Strange's situation may affect things this offseason, isn't expected to participate

[h0c2000]

 

[Ian]

I said it when the pick was made and it turned out to be true. This pick was the end of the line for BB.

It was indefensible then, and it atrocious now.

He wasn’t their first choice. They got jumped, which blew up their first plan. So rather than trade back a handful of spots (and with rumors of a couple teams having potential interest in him early in round two), and risk losing their next choice (him) they just decided to take him where they did with the intent of being able to use the fifth-year option, which also allowed them to avoid a potential repeat of the Mankins situation.

 

[203Pat]

He wasn’t their first choice. They got jumped, which blew up their first plan. So rather than trade back a handful of spots (and with rumors of a couple teams having potential interest in him early in round two), and risk losing their next choice (him) they just decided to take him where they did with the intent of being able to use the fifth-year option, which also allowed them to avoid a potential repeat of the Mankins situation.

Lol wouldn't want to miss out on a 5th year of the Cole Strange experience.

I am wondering if Onwenu is a scheme fit in the AVP offense. He is a huge guard and from what I have read/heard (Lazar) AVP's running game utilizes more athletic guards.

 

[PatsFan2]

Lol wouldn't want to miss out on a 5th year of the Cole Strange experience.

I am wondering if Onwenu is a scheme fit in the AVP offense. He is a huge guard and from what I have read/heard (Lazar) AVP's running game utilizes more athletic guards.

Mafi say hello oh bwoy square peg in a round hole.

 

[Joey007]

We could definitely stand to look at the guard market in FA. Lot of strong options on the inside, may as well do whatever possible to bolster the line.

 

[Joey007]

He wasn’t their first choice. They got jumped, which blew up their first plan. So rather than trade back a handful of spots (and with rumors of a couple teams having potential interest in him early in round two), and risk losing their next choice (him) they just decided to take him where they did with the intent of being able to use the fifth-year option, which also allowed them to avoid a potential repeat of the Mankins situation.

Who was the first choice for that pick again?

 

[Sect140]

He wasn’t their first choice. They got jumped, which blew up their first plan. So rather than trade back a handful of spots (and with rumors of a couple teams having potential interest in him early in round two), and risk losing their next choice (him) they just decided to take him where they did with the intent of being able to use the fifth-year option, which also allowed them to avoid a potential repeat of the Mankins situation.

Sounds like they didn’t have a plan in place if their their first choice was drafted before they were up.

 

[Wozzy]

If you get hurt late in the season or try to play through it, prepare to miss the start of the next one.

Mafi and Jake Andrews got some much needed snaps last year. Hold down the fort until Strange returns.

The real issue is they need to draft a Left Tackle and re-sign Onwenu.

Let's go already...

 

[Wozzy]

He wasn’t their first choice. They got jumped, which blew up their first plan. So rather than trade back a handful of spots (and with rumors of a couple teams having potential interest in him early in round two), and risk losing their next choice (him) they just decided to take him where they did with the intent of being able to use the fifth-year option, which also allowed them to avoid a potential repeat of the Mankins situation.

I think they only had three guards with a first round grade, they already traded back once... no need to get tricky.

I commend him for trying to play through it last year, but in hindsight and given the season's outcome it looks foolish now.

 

[upstater1]

Who was the first choice for that pick again?

6 tackles got taken right before the Patriots picked, including guys slated to go early in the 2nd round. We were rumored to be looking at tackles. Got caught with pants down--needed to trade up.

 

[Zuma]

I’m fine rolling with Sow and Mafi at guards. They got snaps last year and will make a 2nd year jump in 2024…but do they fit what AVP wants in terms of type of player and blocking? Strange has the exact body dimensions as Matt Light…just try him there…please. He’s more athletic than Light as well. Re-sign Onwenu and play him at RT and draft an OT in the 2nd rd. Also sign Smith to help at T.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Perfect example of what happens when you trade down for no reason. The Pats have done this many times over the years passing up on a lot of talented players only to take duds. When the Pats were good, it went unnoticed. Media finally started noticing by 2020.

The player many posters wanted at that slot was McDuffie, who is a baller.

 

[Ian]

Who was the first choice for that pick again?

I forget. I remember there being a flurry right before they picked and then someone saying later on that they also had another player in mind, I believe it was a defensive guy.

I went back and dug this out and I had written the following after it happened, which has the players who went right before him:

"The thought process might have been that Belichick and New England may have had another player in mind who came off the board following their trade back from 21 to 29. There was a significant run on highly-touted defensive players from that point, with Quay Walker, Kaiir Elam, Jermaine Johnson II, Devin Lloyd and Devonte Wyatt each coming off the board following multiple trade-ups by the Packers, Bills, Jets and Jaguars respectively, after they each jumped back up into the fray.

"That could have potentially changed the Patriots’ plans, causing them to switch gears and turn their attention elsewhere."

I believe someone also said well after the draft Strange was high on their board, and after their first preference came off the board, they caught wind of a couple of other teams who were interested in potentially targeting Strange in round two. So they decided it wasn't worth the risk to move back a few spots and given that it was only three spots shy of round two, they felt there was value in the fifth-year option if he panned out the way they believed he might.

 

[AQPE]

I forget. I remember there being a flurry right before they picked and then someone saying later on that they also had another player in mind, I believe it was a defensive guy.

I went back and dug this out and I had written the following after it happened, which has the players who went right before him:

"The thought process might have been that Belichick and New England may have had another player in mind who came off the board following their trade back from 21 to 29. There was a significant run on highly-touted defensive players from that point, with Quay Walker, Kaiir Elam, Jermaine Johnson II, Devin Lloyd and Devonte Wyatt each coming off the board following multiple trade-ups by the Packers, Bills, Jets and Jaguars respectively, after they each jumped back up into the fray.

"That could have potentially changed the Patriots’ plans, causing them to switch gears and turn their attention elsewhere."

I believe someone also said well after the draft Strange was high on their board, and after their first preference came off the board, they caught wind of a couple of other teams who were interested in potentially targeting Strange in round two. So they decided it wasn't worth the risk to move back a few spots and given that it was only three spots shy of round two, they felt there was value in the fifth-year option if he panned out the way they believed he might.

I don’t doubt the notion that they had a couple of other options in mind, but this is actually a good example of where BB (and his team) outsmarted themselves and mishandled not only that draft but in managing their roster previously. He mismanaged things with Thuney creating a hole at LG, and ignored a better choice for LG already on his roster: Isaiah Wynn (a guy I personally did not like at all but he was there to be utilized instead of making the choice they did). He then compounded the issue by not drafting a viable replacement for OT until the 7th round (Steuber) and took a flyer on Thornton

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. From 2020 going forward, BB did a horrendous job managing both the roster and his coaching staff. I’m eternally grateful to him for what he accomplished but those are the facts as I see them.

 

[203Pat]

Perfect example of what happens when you trade down for no reason. The Pats have done this many times over the years passing up on a lot of talented players only to take duds. When the Pats were good, it went unnoticed. Media finally started noticing by 2020.

The player many posters wanted at that slot was McDuffie, who is a baller.

Agreed. I remember talking about the diminishing returns we were getting from the drafts around 2018 and was met with the usual "Durrr super bowls" response from the usual suspects that can't see the forrest through the trees.

The 2009-2013 stretch was a really good string of drafts with a hall of famer, a few pro bowl and even all pro caliber players, and then some solid role players. The 2014 draft is where things started to fall off. That was when we really started to miss badly high in the draft. Dominique Easley, Malcolm Brown, Jordan Richards, Cyrus Jones, Derek Rivers, Antonio Garcia, Isiah Wynn, Sony Michel, Duke Dawson, N'Keal Harry, Joejuan Williams. All early guys who flat out couldn't play or couldn't stay on the field.

Those were the drafts that should have carried Bill and Brady to the end of their careers here still fielding rosters capable of competing for a Super Bowl. Instead the talent was drying up to the point where the team was smoke and mirrors in 2019 and lacking talent with end of the line, overpaid veterans in 2020.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Agreed. I remember talking about the diminishing returns we were getting from the drafts around 2018 and was met with the usual "Durrr super bowls" response from the usual suspects that can't see the forrest through the trees.

The 2009-2013 stretch was a really good string of drafts with a hall of famer, a few pro bowl and even all pro caliber players, and then some solid role players. The 2014 draft is where things started to fall off. That was when we really started to miss badly high in the draft. Dominique Easley, Malcolm Brown, Jordan Richards, Cyrus Jones, Derek Rivers, Antonio Garcia, Isiah Wynn, Sony Michel, Duke Dawson, N'Keal Harry, Joejuan Williams. All early guys who flat out couldn't play or couldn't stay on the field.

Those were the drafts that should have carried Bill and Brady to the end of their careers here still fielding rosters capable of competing for a Super Bowl. Instead the talent was drying up to the point where the team was smoke and mirrors in 2019 and lacking talent with end of the line, overpaid veterans in 2020.

Drafts make or break dynasties or teams are on the verge for multiple titles. 90's Cowboys, 49ers and Packers were passed up by the Bucs, Vikings and Rams due to aging veterans and poor drafting. The Rams fell apart after 2001 from very bad drafting starting in 2000 drafting Trung Candidate in the 1st round and giving up on Kurt Warner.

The late 2018 Pats team was held together from guys from 2009-2012. That's awful. By 2019, the knockout punch was delivered with the Harry pick and arguably the most idiotic selection in Bill's tenure being JoeJuan Williams in the 2nd round. Taking a RB shelved for the year in the 3rd round wasn't a good use of maximizing your current team.

 

[203Pat]

Drafts make or break dynasties or teams are on the verge for multiple titles. 90's Cowboys, 49ers and Packers were passed up by the Bucs, Vikings and Rams due to aging veterans and poor drafting. The Rams fell apart after 2001 from very bad drafting starting in 2000 drafting Trung Candidate in the 1st round and giving up on Kurt Warner.

The late 2018 Pats team was held together from guys from 2009-2012. That's awful. By 2019, the knockout punch was delivered with the Harry pick and arguably the most idiotic selection in Bill's tenure being JoeJuan Williams in the 2nd round. Taking a RB shelved for the year in the 3rd round wasn't a good use of maximizing your current team.

That 2019 draft has to be an all time bad draft for any franchise anywhere. I guess the 2020 Raiders draft where their first pick killed a woman and her dog and their other first round pick was cut after making death threats in a video brandishing guns is worse but off the top of my head I can't think of a draft where the whole class basically washed out before a chance at a second contract.

 

[PatsFan2]

That 2019 draft has to be an all time bad draft for any franchise anywhere. I guess the 2020 Raiders draft where their first pick killed a woman and her dog and their other first round pick was cut after making death threats in a video brandishing guns is worse but off the top of my head I can't think of a draft where the whole class basically washed out before a chance at a second contract.

And that is why we're here Today and he's no longer Coaching or selecting the groceries. No one is shielded from the consequences of their actions.

 

[TheRainMaker]

That 2019 draft has to be an all time bad draft for any franchise anywhere. I guess the 2020 Raiders draft where their first pick killed a woman and her dog and their other first round pick was cut after making death threats in a video brandishing guns is worse but off the top of my head I can't think of a draft where the whole class basically washed out before a chance at a second contract.

The Gruden-Mayock drafts were probably to worst of all time.

It's interesting how Mayock was respected for his insight on players when he was commentating on the drafts, but couldn't seem to pick the right guys when he had to do it for real.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

I have no problem with the decisions made in the 2022 draft regarding Strange. He was not a mystery to them, they had coached him in the senior bowl, his RAS athletic profile was insanely high, and he had no concerning injury history. They moved down from 21 to 27, picking up 2 picks, and felt he may be grabbed by someone else before their next shot in round 2. He's performed very well when healthy.

It was solid drafting - sometimes things don't turn out great even when you make the right moves, and he's still got 3 more years with us. Hopefully he's ready to go this year, he's a talented guy, reminds me of Stephen Neal.