The Way We Hear It - Draft Rumors

[Terry Glenn is a cowgirl]

Wes Welker.

He wasn't produced by Saban...

 

[DaBruinz]

When you look the list over you see 2 Day One picks and 3 Fourth Round picks, plus a handful of Late Round and UDFA lads...which suggests BB relies on his buddies for inside info on borderline prospects and his scouts for the high end prospects.

Box - if you take a look at the link I put up, you may change that thought. It was pretty amazing stuff.

Also, I am trying to get that research project done so we can see if there are any other tendencies in regards to the coaches that Belichick knows...

 

[DaBruinz]

He wasn't produced by Saban...

Maybe its just me, but I am pretty sure that is why Patchick put in the wink... And Welker did get better under Saban in comparison to Wannstadt..

 

[condon84]

Here's a guarantee:

1. We will trade out of one of our top 4 picks for next year's draft. Maybe even trade two picks. Realistically, how many rookies are going to make the team?

2. There will be a "WTF" moment involving the Pats.

3. The Jets will pick another first round bust.

 

[DaBruinz]

Here's a guarantee:

1. We will trade out of one of our top 4 picks for next year's draft. Maybe even trade two picks. Realistically, how many rookies are going to make the team?

2. There will be a "WTF" moment involving the Pats.

3. The Jets will pick another first round bust.

There are at least 14 positions up for grabs.. So, the Pats could have 6 or 8 rookies make the team. This isn't like in 2007 when the Pats were stacked from top to bottom with players and had only a couple positions up for grabs.

 

[DW Toys]

There are at least 14 positions up for grabs.. So, the Pats could have 6 or 8 rookies make the team. This isn't like in 2007 when the Pats were stacked from top to bottom with players and had only a couple positions up for grabs.

Mr. S, What are your open positions? Interesting comment. Good post.
DW Toys

 

[DaBruinz]

Mr. S, What are your open positions? Interesting comment. Good post.
DW Toys

By positions, I mean roster spots. And there was a thread on this a few weeks ago started by PatfanKen....

Please make sure to consider that this was done before Woods signed his tender.

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/10/225059-idle-thoughts-page3.html

Ken - How do you figure that only 5 or 6 picks will make the team ? The Pats currently have 65 players under contract.

Players who are all but guaranteed spots:
Offense: (17)
Brady, O'Connell, Maroney, Faulk, Morris, Taylor, Moss, Welker, Galloway, Light, Mankins, Koppen, Neal, Kaczur, Baker, Watson, LaVoir

Defense (18):

Wilfork, Warren, Seymour, Mayo, Thomas, Woods, Bruschi, Hobbs, Wheatley, Wilhite, Springs, Bodden, Sanders, Meriweather, Green, Smith, Guyton, Wright

Special Teams: (2)
Gostkowski, Hanson


People on the bubble are: (IMHO) (28)
David Thomas, Billy Yates, Russ Hochstein, Tully Banta-Cain, Angelo Craig, Ryan O'Callaghan, Wesley Britt, Dan Connolly, Antwan Spann, Ryan Wendell, Matt Gutierrez, Ray Ventrone, Nathan Hodel, BJGE, Mike Richardson, Tyson DeVree, Vince Redd, Bo Ruud, Brad Listori, Tom Malone, Al Johnson, Tank Williams, Sam Aiken, Greg Lewis, Matt Slater, Titus Adams, Shawn Crable, Eric Alexander.

With only 37 spots all but certain, that leaves 14 roster sports needing to be filled. Then you also have the 8 practice squad spots. After players clear waivers.

I don't feel that guys like Yates and Hochstein are guaranteed spots. Though, Hochstein in a jack of all trades (G/C/LS/TE/FB) he did a less than average job of playing guard last year. Same with Yates. Its why I feel that the Pats brought in Al Johnson. They also re-signed Connolly and Wendell. Both of whom are G/C. Wesley Britt and Ryan O'Callaghan will be duking it out for the 4th OT spot unless the Pats draft an OT early.

I think the 4th and 5th WR slots are wide open. I expect the Pats to draft a WR to compete with Slater, Ventrone, Aiken, and Lewis.

BTW, DW, just because you call me "Mr. S" instead of Simon doesn't mean that you aren't doing the same thing you were warned about.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Box - if you take a look at the link I put up, you may change that thought. It was pretty amazing stuff.

Also, I am trying to get that research project done so we can see if there are any other tendencies in regards to the coaches that Belichick knows...

I've looked at you compilation efforts before and agree there's smoke there, I'd certainly talk to people who's ability to assess a prospect is similar to my own for feedback on kids their teams went against, but Ung's list clearly showed a late round/UDFA bias towards the kids his buddies coached, the big money kids only get drafted after full vetting by his staff.

 

[TriplecHamp]

Its a huge fallacy to say that Long is a better player than Gholston after just 1 year. You can't evaluate a player until he's played 3 years in the league, unless he's out by then.. Then he's a bust.

Next, its a big misconception to think that his changing agents is a good thing for him. Its not like he changed agents immediately after the combine. He waited until last week to make the change. If anything, it re-inforces the idea that the kid doesn't think his actions through.

I'd like to point you all to several other players who had great skills, but were also immature. PK Sam. Chad Jackson. Ryan Leaf. Charles Rogers. Mike Williams. All of them busted with immaturity being a big factor. And that is just a few off the top of my head.

Ok we get you don't like the kid but consensus around the web including most analysts agree that he made a mistake at the combine and is now trying to collect himself. The whole Combined situation I think got blown out of proportion because it was more of a miscommunication between player, agent, and officials. How can you say him firing his agent re-enforces his bad decisions. He made a mistake and is trying to correct it. Nobody doubts his talent, it is there but he made a few mistakes.To totally dismiss the guy is just as "immature" as you claim he is.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Call me crazy. Just have a hunch we are going to trade up for Andre Smith. If you'd have asked me at the end of the reg. season, I'd have had him the top OL. We could plug him in at RT for 10yrs. I just think 23 is a little high for some of these olb prospects. None of them are a sure thing. I think 34 is the spot for olb. 23 and 47 to move up. Thoughts?

The Pats did meet with him. And Smith made a huge step in the right direction by terminating his old agent. He makes tons of sense for us.

 

[DaBruinz]

Ok we get you don't like the kid but consensus around the web including most analysts agree that he made a mistake at the combine and is now trying to collect himself. The whole Combined situation I think got blown out of proportion because it was more of a miscommunication between player, agent, and officials. How can you say him firing his agent re-enforces his bad decisions. He made a mistake and is trying to correct it. Nobody doubts his talent, it is there but he made a few mistakes.To totally dismiss the guy is just as "immature" as you claim he is.

Lets review the kids history in just the last 6 months. .

1) This ADULT was suspended from his team's Bowl game because of a mistake in having contact with an agent. He wasn't invited to the Senior Bowl because of that same mistake.
2) He made another mistake by not fessing up to Nick Saban immediately after it happened. Saban said as much.
3) He made another mistake when he showed up out of shape for his initial job interview (the Combine).
4) Then he made yet ANOTHER mistake by leaving the combine early and not bothering to tell his agent or the combine officials. His excuse that it was a miscommunication doesn't pass muster.
5) 3 weeks later, he made yet another mistake when he wasn't ready for his second job interview (his Pro Day).
6) He made yet another mistake by running his 40 time shirtless and showing off just how out of shape he is. Word is that some of the scouts had to stifle their laughter while others just shook their heads at the circus.
7) Then he made yet another mistake when he refused to set up a 3rd group interview when asked about the possibility.
8) And lastly, Smith waiting until 10 days prior to the draft to fire his agent. If the agent was really the problem, Smith should have fired him immediately after the combine.

Now, before you make some snide remark about me thinking that I've never made a mistake. I have. But never that many in regards to a job interview. And not one that would pay me in the 6 figures.

BTW, Ryan Leaf, Mike Williams, Charles Rogers, and a slew of others all had talent. Yet all of them flopped because of their immaturity. The same sort of immaturity that Andre Smith is showing. You can be oblivious to that if you want. But it only goes to detract from you.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Lets review the kids history in just the last 6 months. .

1) This ADULT was suspended from his team's Bowl game because of a mistake in having contact with an agent. He wasn't invited to the Senior Bowl because of that same mistake.
2) He made another mistake by not fessing up to Nick Saban immediately after it happened. Saban said as much.
3) He made another mistake when he showed up out of shape for his initial job interview (the Combine).
4) Then he made yet ANOTHER mistake by leaving the combine early and not bothering to tell his agent or the combine officials. His excuse that it was a miscommunication doesn't pass muster.
5) 3 weeks later, he made yet another mistake when he wasn't ready for his second job interview (his Pro Day).
6) He made yet another mistake by running his 40 time shirtless and showing off just how out of shape he is. Word is that some of the scouts had to stifle their laughter while others just shook their heads at the circus.
7) Then he made yet another mistake when he refused to set up a 3rd group interview when asked about the possibility.
8) And lastly, Smith waiting until 10 days prior to the draft to fire his agent. If the agent was really the problem, Smith should have fired him immediately after the combine.

Now, before you make some snide remark about me thinking that I've never made a mistake. I have. But never that many in regards to a job interview. And not one that would pay me in the 6 figures.

BTW, Ryan Leaf, Mike Williams, Charles Rogers, and a slew of others all had talent. Yet all of them flopped because of their immaturity. The same sort of immaturity that Andre Smith is showing. You can be oblivious to that if you want. But it only goes to detract from you.

He came out as a junior and wasn't eligible for the "Senior" bowl Db.

BB brought him to Gillette to get his own and other coaches first hand impressions, due diligence was done, IBBIT. (Connor Barwin at #23 Bill, please.)

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

He came out as a junior and wasn't eligible for the "Senior" bowl Db.

BB brought him to Gillette to get his own and other coaches first hand impressions, due diligence was done, IBBIT. (Connor Barwin at #23 Bill, please.)

So ummm Box, how do you feel about Barwin?

The scray thing is, alot of people like Barwin on here, and that makes me think that if BB doesnt pick him, this board will go nuts.lol. Then again, at some point during the draft, BB will make everyone on here go nuts. :disagreement:

I just hope he doesnt trade any of the first 3 picks, but my gut says he will

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

So ummm Box, how do you feel about Barwin?

The scray thing is, alot of people like Barwin on here, and that makes me think that if BB doesnt pick him, this board will go nuts.lol. Then again, at some point during the draft, BB will make everyone on here go nuts. :disagreement:

I just hope he doesnt trade any of the first 3 picks, but my gut says he will

It is what it is Nash.

Rick Gosselin, Gil Brandt, and Dan Pompei all have Barwin as a reasonable late first projection in the final week before the draft, if he's on NE's radar (and the effort they've made to scout him says "yes"), then he has to be seriously considered at #23. I'm confident wherever he gets drafted, he'll prove the doubters wrong - I just hope he's not Coach Sparano's favorite lad when he's doing that to our Tommy.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

It is what it is Nash.

Rick Gosselin, Gil Brandt, and Dan Pompei all have Barwin as a reasonable late first projection in the final week before the draft, if he's on NE's radar (and the effort they've made to scout him says "yes"), then he has to be seriously considered at #23. I'm confident wherever he gets drafted, he'll prove the doubters wrong - I just hope he's not Coach Sparano's favorite lad when he's doing that to our Tommy.

I don't get to watch many college games (being in sec country, i know thats weird), so i just go by what you guys say. It sure does sound like Barwin would be a great pick. I'll be happy with any BB pick at 23, as long as it isnt a TE

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I don't get to watch many college games (being in sec country, i know thats weird), so i just go by what you guys say. It sure does sound like Barwin would be a great pick. I'll be happy with any BB pick at 23, as long as it isnt a TE

But it will be a TE...Connor Barwin, Cincinnati!

 

[mayoclinic]

It is what it is Nash.

Rick Gosselin, Gil Brandt, and Dan Pompei all have Barwin as a reasonable late first projection in the final week before the draft, if he's on NE's radar (and the effort they've made to scout him says "yes"), then he has to be seriously considered at #23. I'm confident wherever he gets drafted, he'll prove the doubters wrong - I just hope he's not Coach Sparano's favorite lad when he's doing that to our Tommy.

If the Pats don't pick Barwin we'll all be fine - it will mean BB decided the value lay elsewhere, and IBWT. I don't think that will happen, but if it does I'll live with it. It's just a game.

Box, I don't mind the idea of Barwin playing for the Phins nearly as much as I mind the idea of Mangini getting him. If Cleveland does trade Edwards to the Giants for the #29 pick, they could snag him there if we passed at 23. Ouch.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

If the Pats don't pick Barwin we'll all be fine - it will mean BB decided the value lay elsewhere, and IBWT. I don't think that will happen, but if it does I'll live with it. It's just a game.

Box, I don't mind the idea of Barwin playing for the Phins nearly as much as I mind the idea of Mangini getting him. If Cleveland does trade Edwards to the Giants for the #29 pick, they could snag him there if we passed at 23. Ouch.

Not a big deal, if he's what I think he is I wouldn't mind him beating up Toothlessberger and Flacco, but to have him in the AFCE anywhere other than NE... :nono:

 

[mcsully]

Its a huge fallacy to say that Long is a better player than Gholston after just 1 year. You can't evaluate a player until he's played 3 years in the league, unless he's out by then.. Then he's a bust.

Average football career is 4 years.. players/draft picks can be evaluated year in and year out and I think it as a fair compairson between the two. In todays NFL its what have you done for me lately.. And Gholston not only was out performed by Long, but he was out performed by about 250 other rookies..

 

[DaBruinz]

He came out as a junior and wasn't eligible for the "Senior" bowl Db.

BB brought him to Gillette to get his own and other coaches first hand impressions, due diligence was done, IBBIT. (Connor Barwin at #23 Bill, please.)

Thank you for the correction.. Just another point that I am human...