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Patriots’ Best and Worst Draft Picks of the Last Decade
Friday’s B/R piece is up, taking a look at my picks for the best and worst draftees of the last decade. Gronk and Hernando are off it because I feel like both lived up to the reasons they dropped. Good players, but issues have kept them off the field and from reaching their full potential.
Most draft boards when you talk to guys around the league and the teams I worked for, you have about 150 players on your board, and New England, they’re kind of famous for being much less than that, well below 100. There’s only a certain amount of guys they feel like fits what they want to do,
https://www.patspropaganda.com/most-draft-boards-when-you-talk-to-guys-around-the/
A team I’d keep an eye on is the Patriots because the Patriots are always kind of one step ahead of the curve and trying to be creative. I wouldn’t be shocked if they just sit there and said, okay, everybody else wants to pass on all these running backs; Carlos Hyde is a really good player. LeGarrette Blunt is not here anymore, we’re going to pluck him, and we’ve got ourselves a back of the future because I believe both Vereen and Ridley are up after this year, so that’s one potential team I’d say in the first round
keep an eye on.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/a-team-id-keep-an-eye-on-is-the-patriots-because/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB8GDEh2gMw
Vide: Best of 2013 Patriots (by GORILLAKING7)
Vollmer is coming off a broken leg/ankle sustained Oct. 27 in a game against the Miami Dolphins. “He looks good right now, too. I don’t know his whole update right now, but he looks good and I know he’s working hard,” he said. “There’s good promise there.”
https://www.patspropaganda.com/vollmer-is-coming-off-a-broken-legankle-sustained/
Very good question. I think the place I would start is their pickiness about their edge players whether you want to call them defensive ends or outside linebackers. Last year it seemed like it was a log jam at defensive end heading into camp and before you know it, they have no depth there.
I think they need to embrace designated pass rushers a little more, even if they can’t drop into coverage or maybe aren’t the best edge setter.
I also think they didn’t do enough at defensive tackle in the draft especially. They tried in free agency but they never replaced Mike Wright and Jarvis Green and I think that really hurt them, not only in the pass rush department, but by also forcing them to overuse Wilfork.
Of course, if Albert Haynesworth, Ron Brace, Kyle Love or Brandon Deaderick somehow worked out we might not be saying the same thing.
They might’ve shown a little more patience with some of the wide receivers as well. Felt like they might’ve been a little quick to give up on guys like Brandon Tate and some others. They did see a lot more of those guys in practice so they were probably justified in moving on, but the receiver situation never should’ve gotten to where it was last offseason.
Finally, I think this is the issue now, they need for reinforce the middle of the line. They need to find at least one more impact interior OL whether it’s at guard or center, or preferably both.
