The Biggest Bust (Harry vs Polk)

[Hyped]

Man, those two had two major career trajectory altering plays:

The Polk toe tap TD that wasn’t.

The Harry TD vs. the Chiefs that should have been a TD.

I feel that if either one of those plays resulted in a TD…things would have been different.

 

[203Pat]

What a ****ty list. What stands out to me is how little draft capital they have spent on this position. The last pick of the first round and four second round draft picks in 20 years? That must be the least draft capital any team has spent on this position in the same time period. A byproduct of having the best QB in the history of football but still shocking to see it listed like this.

While we haven't traditionally invested high draft capital in receivers we did chase our tail a few times with the position in regards to resources spent.

Look at what we invested in 2019 trying to find a #1 receiver: 1st round pick on Harry, $9 million on one game for Antonio Brown, and a 2nd round pick on Mohamed Sanu. Hell, Bill even tried to take a swing on Demaryius Thomas for a minute.

Similar issues in 2006. Bill foolishly refused to pay Deion Branch they traded him after week one. Granted, Bill did get a first round pick for a guy he took in the second round originally but there was a gap in the roster that arguably cost us a Super Bowl. Bill used a second round pick on Chad Jackson. Paid $2 million for Reche Caldwell, another $2 million for Jabar Gaffney, and traded a 5th round pick for Doug Gabriel who played here for 3 months. At least after the 2006 season he realized it was time to reload and brought in Moss, Welker, and Stallworth.

 

[upstater1]

No they didn't. The rankings were consistently Hollywood Brown, Metcalf, AJ Brown, Samuel, Harry. While they were all projected to be 1st round picks, it was a shock Harry leapfrogged the others to be the 2nd WR taken. He was the classic "draft riser" after he matched Metcalf's bench presses and ran a 4.5 40 time. The workout with McDaniels and BB's connection with Herm Edwards sealed the deal. The Pats scouts wanted AJ Brown and were irate when BB went rogue to take Harry.

He was.

I just provided the proof that showed this is entirely wrong

 

[TheRainMaker]

I just provided the proof that showed this is entirely wrong

A picture of a graph didn't prove anything.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Man, those two had two major career trajectory altering plays:

The Polk toe tap TD that wasn’t.

The Harry TD vs. the Chiefs that should have been a TD.

I feel that if either one of those plays resulted in a TD…things would have been different.

Interesting idea, but I'd argue that if you are so mentally fragile that a bad call or near-miss play destroys your career & confidence or destroys the coaching staff's confidence in you, then sooner or later there's a 100% chance that it will happen.

 

[Jackson 2]

What a great topic for a thread. New season, lots of hope and we're discussing THIS? WTF?

 

[Wozzy]

Wozzy's school of draft review.
Bad pick: collaboration
Good Pick: Bill

Except you can’t find one single example of this ^ because it’s never happened.

I care about the New England Patriots and while with the New England Patriots he showed no competence in regards to being a deep threat. He is also going to be what he was here, the 4th option. He is basically sitting behind Kelce, Rice, and Worthy in the pecking order so I don’t know why you are pumping his tires. Either way, what he does elsewhere doesn't make him a better pick here. If anything Bill couldn't get as much out of him as Reid has so either way Bill failed.

Bill lives rent free in that spacious head of yours. If the Patriots sucked last year you’d still say it was Bill’s fault. You’ve got unresolved daddy issues or something.

 

[Thelonious]

Big news: Polk is retiring.

From what??

 

[TheRainMaker]

What a ****ty list. What stands out to me is how little draft capital they have spent on this position. The last pick of the first round and four second round draft picks in 20 years? That must be the least draft capital any team has spent on this position in the same time period. A byproduct of having the best QB in the history of football but still shocking to see it listed like this.

Seemed negligent. We saw many years the Pats passed on more than capable WR's in favor of players that eventually flamed out.

Look at what we invested in 2019 trying to find a #1 receiver: 1st round pick on Harry, $9 million on one game for Antonio Brown, and a 2nd round pick on Mohamed Sanu. Hell, Bill even tried to take a swing on Demaryius Thomas for a minute.

That 2019 off-season was awful. Arguably the worst of BB's tenure.

Similar issues in 2006. Bill foolishly refused to pay Deion Branch they traded him after week one. Granted, Bill did get a first round pick for a guy he took in the second round originally but there was a gap in the roster that arguably cost us a Super Bowl.

The Branch situation was handled so poorly. The biggest mistake the Pats made was continually fining him to the point where it was more than his salary in 2006. The easiest solution was to tell him they will remove the fines, not franchise tag him in 2007 for him to return for the final year of his contract. What I put in bold is what players loath the most and why they want to get paid early.

Bill used a second round pick on Chad Jackson.

It was the right move then. After Holmes, he was next best WR that had a lot of hype. Greg Jennings had concerns coming out that he wasn't going to be able to beat man coverage and didn't play against anyone in college. By the way, Jennings thought he was going to NE. D'Angelo Williams was pissed NE took Maroney over him.

Paid $2 million for Reche Caldwell, another $2 million for Jabar Gaffney, and traded a 5th round pick for Doug Gabriel who played here for 3 months.

That was another terrible off-season.

At least after the 2006 season he realized it was time to reload and brought in Moss, Welker, and Stallworth.

Apparently Brady threw a fit (and rightfully so). Welker and Stallworth was supposed to be it until the Pats found out Moss was available after he dropped the bomb on the Raiders that he's only playing for NE. A trade was previously agreed upon between Oakland and GB in which Moss vetoed. BB initially had concerns that they were going to be able to fit him under the salary cap, but Al Davis told him "that's your problem".