{"id":39786,"date":"2022-02-16T13:30:58","date_gmt":"2022-02-16T18:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=39786"},"modified":"2022-02-16T13:35:00","modified_gmt":"2022-02-16T18:35:00","slug":"morse-mock-draft-2-super-bowl-patriots-coaches-and-cap-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2022\/02\/16\/morse-mock-draft-2-super-bowl-patriots-coaches-and-cap-space\/","title":{"rendered":"MORSE: Patriots Mock Draft #2, Super Bowl, Coaches and Cap Space"},"content":{"rendered":"

Now that the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl are in the books, it\u2019s time for my February Mock Draft.\u00a0 I have used poster Bacon Grundle Candy\u2019s New England Patriots<\/strong><\/a> Draft Board<\/strong> <\/a>as our source for players to select.\u00a0 You can also find BDC’s spreadsheet in the Patriots Draft section of the Fan Forum<\/p>\n

BGC has ranked players who he thinks are \u201cPatriots: type players by which round he values these players.\u00a0 For this Mock Draft, I will use Pro Football Focus Mock Draft Simulator.\u00a0 I find PFF to be the most realistic in the player rankings.<\/p>\n

I kick things off with a big trade.\u00a0 Sitting at 21, Cincinnati is interested in the pick.\u00a0 Trent McDuffie one of two BGC CBs that are worthy of being selected in the first round, is available.\u00a0 He is the #15 overall ranked player on PFFs board.<\/p>\n

With the PFF application, you are notified if a team is interested in trading.\u00a0 You package a trade together and the software tells you if it\u2019s likely to be accepted.\u00a0 I offer picks 1-21, 3-85, and 5-173 to CIN for 1-31, 2-63, 3-95, and 4-133.\u00a0 CIN accepts the trade.\u00a0 We are now picking at #31 and lo and behold Trent McDuffie is still available.<\/p>\n

1-31 Trent McDuffie CB Washington<\/strong> \u2013 5\u2019 11\u201d, 195, 4.45 speed, 41.5 Vert, 10.9 Broad Jump, PFF Ranking #15, BGC Ranking 1st<\/sup> Rd.\u00a0 I expect he will post these numbers at the Combine next month.\u00a0 He is very aggressive, which sometimes gets him in trouble.\u00a0 Tackles like a Safety and plays well in both Man and Zone coverage.\u00a0 All PAC 10 1st<\/sup> team last year.\u00a0 3Rd<\/sup> Team All-American.\u00a0 Has trouble with bigger receivers and that may be the reason he slides down the 1st<\/sup> round.<\/p>\n

2-53 Devonte Wyatt DT Georgia<\/strong> \u2013 6\u20193\u201d 325, PFF Ranking #37,\u00a0 BGC Ranking 2nd<\/sup> Rd. \u00a0Wyatt was unstoppable all week at the Senior Bowl, embarrassing the O-Lineman trying to block him.\u00a0 He played on that great Georgia Defense and he may be the best player you don\u2019t know because the other players were so good.\u00a0 In the end, Wyatt may be the best player of the whole bunch of Bulldogs.<\/p>\n

2-63 Travis Jones DT UConn<\/strong> \u2013 6\u20194\u201d, 333 lbs, PFF Ranking #68, BGC Ranking 2nd<\/sup> Rd.\u00a0 Relative unknown player because he played at UConn.\u00a0 I guarantee you that UConn opposition knew all about him.\u00a0 He was another DT that showed up at the Senior Bowl and dominated.\u00a0 Combine these two rookies and 2nd-year\u00a0player Christian Barmore, the Patriots will have one if not the best young Defensive line in the league.<\/p>\n

3-95 Troy Anderson LB Montana St.<\/strong> – \u00a0\u00a06\u20193\u201d 242, 4.62 speed, PFF Ranking #90, BGC Ranking 3r Rd.\u00a0 Anderson was the Big Sky Defensive Player of the year.\u00a0 He has only played LB for two seasons and was originally recruited as a Safety.\u00a0 Started his college career as a RB, moved to QB as a sophomore (115 of 208, 1195 yards, 3 TDs, 7 INT, 206 carries, 1412 yards, 6.9 YPC, and 21 TDs.\u00a0 Showed during the Senior Bowl practices that he was not out of his element playing with the big boys.\u00a0 His pass coverage was excellent all week.\u00a0 We need speed at LB and Anderson provides that.<\/p>\n

4-123 Skyy Moore WR Western Michigan<\/strong> –\u00a0\u00a0 5\u201910\u201d, 195, 4.45-speed PFF Ranking #43, BGC Ranking 5th<\/sup> Rd.\u00a0 This is the only player that I went against the ranking of BGC.\u00a0\u00a0 I have been singing the praises of Moore since the start of the draft season and he is my favorite player in the draft for the Patriots.\u00a0 They need speed in the slot.\u00a0 I am very curious about how Moore will run, test, and catch during the Combine next month.\u00a0 If he tests well (Onsite had him at 4.3 40) he could explode up the draft board to the mid 2nd<\/sup> round level that PFF projects.\u00a0 If that is the case then he will be out of the Patriots range.\u00a0 The Patriots have too many priorities on Defense that must be addressed before they take WR.\u00a0 Moore runs great routes, is terrific after the catch, and is an extremely reliable receiver.\u00a0 Last year he was targeted 123 times and caught 94 passes. \u00a0\u00a0He only dropped 4 catchable balls. Last season he had 1291 yards and 10 TDs.\u00a0 \u00a0Moore is also a Punt Returner and considering that Gunner Olszewski has regressed as a receiver, Moore could easily replace him on the roster.<\/p>\n

4- 133 Josh Paschal Edge Kentucky<\/strong> \u2013 6\u20192\u201d 278, 4.82 speed, PFF Ranking #78, BGC Ranking 3rd<\/sup> Rd.\u00a0 2nd<\/sup> Team all-SEC with 15.5 Tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 8 QB hurries.\u00a0 He was the only three-time Captain in Kentucky history.\u00a0 The Patriots give extra points in their evaluation if the player has been selected a captain.\u00a0 They want leaders who will step up and fill the void when the veteran leadership retires or moves on.\u00a0 Paschal was another that received good grades at the Senior Bowl.<\/p>\n

6-209 Jelani Woods TE Virginia Tech<\/strong> \u2013 6\u20197\u201d, 259 lbs, 4.82 speed.\u00a0 Recruited as a QB to Oklahoma St, he started 7 games in 19\u2019 and had 7-120-17.1 YPC-2 TDs and was Honorable Mention All-Big 12.\u00a0 Transferred to Virginia Tech for the 21′ season with a stat line of 44-598 yards, 8 TDs, 1st<\/sup> team All ACC.\u00a0 Woods is better known as an inline blocker, but you can\u2019t miss his size and presence on the field.\u00a0 That\u2019s quite the Red-Zone target.\u00a0 He scored a TD in the East-West Shrine Game and was impressive all week in practice.\u00a0 He won\u2019t beat you with his speed.<\/p>\n

6-219 Micah McFadden LB Indiana<\/strong> – 6\u2019 1\u201d 232lbs, 4.67 speed, Two-time captain at IU.\u00a0 Two-time 1st Team All-Big Ten.\u00a0 77 tackles, 49 solo, 15.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks.\u00a0 Downhill defender and thunderous tackler.\u00a0 His neck girth matches that of former Patriot LB Ted Johnson.\u00a0 McFadden will immediately contribute on all Special Teams with the possibility of eventually working his way into the lineup.\u00a0 He could replace Brandon King immediately in the lineup.\u00a0 \u00a0Not sure the Patriots are getting this pick.\u00a0 Through a series of complicated conditional trades, most sites do not have the Patriots getting this selection.<\/p>\n

Patriots Offensive Coaches Exodus<\/strong> – \u00a0\u00a0This is not a good thing for a developing QB like Mac Jones.\u00a0 The Patriots have lost OC Josh McDaniel and he has taken OL coach Carmen Bricillo, Asst QB Coach Bo Hardegree and WR Coach Mick Lombardi with him to Las Vegas.\u00a0 I was surprised that Lombardi left to take the OC position in Las Vegas because I thought he would be a candidate for the OC position here.\u00a0 Obviously, he didn\u2019t get any indication of that from Bill Belichick and took the promotion in Las Vegas.\u00a0 Carmen Bricillo was also a bit of a surprise, since this is a lateral move, the Patriots could have blocked it.\u00a0 Bricillo\u2019s contract may have run out and he would be free to pursue other opportunities.\u00a0 The other strong rumor is that long-time running back coach Ivan Fears is retiring.\u00a0 That\u2019s 5 offensive coaches.\u00a0 Troy Brown should easily move into the WR coach position and Nick Caley is the TE coach.\u00a0 It appears that Belichick is not going to name an OC, and it will be coach by committee, with Joe Judge assuming the QB coach role and defacto OC.\u00a0 Even Matt Patricia has been rumored to be working the offense this year.\u00a0 Assistant RB coach Sal Sunseri will likely move up to RB Coach and Offensive assistant Tyler Hughes will probably be promoted to one of the assistant offense positions.\u00a0 Former Patriot OL Billy Yates will move up from Assistant O-line coach.<\/p>\n

Super Bowl<\/strong> \u2013 I saw only 10 minutes of the game as I was sick all day Sunday.\u00a0\u00a0 What I did see was an obvious offensive pass interference on Tee Higgins when he grabbed and yanked down Jalen Ramsey for a TD.\u00a0 I understand the officials inserted themselves into the game late by making a controversial call after missing an obvious early start by the Rams Offensive Tackle.<\/p>\n

Cap Space<\/strong> \u2013 Patscap Miguel Benzan said the easiest way for the Patriots to create cap space is to<\/p>\n

1.)\u00a0 Convert Matt Judon\u2019s salary into a bonus and spread it out for the length of the contract creating $6.64M in cap space for 2022.<\/p>\n

2.) Extend Hunter Henry creating $5M in cap space<\/p>\n

3.) Extend Jake Bailey<\/p>\n

\n

Here is my guess at the 3 most likely ways the Patriots will create cap space this offseason.
1.) Convert most of Matt Judon's salary into a signing bonus creating $6.64M in cap space
2.) Extend Hunter Henry's deal creating $5M in cap space
3.) Extend Jake Bailey<\/p>\n

— Patscap's Patriots Cap Space Number is in Bio (@patscap) February 16, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n