players of different positions when the time comes to make a pick; e.g.: We have a WR and a DT ranked similarly, but we already drafted a WR so let's take the DT; or, There are a few more DTs we like but only 1-2 more WRs this good, so let's take the WR now and one of the DTs later; etc...

I get the sense that the Pats draft room is pretty calm relative to others, based on what I've heard from various media sources.

I get the sense from other sources that some other draft rooms still have various coaches and scouts lobbying for various players right down till when the card gets turned in, not to mention the role the owner is said to play in some draft rooms.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

.

I get the sense that the Pats draft room is pretty calm relative to others, based on what I've heard from various media sources.

I get the sense from other sources that some other draft rooms still have various coaches and scouts lobbying for various players right down till when the card gets turned in, not to mention the role the owner is said to play in some draft rooms.

Other teams run their war room like a circus. They've watched Draft Day too many times.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

I get the sense that the Pats draft room is pretty calm relative to others, based on what I've heard from various media sources.

I get the sense from other sources that some other draft rooms still have various coaches and scouts lobbying for various players right down till when the card gets turned in, not to mention the role the owner is said to play in some draft rooms.

maybe we need to add a little chaos to our draft room!

Five straight pitiful drafts!

7 defensive backs in round 2 of the last 10 drafts and not one of them contributed squat to date!

bb must break out of the slump or we are doomed!

 

[Bill Lee]

maybe we need to add a little chaos to our draft room!

Five straight pitiful drafts!

7 defensive backs in round 2 of the last 10 drafts and not one of them contributed squat to date!

bb must break out of the slump or we are doomed!

Under the theme of keeping a cool head, I think the numbers show our draft over the last five years is average rather than pitiful, once you consider the whole 3 SB appearances in 4 years, the AFCE division win streak, etc that means we were drafting at the bottom of the class for the entire last decade.

The 2nd round DB drafting thing to me is just an odd quirk, one piece of the package that you got while the dynasty was up and running and we were mostly looking for finishing pieces rather than game changers.

What you call a pitiful draft a Jet fan would call a wonderful draft, and they were picking in the top quarter pretty much the entire last decade.

 

[PatRiot]

Here you go.
6th worst drafting team in the last 6 years. Kraft himself has acknowledged this, odd you're trying to fight and claim the Pats have drafted well. They haven't.

Why the Patriots’ draft misses are driving their downfall

The Patriots’ drafts from 2016-19 rank sixth-worst in the NFL, per career Approximate Value.

www.bostonherald.com

6th worst from 2016-2019 !!!!! and what ??? I enjoyed winning the Superbowl at the same time. Future will tell, but this 2021 Team looks really nice for me. Take a QB in the First, get JG for a 3rd + 4th..... whatever ..... Special Team Sport

 

[captain stone]

Other teams run their war room like a circus. They've watched Draft Day too many times.

I'm not suggesting that STHs & their families be allowed into the room or anything like that...But...The Billy & Nicky Show absolutely sucked here; and now there should be No Reason Whatsoever why at the minimum Bill's Director of College Scouting Brian Smith, Assistant Personnel Director Dave Ziegler, plus Ernie Adams, Berj Najarian & Eliot Wolf can't All be in the room along with Bill, Phatt Matt, the Early Bird & Jonathan Kraft.

Edit: We would probably have to allow Skippy in the room too...Dude's been here 20 years now, after all...

 

[DropKickFlutie]

I'm not suggesting that STHs & their families be allowed into the room or anything like that...But...The Billy & Nicky Show absolutely sucked here; and now there should be No Reason Whatsoever why at the minimum Bill's Director of College Scouting Brian Smith, Assistant Personnel Director Dave Ziegler, plus Ernie Adams, Berj Najarian & Eliot Wolf can't All be in the room along with Bill, Phatt Matt, the Early Bird & Jonathan Kraft.

Edit: We would probably have to allow Skippy in the room too...Dude's been here 20 years now, after all...

Ernie Adams and Eliot Wolf should definitely be in the room. It can't be just BB and his coordinators and Ziegler with the Krafts....

.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

6th worst from 2016-2019 !!!!! and what ??? I enjoyed winning the Superbowl at the same time. Future will tell, but this 2021 Team looks really nice for me. Take a QB in the First, get JG for a 3rd + 4th..... whatever ..... Special Team Sport

Getting JimmyG means we can go Defense with the first pick....

 

[Bill Lee]

Other teams run their war room like a circus. They've watched Draft Day too many times.

An article from 2014 on how the Packers set up their draft room.

Inside the War Room

At team headquarters across the NFL, the draft means waiting, working through the chaos, waiting some more and trusting The Board

www.si.com

Some quotes:

The general manager sits at either the head of a conference table or directly in front of the board, flanked by his most trusted personnel assistant and the head coach. Further down are personnel directors working the phones, each assigned a team based on relationships. Close at hand are 1) the cap/contract person (my former role), ready to advise with numbers on all players, 2) a research/statistician evaluating proposed trades through various proprietary charts and analytics, and 3) team doctors and trainers ready with physical grades. There’s an open line to a staff member in New York who fills out and hands in the card for each selection. Finally, owners and their friends—or, in the case of the Packers, members of the Executive Committee—circle in occasionally, although most exit stage right soon after the top pick is made.

Definitely a pretty calm place, especially considering Green Bay doesn't have an owner, just an Executive Committee.

In our case we get GM and head coach all in one person, and presumably a similar set of others in the room.

And of course we get a re-telling of the Aaron Rodgers pick, see below.

Note Ted refers to Ted Thompson, GB's general manager at the time.

Seems he had final say, he didn't have to yield to the head coach or the head of pro personnel, nor even take that much input from them.

This is kind of how I think it goes for BB in our draft room.

Probably a lot different in places such as WAS or CIN.

A true trust The Board moment came in the drafting of Aaron Rodgers.

In 2005, we had approximately 20 players rated above the first-round line. When we arrived at our pick, at No. 24, the only name left above that line was Rodgers, who played the same position as one of the most durable players in NFL history: Brett Favre. (I always had a hard time signing a backup quarterback, as they wanted to have at least the possibility of playing.)

As we stared at Rodgers’ name, there were murmurs in the room from those concerned with the short-term, realizing we may well use our first-round pick on a player who would probably not get in a game that year (or perhaps the next, or even the year after that ... or possibly never in a Packers uniform).

...
I could not really tell him anything, as Ted wanted to see if an offer for extra picks would come while we were on the clock. The room and the phone lines were eerily silent—with all eyes on Ted and on me holding the phone—as everyone waited for the decision. Finally, after 10 minutes that seemed like 10 hours, Ted gave the go-ahead: We were taking Aaron.

Interesting part to me is the fact that those who objected to the Rodgers pick only "murmured" their objections, and the room was mostly silent as the clock ticked down till they had to make the pick. It's a lot different than how I'd picture most draft rooms being in that situation. I'd think there'd be a lot of open lobbying for doing something other than following the board verbatim since they really did not need a QB at the time, instead it was murmurs followed by silence.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Bill Belichick offers detailed insight on how Patriots evaluate prospects in draft

If you want to know how the Patriots evaluate prospects, here's some great insight.

l.patsfans.com

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

When they refer to color rating the prospects, as well as number grading , I wonder if Ernie's famous "pink stripes" is related to that....

 

[n6249c]

That wasn't the question. I guess we can end it there then?

You could’ve ended it a dozen posts ago.

but hey it’s good for the popcorn market...