No more gonzo / head scratcher picks?

[Jim Beankie]

You'll find his stats here. Again, they are updated every week. You can't go back to see what players were giving up yards from weeks 1-3 so I can't prove he was among the worst. He gave up 225 yards in only 3 games averaging 75 yards per game. This contradicts the tweets from Lazar which makes it seem like nobody is catching passes on him. I'm not saying he's lying, just it's not a complete picture.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2023/defense_advanced.htm

I rewatched his games and was even more impressed than what I'd remembered. A lot of the time, the QB didn't even bother looking his way. I listed below anything remotely his fault even though a number of them I wouldn't really count normally (in total 218yds in 3.25 games for 67yds per game), so I totally see why Lazar listed it the way he did. What's nuts is that PHI and MIA each had 2 guys that averaged ~1330yds overall for the season and he shut them down, relatively speaking. In the Jets game, he didn't gave up his 1st reception until the 4th when it was just Prevent time for the Pats. He was a huge loss. The season pretty much imploded after he left (Score 3-3 against DAL).

PHI - 89yds
DS 2yds (quick)
AJ 7yds
AJ 15yds
DS 10yds
DS 13yds
AJ 21yds
AJ 15yds
Great CB blitz sack
AJ 6yds (3rd down stop)
Great 4th down stop/bat by Gonzo 4th and 2 with 2:00 left in the game

MIA - 52yds
TH 7yds (very debatable)
JW 15yds
TE Smyth 9yds (doesn't really count)
TH 7yds (doesn't really count)
TH 6yds (doesn't really count)
TE Smyth 8yds (doesn't really count)
INT by Gonzo (intended for TH)

NYJ - 68yds
Lots o' Prevent
GW 5yds - He gave up his 1st reception in the 4th with 10:39 left
GW 8yds (this is really a stretch)
AL 21yds (not sure whose fault this is)
AL 6yds
GW 28yds Mega prevent with 14s left (this is reeeallllly a stretch)

DAL - 9yds
MG 9yds

 

[jimnance]

While O-line and WR were obvious needs, Gonzalez wasn't a head scratcher as the secondary was/is weak.

Many wanted to anoint him after a few games using selective stats, but he was among CB's who were giving up the most total yards until he got injured. Now he's coming off of an injury.

Gonzalez was arguably the best cb in the nfl. Period. Before he got hurt.
Shut down Tyreek Hill. Shutdown Jaylen Waddle. Shutdown A.J.Brown.
Shutdown Donta Smith.
Hill said Gonzo was the toughest cb he's faced.
Brown said basically the same thing.
You are way off

 

[TheRainMaker]

You are way off

Not really. He was on pace to give up over 1,200 yards which would've been a league worst by far. Would he have given that up? Probably not. I was just pointing out what Pro Football Reference had with him giving up in total yards before his injury.

 

[Patriot Missile]

These were the selective stats I was referring to. The total yards to other players weren’t good. They were posted on pro football reference and it obviously changes throughout the season since his injury as more games are played. What you see as his total stats were at the time at the bottom of the NFL. I had posted about this very early in the season.

Tyreek Hill gave the rookie props. You are so off on this one and not one sane person would agree with you

Dolphins' Tyreek Hill Praises Patriots' Christian Gonzalez for 'Technique and Speed'

 

[TheRainMaker]

Tyreek Hill gave the rookie props. You are so off on this one and not one sane person would agree with you

Dolphins' Tyreek Hill Praises Patriots' Christian Gonzalez for 'Technique and Speed'

Take that up with Pro Football Reference.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Take that up with Pro Football Reference.

No thanks, I’ll take the best wr in the leagues word for it.

 

[jimnance]

Not really. He was on pace to give up over 1,200 yards which would've been a league worst by far. Would he have given that up? Probably not. I was just pointing out what Pro Football Reference had with him giving up in total yards before his injury.

That's one little stat. And there are much more important stats than that.
All you need to know is he had the best overall stats and performance in the entire league when he went down.
And nobody faced tougher competition. Hell, I forgot to even mention CD Lamb, whom Gonzo had shut down until he got the injury.
As soon as Gonzo left the game, Lamb went off.
I just hope his recovery is full. This kid has the chance to be great.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

What's your issue with Bubba Bazinga?

Good pecs, nothing upstairs.

 

[upstater1]

Have the Patriots entered an era of sensible, predictable draft picks? I suspect so, but I will miss the days of hearing this announcement: "After trading out of the first round, the Patriots have selected Bubba Bazinga from Mooseknuckle Saskatchewan, a special teams play with a background in juggling..." and watching for the Patriots draftniks go nuts.....

Obviously the sensible early round draft picks this year would be WR, OL, TE, etc., but in the BB era the first pick would be something like a safety or defensive tackle. Ah, the good ole' days and that is why BB lost his job, not his on-field coaching.

Safeties like Devin McCourty or Kyle Dugger or Patrick Chung?

Or DTs like Richard Seymour, Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork?

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

Safeties like Devin McCourty or Kyle Dugger or Patrick Chung?

Or DTs like Richard Seymour, Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork?

And so? Devin McCourty, Kyle Dugger and Patrick Chung were not off-the-wall reaches. Everyone knew about McCourty and Chung at least. So how about Jordan Richards; that was a head scratcher/reach as was Cole Strange, N'Keal Harry, etc.

I am expecting, hoping, there are no more Jordan Richards / Cole Strange type picks. No more huge reaches or big surprises.

On the other hand, I would be suspicious if the draft went exactly as the draft guides predicted....almost as if an owner, ahem, was meddling in the draft which could be a big issue during the draft or the season. Will Mayo have the gravitas to stand up to Kraft?

 

[TheRainMaker]

Safeties like Devin McCourty or Kyle Dugger or Patrick Chung?

McCourty was taken as a CB. He was on his way to bustsville before Chung got injured and Bill moved him to FS. Kept him at FS because he was clearly more comfortable there.

Chung was bad in his first stint as he was playing out of position. Played his national position from college as a SS in his 2nd stint.

Dugger was certainly controversial in 2020, but has proven many wrong.

Or DTs like Richard Seymour, Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork?

Seymour was certainly a surprise when most had David Terrell in that slot. Deuce McAllister was also mocked in that spot. The Pats defense ran through him in 2001 and I don't think they make their Super Bowl run without him.

So how about Jordan Richards; that was a head scratcher/reach as was Cole Strange, N'Keal Harry, etc.

Richards was the most bizarre pick in the Bill era. Strange is up there as well. Harry was a pegged to go in the 1st round, but most had him going after Brown, Metcalf and Samuel. Brown is the best of the bunch. My friend is a 49ers fan and he's getting tired of Deebo's inconsistency staying on the field. His style of play is catching up to him quickly.

I am expecting, hoping, there are no more Jordan Richards / Cole Strange type picks. No more huge reaches or big surprises.

I think we'll see more consensus picks in the early rounds. In fact, I think Kraft will have a ton of influence on this pick. WTF picks after 2nd-3rd rounds are impossible to avoid. Every team will take at least one.

 

[State]

Richards was the most bizarre pick in the Bill era.

True.

 

[upstater1]

And so? Devin McCourty, Kyle Dugger and Patrick Chung were not off-the-wall reaches. Everyone knew about McCourty and Chung at least. So how about Jordan Richards; that was a head scratcher/reach as was Cole Strange, N'Keal Harry, etc.

I am expecting, hoping, there are no more Jordan Richards / Cole Strange type picks. No more huge reaches or big surprises.

On the other hand, I would be suspicious if the draft went exactly as the draft guides predicted....almost as if an owner, ahem, was meddling in the draft which could be a big issue during the draft or the season. Will Mayo have the gravitas to stand up to Kraft?

N'Keal Harry wasn't actually a reach. In fact, we got him AFTER the consensus pick.

 

[upstater1]

Harry was a pegged to go in the 1st round, but most had him going after Brown, Metcalf and Samuel. Brown is the best of the bunch. My friend is a 49ers fan and he's getting tired of Deebo's inconsistency staying on the field. His style of play is catching up to him quickly.

If you look at the consensus database, both AJ Brown and Deebo were rated after Harry and picked to go in the 2nd round.

Metcalf was the surprise that draft since he fell so far from his ranking