I think one of the main problems with this group of recievers is we lack a guy that can consistently go over the middle. Welker and Edleman mainly run underneath routes and gain yardage after the catch. Branch works best to the sidelines and Tate doesn't offer a whole lot as a WR at the moment. Hernandez and Gronkowski are the only reliable guys that run those intermediate routes over the middle which can make this team quite predictable.
My preference is to trade up above Stl and draft Julio Jones in the 1st because he seems like the perfect fit for the system. He offers a big target that can go over the middle, is an elite blocking WR and he is also a good deep threat. He is also a guy that you dont have to compromise the system for because he compliments it so well. He's not a diva and he comes from a high powered Alabama offence with a lot of weapons. So he wont complain if he doesnt get the ball. He's a really good team player and a great fit that would give this offence that extra dimension.
Cousin, Jones would be a good pick. As you can see we still have to move up and it will cost us. I say give those two picks (1st and 3rd) to AZ for Fitzgerald. He is a proven product and Revis and Cromartie can't beat him up. Our smurf receivers were checked by two larger and very good CB. If they stop the underneath stuff, we are out of our short and medium element. Hernadez was the guy but he obviously was not 100%.
I don't give a damn what anyone on this forum says. Fitz is a proven NFL player who performs at a high level, he is smart, Team player, no diva, still young, great downfield blocker, Team leader and you cannot single cover him. More expensive? Well the new CBA is the unkown. If we have to reach into the top ten for a WR, first of all BB won't use that high of a pick and secondly it will cost the Pats a salary hit on a kid who has not made one pro catch.
Our young kids proved yesterday one thing. They are young kids. When we have one or two good Drafts, this forum goes buld-through-the-draft is the only way crazy. We forget how 2007 was made and how the Saints won the SB (Brees, Shockey, Thomas, Vilma, Sharper, Gay, Fujita etc.....playmakers that year). Trades and FA mix is important. Yes, 2007 was still way more fun and productive even in lieu of one miracle catch and a few bad calls, way better than this year in my opinion. How can anyone say this year was better?
Brady is not getting younger and the kids need time to grow. In my humble opinion, we don't wait for three years (about the average for a high yield pro top tier). Yes I am writing off Tate as a future starting WR and have him as perhaps a #4 guy and KR (see Bethel). Edelman I think has more big play potential but only underneath. Small college WR Price is a poor mans Caldwell and if he develops that far, great but not the answer either.
Does anyone doubt that Moss (in addition to Branch and Welker please) would have helped yesterday? What do the Jets do? Load the middle zone and let Revis play cover with him all day(have a nice game playing with Moss even if he is a decoy, Mr. Island. Bring a deck of cards). They stopped Gronk for the most part and Hernadez and jammed the Smurfs. I say they out smarted us. They are more physical.
Brushi, Seymour, Vrabel, Harrison, Dillon. These were physical guys. Maybe a tough kid like Fitz is one way I see an instant improvement. But rather than trade a bunch of picks to drop down for Greene, I do that for Farley and figure a way to get Ingram and Fitzgerald and one good O line OT/OG and that is all (in my opinion) the Pats need to improve along with getting guys like Warren, Bodden (who was our most physical CB), McGowan, Wright and Kcazur back. Most important to sign Mankins and allow a OL kid to develop by resigning Light for two more.
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