Today in Patriots History
Trevor Matich rather than Jerry Rice, and other April 30 Drafts
April 30, 1980: Day Two (Rounds 7-12) of the NFL Draft, from the New York Sheraton Hotel in Manhattan
On Day One the Pats drafted CB Roland James, RB Vagus Ferguson, LB Larry McGrew, DT Steve McMichael, DE Doug McDougald and WR Preston Brown on Day One. That would have been a great draft had they not prematurely waived McMichael.
- 7.180 -- G Tom Kearns, Kentucky (7th round, #180)
- 8.208 -- TE Mike House, Pacific (8th round, #208)
- 9.235 -- LB Barry Burdet, Oklahoma (9th round, #235)
- 10.266 - C Rom Daniel, Georgia Tech (10th round, #266)
- 11.293 - P
Mike Hubach, Kansas (11th round, #293)
- 12.320 - QB Jimmy Jordan, Florida State (12th round, #320)
Hubach spent a year and a half with the Pats, while Jordan appeared in one game for the Saints; the four others never played in a single NFL game.
April 30, 1985: Day One (Rounds 1-3) of the NFL Draft, from the Omni Park Central Hotel in Manhattan
- Pats trade down, sending their 1st round (#16) and a 3rd (#75) to the 49ers for a 1st (#28), 2nd (#56) and 3rd (#84).
If that looks like SF gave up very little to move up 12 spots, you are correct.
Now consider who the 49ers selected with that pick: HoF WR
Jerry Rice.
The first pick for the Pats was a career long snapper with five different teams.
- 1.28 -- C
Trevor Matich, Brigham Young [pick from SF trade above]
- 2.48 -- DE
Garin Veris, Stanford
- 2.52 -- Pats traded HoF CB Mike Haynes and 7.192 to the Raiders for 2.85 and a 1984 first on 11/11/1983
- 2.52 -- CB
Jim Bowman, Central Michigan
- 2.56 -- DE Ben Thomas, Auburn [pick from SF trade above]
- 3.75 -- [sent to SF in trade above]
- 3.81 -- Pats traded OL Bob Cryder to Seattle for 1985 3.81 on 7/31/1984
- 3.84 -- CB
Audray McMillian, Houston [pick from SF trade above]
Bottom line of that disastrous trade:
San Francisco:
Jerry Rice, one of the greatest players in the history of pro football.
New England:
C Trevor Matich: 26 games, 11 starts in four seasons.
DE Ben Thomas: 19 games, one start, one sack in one-plus seasons.
CB Audray McMillian: waived at the end of camp; later became a Pro Bowler for the Vikings.
April 30, 1986: Day Two (Rounds 4-12) of the NFL Draft, from the New York Marriott Marquis
On Day One the Pats drafted RB Reggie Dupard, DT Mike Ruth and S Venice Glenn.
Ouch.
- 4.109 -- TE Scott Geiselman, Boston College
- 5.137 -- G
Greg Robinson, Sacramento State
- 6.165 -- Pats trade out, sending pick to Tampa Bay for a 1987 fifth
- 7.187 -- Pick acquired in 1983 trade with 49ers for QB Matt Cavanaugh
- 7.187 -- WR Ray McDonald, Florida
- 7.192 -- DE
Brent Williams, Toledo
- 8.220 -- TE
Greg Baty, Stanford
- 9.248 -- G George Colton, Maryland
- 10.276 - RB Cletis Jones, Florida State
- 11.304 - WR Gene Thomas, Pacific
- 12.332 - K Don McAulay, Syracuse
Robinson was waived at the end of camp; the next season he played for the Patriots in the three Replacement Players Games. Williams was a solid starter, playing for the Pats in eight of his 11 NFL seasons. Baty had four TD in a year and a half with the Pats, and later spent several years with Miami. The six others never played in the NFL.
April 30, 1988: Pats sign undrafted rookie free agent punter
Jeff Feagles, from the University of Miami
Feagles only averaged 38.3 and 38.0 yards per punt in his two seasons with the Pats; that led to his release and the Patriots signing Brian Hansen in the 1990 offseason. Feagles improved and went on to spend 20 more years in the NFL, something not even his parents would have predicted at that point in time.
April 30, 2006: Day Two (Rounds 4-7) of the NFL Draft, from Radio City Music Hall
On Day One the Patriots drafted RB Laurence Maroney, WR Chad Jackson and TE David Thomas.
Underwhelming, though much of that was due to Jackson's post-injury demise.
It didn't get much better on Day Two.
- In 2005 the Pats traded their 5.145 and 6.206 to Detroit for a 2006 fourth
- 4.106 -- TE Garrett Mills, Tulsa
- 4.118 -- K
Stephen Gostkowski, Memphis
- In 2005 the Pats traded 6.175 to Oakland for 7.230 (Matt Cassel) and a 2006 fourth
- 5.136 -- OT Ryan O'Callaghan, Cal
- Pats traded their own 2006 fifth round pick to Cleveland for WR Andre' Davis on 8/22/2005
- 6.191 -- DE Jeremy Mincey, Florida
- 6.236 -- Compensatory pick awarded for free agency loss of WR David Patten
- 6.236 -- G Dan Stevenson, Notre Dame
- 6.237 -- Compensatory pick awarded for free agency loss of G Joe Andruzzi
- 6.237 -- DT Le Kevin Smith, Nebraska
- 7.229 -- S
Willie Andrews, Baylor
A fourth round pick on a kicker - which most fans thought at the time was way too soon to draft for that position - was the only decision that somewhat salvaged Day Two. Mincey had a decent NFL career, but it was with Miami and Dallas; the Pats waived him at the end of his rookie training camp. Andrews was okay for two years until he got arrested multiple times. (If you're making an NFL salary do you really need to continue being a drug dealer?)
April 30, 2009: Patriots trade a 2010 fifth round pick to Tampa for TE
Alex Smith
Smith had been productive with the Bucs, totaling 129 catches and 11 TD over four seasons. However, Bill Belichick opted to go with rookie Michael Matthews - who was waived a month later - as the third TE instead, and waived Smith at the end of camp. The Pats would go with only two tight ends (Ben Watson, Chris Baker) for most of the 2009 season.
April 30, 2011: Day Three (Rounds 4-7) of the NFL Draft, from Radio City Music Hall
New England had previously drafted OT Nate Solder, CB Ras-I Dowling, RB Shane Vereen, RB Stevan Ridley and QB Ryan Mallett
- Pats previously traded RB Laurence Maroney and a 2011 sixth to Denver for a 2011 4th (4.99) on 9/14/2010
- Pats previously traded a 2011 4th (4.99) to Seattle for WR Deion Branch on 10/11/2010
- Pats traded 3.92 and 4.125 to the Raiders for 7.219 and a 2012 second round draft pick (Tavon Wilson) on 4/29/2011
- On the previous day the Pats traded 2.60 to the Texans for 3.73 (Stevan Ridley) and 5.138
- 5.138 -- OT
Marcus Cannon, Texas Christian
- 5.159 -- TE Lee Smith, Marshall
- Pats previously traded TE David Thomas to New Orleans for a 2011 sixth (6.189) on 9/05/2009
- Pats traded 6.189 in the Laurence Maroney trade, above
- Belichick trades 6.193 to Andy Reid for 6.194 because, why not?
- 6.194 -- DE Markell Carter, Central Arkansas
- On the previous day the Pats traded 3.92 and 4.125 to the Raiders for 7.219 and a 2012 second
- 7.219 -- CB Malcolm Williams, Texas Christian
- Pats previously traded 7.230 to Atlanta for G Quinn Ojinnaka on 8/23/2010
Marcus Cannon was a great value. Smith had a lengthy career, but none of it was with the Patriots.
April 30, 2012: Patriots sign a pair of undrafted rookie free agents: WR Matt Roark (Kentucky) and DL
Marcus Forston (Miami).
April 30, 2015: Day One (Round One) of the 2015 NFL Draft, from the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago
1.32 --- DT
Malcom Brown, Texas
April 30, 2016: Day Three (Rounds 4-7) of the 2016 NFL Draft, from the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago
Roger Goodell stole New England's first pick in the draft because believes Ted Wells, but not physics.
After that the Patriots CB Cyrus Jones, G Joe Thuney, QB Jacoby Brissett and DT Vincent Calentine.
- On the previous day the Pats traded 2.61 to New Orleans 3.78 (Joe Thuney) and 4.112
- 4.112 -- WR
Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia
- Pats previously traded 4.127 to Chicago for TE
Martellus Bennett and 6.204 on 3/17/2016
- Pats trade up, sending 6.196, 6.204 and 7.250 to Miami for 5.147
- Pats trade down, sending 5.147 and 7.243 to Seattle for 7.225 (Devin Lucien) and a 2017 fourth (Deatrich Wise)
- Pats previously traded 5.166 to Houston for WR Keshawn Martin and 6.196 on 9/17/2015
- Pats previously traded 6.204 to Chicago for LB Jonathan Bostic
- Pats previously got 6.204 back from Chicago in the Martellus Bennett trade, above
- 6.208 -- Compensatory pick awarded for free agency loss of Vince Wilfork
- 6.208 -- LB Kamu Grugier-Hill, Eastern Illinois
- 6.214 -- Compensatory pick awarded for free agency loss of Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen
- 6.214 -- LB
Elandon Roberts, Houston
- 6.221 -- Compensatory pick awarded for free agency loss of Akeem Ayers, Brandon Browner and Jonathan Casillas
- 6.221 -- G
Ted Karras, Illinois
- 7.225 -- WR Devin Lucien, Arizona State
April 30, 2021: Day Two (Rounds 2-3) of the NFL Draft, from Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland
On Day One the Patriots drafted Mac Jones
- Pats trade up, sending 2.46, 4.122 and 4.139 to Cincinnati for 2.38
- 2.38 -- DT
Christian Barmore, Alabama
- 3.77 -- Pats lose this draft pick for idiotically fiming the Bengals-Browns sideline in a game that meant nothing to the Patriots, as part of a Kraft Productions fluff piece on a team scout.
- 3.96 -- Compensatory pick awarded for free agency loss of Tom Brady
- 3.96 -- DE Ronnie Perkins, Oklahoma
April 30, 2022: Day Three (Rounds 4-7) of the NFL Draft, from Caesar's in Las Vegas
On Day One the Patriots traded down, then drafted G Cole Strange
On Day Two the Pats drafted WR Tyquan Thornton and CB Marcus Jones
- Pats previously traded down from 1.21 to 1.29 (Cole Strange), 3.94 and 4.121
- 4.121 -- CB
Jack Jones, Arizona State
- 4.127 -- RB
Pierre Strong, South Dakota State
- Pats previously traded 3.94 to Carolina for 4.137 and a 2023 third (Marte Mapu) on 4/29/2022
- 4.137 -- QB
Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky
- Pats previously traded 3.77 to Miami for WR DeVante Parker and 5.158
- Pats traded 2.54 and 5.58 on the previous day to KC for 2.50 (Tyquan Thornton)
- Pats previously traded 5.164 to the Raiders for OT Trent Brown and 7.243 on 3/17/2021
- Pats previously traded G Shaq Mason to Tampa for 5.170 on 3/17/2022
- Pats previously traded 5.170 to Houston for 6.183 and 7.245 on 4/25/2022
- 6.183 -- RB
Kevin Harris, South Carolina
- 6.200 -- DE
Sam Roberts, Northwest Missouri State
- Pats previously traded RB Sony Michel to the Rams for 6.210 and a 2023 fourth (Jake Andrews)
- 6.210 -- G Chasen Hines, LSU
- Pats previously traded Ryan Izzo to Houston for 7.224 on 3/18/2021
- Pats previously traded 7.224 and a 2023 fifth to Baltimore for CB Shaun Wade on 8/26/2021
- Pats previously traded 2022 conditional pick (7.242) to Miami for WR Isaiah Ford on 11/03/2020
- Pats previously traded 7.243 (from Trent Brown trade) to KC for OT Yasir Durant on 8/31/2021
- 7.245 -- G Andrew Steuber, Michigan
