Today in Patriots History
Trading up for Irving Fryar, and other May 1 Drafts
May 1, 1984:
Day One (rounds 1-3) of the NFL Draft, from the Omni Park Central Hotel in NYC
New England ended the 1983 season with two first round picks, plus their own second and third.
Prior to the draft he Pats traded up 15 spots, sending 1.16, 1.28, 10.265 and a 1985 first to Cincinnati for the first overall pick.
- 1.01 -- WR
Irving Fryar, Nebraska
- 1.16 -- sent to Bengals to trade up for Fryar (Pats own pick)
- 1.28 -- sent to Bengals to trade up for Fryar (Pick received from Oakland for Mike Haynes)
- 2.43 -- LB Ed Williams, Texas
- 3.70 -- RB Jonathan Williams, Penn State
The Patriots would have been better served standing still, with far too many other positions in need of an upgrade to make this trade. On top of that giving up three firsts (one came from the Mike Haynes trade) for one is not a good value, and using the number one overall pick on a wide receiver is never a good idea. It took Ed Williams four seasons to break into the starting lineup, and he finished his career with just ten NFL starts. Jon Williams blew out his knee in his rookie off season, abruptly ending his pro football career.
Uggh.
May 1, 1985:
Day Two (rounds 4-12) of the NFL Draft, from the Omni Park Central Hotel in Manhattan
On Day One the Pats traded down with San Francisco. The 49ers used that pick on Jerry Rice; the Pats used their pick on Trevor Matich, a center who couldn't crack the starting lineup and became a long snapper. In the second round the Patriots drafted DE Garin Veris, CB Jim Bowman and DE Ben Thomas; in the third they took CB Audrey McMillian.
- 4.102 -- OT Tom Toth, Western Michigan
- (Pats traded Shelby Jordan to Oakland for 4.108 on 9/6/83)
- 4.108 -- WR Gerard Phelan, Boston College
- (Pats traded 5.109 as part of 1984 trade up for Irving Fryar)
- (Pats previously traded 6.156 to Philadelphia for K
Tony Franklin on 2/22/84)
- (Pats lost 7.188 as compensation for tampering with Oakland scout John Polonchek)
- (Pats previously traded 7.192 and Mike Haynes to Oakland for '84 1.28 and '85 2.52)
- (Pats previously traded 8.215 to Atlanta for S
Rod McSwain on 8/27/84)
- (Pats previously traded Matt Cavanaugh to 49ers for 8.224 and '86 7th, on 8/10/83)
- 8.224 -- DT
Milford Hodge, Washington State
- (Pats previously traded 9.242 to Pittsburgh for TE
Greg Hawthorne on 8/21/84)
- (Pats previously traded 10.269 to Denver for P Luke Prestridge on 8/20/84)
- 11.295 - RB Paul Lewis, Boston University
- 12.328 - RB Tony Mumford, Penn State
As a result of previous trades the Pats ended with just four selections in the final nine rounds. Hodge was the only draftee to ever play for the Patriots (49 games from 1986-89) - but he was initially cut, signed by New orleans, then re-signed a year later. Phelan was of course the receiver who caught Doug Flutie's famous Hail Mary touchdown for BC against Miami; he dislocated his kneecap very early in his rookie training camp, prematurely ending his pro football career.
May 1, 2015:
Day Two (rounds 2-3) of the NFL Draft, from the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago
On Day One the Patriots drafted Texas DT Malcom Brown with the final pick of the first round.
- 2.64 -- S
Jordan Richards, Stanford
- Pats trade down, sending 3.96 and 7.219 to Cleveland for 4.111 (Tre' Jackson), 5.147 (Brett Hundley) and 6.202 (AJ Derby).
- 3.97 -- Compensatory pick awarded for free agency loss of CB Aqib Talib.
- 3.97 -- DE
Geneo Grissom, Oklahoma
May 1, 2021:
Day Three (rounds 4-7) of the NFL Draft, from Cleveland Browns Stadium
The Pats previously drafted QB Mac Jones, DT Christian Barmore and DE Ronnie Perkins.
- 4.120 -- RB
Rhamonde Stevenson, Oklahoma
- Pats previously traded OT Marcus Cannon, 5.158 and 6.195 to Houston for 4.122 and 6.188, on 3/17/2021.
- On the previous day the Pats traded up, sending 2.46, 4.122 and 4.139 to Cincinnati for 2.38 (Barmore)
- 4.139 -- Compensatory pick awarded for free agency loss of Jamie Collins.
- 5.177 -- Compensatory pick awarded for free agency loss of Kyle Van Noy.
- 5.177 -- LB Cameron McGrone, Michigan
- Pats previously traded WR Demaryius Thomas to the Jets for 6.186, on 9/10/2019.
- Pats previously traded up, sending 2020 4.125, 2020 4.129 and 2021 6.186 to the Jets for 2020 3.101 (Dalton Keene), on 4/24/20.
- 6.188 -- S Joshua Bledsoe, Missouri
- 6.197 -- OT William Sherman, Colorado
- 7.242 -- Tre Nixon, Central Florida
May 1, 1970:
RB
Jim Nance becomes a free agent.
The two sides would not come to a contract agreement until September, after the end of preseason games.
May 1, 1978:
The Pats sign a pair of undrafted free agents: K Tom Birney and G Val Belcher - neither of whom made the Pats roster.
Birney would go on to kick for Green Bay for two seasons.
Belcher spent four years in the CFL, winning a Grey Cup with Winnipeg. He then retired from pro football and founded a 20-restaurant chain in the Ottawa area named Lone Star Texas Grill.
May 1, 1995:
New England signs eight rookie free agents; all but one make it onto an NFL roster.
Georgia WR
Hason Graham stuck with the Pats for two seasons, with 38 receptions and two touchdowns.
Arizona State CB Eddie Cade played in ten games for the Patriots.
Rutgers LB Alcindes Catanho appeared in eight games for the Pats in 1995.
Howard RB Rupert Grant played in seven games with one start for the Patriots.
Boston College RB David Green saw action in a pair of games.
Angelo State TE Andre President was on the pratice squad and got on the field for one game with the Pats.
Arkansas State WR Kendricke Bullard was waived and later played for Jacksonville.
May 1, 2006:
The Patriots sign eight undrafted free agents.
Michigan OLB
Pierre Woods played in 54 games for the Pats over four and a half seasons.
Notre Dame ILB Corey Mays played in nine games over two seasons, boucing between the practice squad and 53-man roster.
May 1, 2008:
New England signs seven undrafted rookies.
Ole Miss RB
BenJarvus Green-Ellis - "Law Firm" - set an NFL record for most carries without a fumble during his four years in Foxboro.
Fresno State C
Ryan Wendell spent 2008 on the practice squad, then played in 79 games with 49 starts from 2009-15 with the Pats.
Virginia TE Jonathan Stupar was waived, but did spend two full seasons with the Bills.
Liberty DL Vince Redd was on the Pats practice squad, then spent time in the CFL, Arena League, and German Football League.
May 1, 2009:
The Patriots sign three undrafted players, one of whom made it to the Pats roster.
Michigan State QB
Brian Hoyer was considered to be a late round prospect; the Pats quickly signed him after he went undrafted. At that point in time nobody figured that he his NFL career would outlast his hairline.
May 1, 2012:
The Pats hire
Bob Quinn as Director of Pro Scouting.
A graduate of Norwood High School and UConn, Quinn got his start with the Pats at the age of 24 as a low level Player Personnel Assistant. He worked his way up the ranks to Pro Scout, Regional Scout, National Scout and Assistant Director of Pro Personnel before assuming this position. Quinn was GM with Detroit for five years, and is now in the Cleveland Browns front office.
