Some final thoughts on this Friday:<\/p>\n
1) Did the Patriots show a lot of faith in QB Jarrett Stidham or was there just no QB worth drafting?\u00a0\u00a0 I like to think that after the first two QB\u2019s Burrow and Tagovailoa were gone that Stidham would have been the third-ranked QB.\u00a0 Stidham didn’t have a great Senior season at Auburn, the same as Love did at Utah.<\/p>\n
I like Stidham\u2019s makeup and his decision making.\u00a0 We have the benefit of seeing him play in at least a pre-season and 4 passes in the regular season.\u00a0 He seemed to have good chemistry with Jakobi Myers, which I can\u2019t say that Tom Brady had the same.\u00a0 I\u2019m optimistic about Stidham and I feel comfortable having Hoyer as a backup.\u00a0 I think Hoyer will impart his knowledge of the NFL and playing QB, where I was not feeling that with Brady.<\/p>\n
With that being said, Andy Dalton has been released by Cincinnati.\u00a0 The Patriots don\u2019t have much room in the salary cap (yet), however, if Dalton is given some type of contract like Jameis Winston, then Dalton is within reach.\u00a0 I think Dalton is a much-maligned QB and if he was just a game manager, he could lead a team like the Patriots to success.\u00a0 I would welcome the addition of Andy Dalton.<\/p>\n
2) Just as I posted, Bill Belichick treated Day Three of the draft as a way to sign Priority Un-Drafted Free Agents by actually drafting them.\u00a0 Everyone knew the Patriots would draft a kicker.\u00a0 Just not Justin Rohrwasser!\u00a0 By all accounts from the many draft touts that rank draft-eligible players, Rohrwasser was not listed, not on a one.\u00a0 ESPN had to admit on-air that they didn\u2019t have any film on him.\u00a0 Tyler Bass was selected later in the draft.\u00a0 Sixth-round selection Michael Owenu was not a reach and many thought he was a good value at that spot.\u00a0 Patriots needed a backup OG with the departure of Ted Karras and the uncertain play by Hjalte Froholdt.\u00a0 Owenu has also been working out at OC, a position he has never played.<\/p>\n
Justin Herron was a 4-year starter, but he was also a 6th<\/sup> year player and will be 25.\u00a0 His arms are too short to play OT and will compete for a backup OG spot.\u00a0 He could have been had as a UDFA.\u00a0 Cassh \u201cMoney\u201d Mulia was not on one pre-draft tout rankings.\u00a0 Not even the one that listed 700 players.\u00a0 I like the fact that he runs a 4.53 40 (faster than UDFA RB JJ Taylor).\u00a0 Again, he should have been a priority UDFA.\u00a0 Final pick Dustin Woodard is another experienced 4-year starter from the SEC.\u00a0 However, he is only 6\u20191\u201d and under 300 lbs.\u00a0 He too could have been signed as a priority UDFA.<\/p>\n 3) The Patriots, by all accounts, have a very good UDFA class.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t waste any time signing a player for big money.\u00a0 LB DeJohn Harris from Arkansas received a $150K guaranteed contract with a 250K signing bonus.\u00a0 A downhill thumper, Harris is a veteran three-year starter in the SEC.\u00a0 Jake Burt received 80K guaranteed contract for the lightly used BC TE.\u00a0 San Diego St. LB Kyahva Tezino is another veteran LB that received a 70K guaranteed contract.\u00a0\u00a0 They were busy and went out and got their players as the draft ended.\u00a0 Not lost on these UDFA is the fact that an UDFA has made the final 53 man roster for 16 consecutive seasons.\u00a0 When deciding who to sign with these players look at the Patriots and coach Belichick as someone that will give them an honest chance to make the team.<\/p>\n 4) Nick Caserio made a statement after the selection of Josh Uche.\u00a0 He said we wanted 2 of 3 players we had identified for the second round.\u00a0 By making the trades, they were able to get 2 players.\u00a0 Caserio also made a statement that said you can probably get the same player at 37 that we would have taken at 23.\u00a0 I think that player was Xavier McKinney, who was taken one pick ahead of the Pats by the NY Giants at pick #36.\u00a0 Safety was not supposed to be a Giants need.\u00a0 That\u2019s why Caserio made that statement.<\/p>\n 5) Did you notice that the Dolphins took Naval Academy QB turned WR Malcolm Perry in the 7th<\/sup> round with pick #246?\u00a0 It appears that Perry was high on the Patriots list as a priority UDFA.\u00a0 Belichick has an affinity for players from the Naval Academy.\u00a0 That is where his dad coached and where he learned to watch and breakdown game film with his Dad.\u00a0 Patriots were listed as the #1 team that had an interest in Perry by Perry himself. \u00a0He said they had the most contact.<\/p>\n 6) I had to post this video interview between WBZ-TV 4 Steve Burton and Patriots Draft Pick Justin Rohrwasser concerning his Three Percent tattoo.\u00a0 Burton\u2019s conclusion \u201cI didn\u2019t find him to be a racist whatsoever.\u00a0 I found him to be very authentic and apologetic. \u00a0This kid deserves a chance.\u201d\u00a0 This is counter to what ESPN Jamele Hill posted in a tweet, calling Rohrwasser a White Supremacist.\u00a0 Rohrwasser was taken aback by a question from The Athletic\u2019s Jeff Howe about the tattoo.\u00a0 In a moment when he was supposed to be celebrating his out of nowhere selection by the Patriots, he was having to defend his tattoo.\u00a0 He used the words \u201ccover-up\u201d the tattoo in his 1st<\/sup> interview with the Boston press.\u00a0 \u00a0However, in the interview with Burton he clearly states that he will have it removed.<\/p>\n