Rearranging the Pats' drafts

[patfanken]

BB is working hard at developing a sustainable model for the NFL.. compare our success to what happened in Indy after Peyton went down, they were not prepared.

This is the most important phrase of the tread. The key word of course is SUSTAINABLE. Now over the past 11 years this formula has been PROVEN beyond a doubt. BB has created a "sustainable' model for success in the NFL. A model that can overcome injuries, bad personnel decisions, bad luck, and bad chemistry. All of those things have happened, just like they do with every other team. Yet the Patriots have remained a consistent superbowl threat in every year since 2001.

I really like the concept of what you put out in starting this thread, Fencer. Great outside the box thinking and giving us a different way to view a familiar topic. I would however point out that the Pats success at picking up and developing young FAs should not be minimized.. Ninkovich, Fletcher, and Arrington are all going to play key roles on this defense in the coming years. Taking other people's gravel and turning it into gold has been a consistent hallmark of the NE Patriots.

Case in point Dan Connolly - From a camp fodder FA pick up, to a Dante acolyte, to a fill in player, to a solid back up, to versatile starter at 3 positions. Guys like these are the back bone of good football teams.....and you HAVE to have a bunch of them to survive in the cap era. And BB has found more than his share of these guys in the past decade

 

[AzPatsFan]

Well, to be fair, a lot of people - in this group as well - have been very critical of the Colts' drafts recently, and yet until this year they had finished 14-2 (and went to the SB) and 10-6 the previous two years. Only after losing Peyton Manning did they fall off a cliff. So couldn't Colts' fans have said, on the eve of the 2011 season, hey, how can this team be called being "hurt" by the draft when we've been 14-2 and 10-6 in the last two seasons, and went to the SB two years ago?

They could have, and they would have been wrong.

I'm not necessarily arguing that the Pats' drafts have been good or bad. I think it's pretty clear that they had a few very rough drafts but that the last few have been much better. But all-time great QBs still in their prime can cover a lot of mistakes.

Don't you remember the Polians saying that Belichick was foolish to waste a third rounder on drafting a backup QB, Ryan Mallet; or taking a second RB, Riddely, after drafting Vareen?

Hoyer was more than sufficient. I do...

 

[Fencer]

I really like the concept of what you put out in starting this thread, Fencer. Great outside the box thinking and giving us a different way to view a familiar topic.

Thanks for the kind words. They mean a lot coming from an awesome poster such as yourself!

I just wanted to say that before leaving the forum, as I am now doing due to overzealous moderation.