Which unestablished players did BB wrongly let get away?

[Fencer]

We can long argue about whether trading Seymour or Branch or Vrabel was a good idea, but that's not the point of this thread. Rather, I'm wondering which players BB got young and discarded, only to see them blossom elsewhere.

Jeremy Mincey and Robbie Gould head the list, I think. Also on it, believe or not, is Pro Bowler Sean Morey. Ted Larsen may already be next after that.

That's if we exclude guys who were cut but then recaptured, notably Stephen Neal.

Am I missing anybody significant?

 

[A.C Vegas]

that just goes to show what kind of talents BB usually bring in (yes there are mistakes) but most of those couldn't beat out the talent that was already here

 

[Ring 6]

We can long argue about whether trading Seymour or Branch or Vrabel was a good idea, but that's not the point of this thread. Rather, I'm wondering which players BB got young and discarded, only to see them blossom elsewhere.

Jeremy Mincey and Robbie Gould head the list, I think. Also on it, believe or not, is Pro Bowler Sean Morey. Ted Larsen may already be next after that.

That's if we exclude guys who were cut but then recaptured, notably Stephen Neal.

Am I missing anybody significant?

Hard to call Mincey one that got away when it took 4-5 years before he contributed much of anything. He was a very different player as a rookie than he grew into.
With Gould, what could we have done? We have AV in his prime.

There just aren't many that leave and do much elsewhere

 

[Fencer]

With Gould, what could we have done? We have AV in his prime.

Trade him a year early?

IIRC, he was gone just one year after Gould was. And Gould has been better than he has since, no?

 

[Deus Irae]

Tough to answer, because "blossom" is so vague. O'Callaghan, for example, became a starter for the Chiefs, but couldn't stay healthy.

It's really a matter of definitions here, IMO.

 

[Ring 6]

Trade him a year early?

IIRC, he was gone just one year after Gould was. And Gould has been better than he has since, no?

Wasn't Vinaiteri playing under the tag?

 

[Fencer]

Tough to answer, because "blossom" is so vague. O'Callaghan, for example, became a starter for the Chiefs, but couldn't stay healthy.

It's really a matter of definitions here, IMO.

Agreed.

But it seems we have a consensus that the general answer is "not a lot", which is really what I was looking to confirm/disconfirm.

 

[Mainefan]

As I remember, there were locker-room issues with Gould. Anyhow, I'm fine with the Ghost.

 

[West Philly Patriot]

As I remember, there were locker-room issues with Gould. Anyhow, I'm fine with the Ghost.

A kicker with locker room issues? WTF

 

[patchick]

Hard to call Mincey one that got away when it took 4-5 years before he contributed much of anything. He was a very different player as a rookie than he grew into.

Totally agree. The team that picked him after the Pats cut him too, then he spent 2 1/2 seasons with Jax before starting a game. And his eventual success was as a 4-3 DE, not the position he was drafted for here. So can't see calling him "wrongly let get away."

To me, the obvious name is Ted Larsen.

 

[The Boston Patriot]

A kicker with locker room issues? WTF

There were rumors (unsubstantiated I seem to recall) that AV wasn't the most pleasant guy to be around.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Ted Larsen is the first one to come to mind.

 

[Rob0729]

Hard to call Mincey one that got away when it took 4-5 years before he contributed much of anything. He was a very different player as a rookie than he grew into.
With Gould, what could we have done? We have AV in his prime.

There just aren't many that leave and do much elsewhere

Yeah, the Pats cut Mincey in 2006. Last season was his first truly productive season. If the Pats kept him, he would have likely been an unproductive player for the Pats. The guy has been around for 5 seasons and had 15 sacks and 8 of them were last year.

BTW, 5 of his 8 sacks last year came against the Colts. So I don't know if he is really a productive player or padded his stats against the worst team in the league.

 

[Rob0729]

Ted Larsen is the first one to come to mind.

They tried to sneak Larsen to the practice squad, but the Bucs claimed him off waivers.

 

[MP-Logick]

Mincey has never really been that Gould. Oops, I mean good.

As for Gould, he's an excellent kicker, but I'm pretty happy with Gostkowski, personally. Kicker isn't like defensive end, you only need one. As amazing as AV was, just remember, we have a kicker now who's never missed a big field goal in the playoffs, in his albeit limited opportunities.

 

[Mack Herron]

When Bill thinks a guy doesn't have what it takes he is usually right. When he thinks a guy has what it takes, he is usually wrong. That is the tougher one.

 

[NinjaZX6R]

That right tackle of the Lions? Can't remember his name. We drafted him.

 

[patsfan-1982]

i really cant think of any ? Jonathan Wilhite did play better for denver then he did for the pats but not much better and like outhers have said it took Jeremy Mincey 5 years to become a mid level pass rusher

 

[jmt57]

That right tackle of the Lions? Can't remember his name. We drafted him.

Corey Hilliard

He's a backup for Detroit. Drafted in the 6th round in 2007, he appeared in five games with the Colts over his first three seasons. The last two years he has played in all but two games for the Lions, with four starts in 2010 and one start last year.

 

[Spiral]

David Thomas has been a useful player for NO, at least until he got hurt last year. They gave him away.

If I were a bad team, I'd be perusing the Patriots practice squad every December. That's the best time to poach a player that BB is trying to stash.