PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Patriots Select RB Sony Michel 31st Overall

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oz9tQsdevc

The days of the running back position being a free agency afterthought are over as the Patriots selected Georgia running back Sony Michel 31st overall, the first time they’ve selected a running back since James White in 2014 and the first time they’ve taken one in the first round since 2006 with Laurence Maroney.

Michel is a one-cut, no-nonsense runner who is explosive, along with being a two-time captain. But most impressive is that he understands pass protection and that should get him on the field immediately. He brings the kind of home run hitting ability the Patriots have lacked from their backfield. He’s not the elusive Dion Lewis or the hulking LeGarrette Blount, he’s a down-your-throat slasher who will get every yard that’s there and more and that’s why picking him feels like a return to the roots of the Patriots offense.

Michel is a total package and screams Patriots which frustrates me even more because I was lulled to sleep on running backs in recent years and didn’t include him on my big board despite the obvious traits that he fit. But just like that, the Pats zag once again and add an exciting piece who could help transform the offense.

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Patriots Select OL Isaiah Wynn 23rd Overall

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T0U__4WNog

After months of speculation about needs and wants, potential trades and fits, the Patriots finally cut through all the noise and made their first selection of the 2018 NFL Draft, selecting offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn.

With most of Patriots nation wanting linebacker Rashaan Evans, the Titans jumped ahead of the Patriots and selecting him one pick before the Pats took Wynn. Who knows if the Pats would’ve even selected him, but it’s hard not to think Mike Vrabel and Jon Robinson thought Evans could be Bill Belichick’s target.

So now we get Wynn, which has a lot of layers to it. First is that he checks every offensive lineman box you could want except one big one — size. He’s athletic and mean, versatile and experienced, but he’s just 6’3″, almost unheard of for an NFL left tackle and that’s why most projections had him sliding inside to guard. Still, there are plenty out there who believe Wynn will compete to stay at left tackle and that could be very helpful to the Patriots.

But with starters Shaq Mason and Joe Thuney returning it’s hard to see Wynn stepping in and dethroning either of them immediately. But with Mason entering the last year of his deal, today’s stability can easily turn to next year’s need. Wynn will contribute one way or another, sooner or later.

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2018 PatsPropaganda Patriots-Only Mock Draft

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If ever there was a Patriots offseason that needed an injection of fresh storylines, this is it. After Rob Gronkowski‘s weird press conference last week, the NFL Draft will give those of us wanting some real football news a reprieve from all the sideshow drama.

The NFL Draft is spring Christmas, when we get all kinds of new presents to incorporate into our favorite football team. For a team that’s been to the Super Bowl three of the past four seasons, it’s strange saying they really need to solidify their foundation, but this is an important draft for the Pats.

With eight picks the Patriots are really set up to give their team a much-needed injection of youthful talent and what they need is pretty obvious.

There was just too much turnover and too many injuries in 2017. It started with Chris Long and Jabaal Sheard leaving, then Rob Ninkovich retiring, then injuries to Julian Edelman, Dont’a Hightower, Marcus Cannon and plenty of other bumps and bruises along the way that often left the Pats scrambling to insert new, unproven players. They’ve built some good depth, but they definitely need a talent injection at the second-level of their defense, with more athleticism and more edge depth.

The offense needs to have an eye on the future so they don’t get stuck in a turnover year like the defense did last year. And there’s a very interesting competition at left tackle shaping up, with LaAdrian Waddle and Tony Garcia officially back in the mix, free agent signees Matt Tobin and Ulrick John joining second-year players Jason King and Andrew Jelks, all in the mix for significant roles as the starting LT and swing backup tackle.

I know Belichick doesn’t draft for need, but here arejust three critical ones for the long-term health of the team.

  1. Off-the-Ball Linebacker
  2. Offensive Tackle
  3. Defensive Edge

This speaks to the depth they’ve already built, and while they should take a CB, QB, RB and WR, there aren’t many truly pressing needs for 2018.

These are my favorite Patriots fits, taken about when I think they’ll be available. Let’s see if I can crack a two-year streak of no hits in my mock draft!

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Choosing from Patriots Hall of Fame Finalists

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The Patriots announced the three finalists to be inducted into the team Hall of Fame this summer, putting us all in a bind over trying to choose amongst our favorite players from the original days of the dynasty. This year Matt Light, Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour are those whom we have to choose from, no easy decision by any means.

All three burst onto the scene in 2001, with Light and Seymour stepping in immediately as impact rookies and Vrabel being one of the first of many veteran castoffs who found success under Bill Belichick in New England.

Let’s take a quick look at all three and then decide who gets the PatsPropaganda vote this year.

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Patriots 2018 Regular Season Schedule Breakdown

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The Patriots 2018 schedule has been leaked early online so it won’t interfere with my Bruins playoff watching tonight. Nice. I always get excited when the campaign is laid out, the games are set and no matter who is or isn’t playing, the Patriots will take the field.

This season’s schedule features five primetime games in the first nine weeks of the season, a week 11 bye, then six Sunday games, four of which are at 1pm. On the surface there’s nothing that unfair or difficult about this schedule. Not that I ever really complain about that kind of thing since the opponents are set long in advance, but it’s nice not have any crazy road trips back to back or anything similar.

Most of all it’s just nice to finally know when it will all go down. Here’s a bunch of quick-hit thoughts on the 2018 schedule.

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Making Sense of Brady, Gronk and the Future of the Patriots

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This offseason sure has had a different feel to it than any other in the last 17 years. Yes, there was always turnover, interesting moves that surprised us all, but the holy duo of Belichick and Brady were always secure and that meant that the Patriots were basically secure.

Now, after a year with plenty of rumblings about off-field problems, we still don’t know if Brady or Gronk are fully in for the 2018 season and that uncertainty is splitting Patriots fans down the middle even as they prepare for what should be an exciting couple of weeks featuring the release of the schedule and the draft.

There are so many camps right now within Patriots Nation. There’s those still furious and waiting for an explanation from Belichick about why he benched Malcolm Butler in the Super Bowl. There are those who are frustrated with Brady and Gronk for dragging this stuff out well into the offseason as we’re staring down the barrel of 2018. And then there are those outside of New England, content to watch it all finally burn to the ground.

I also know there are plenty out there who think it’s all “fake news”, that this is all media-driven and everything will be a-okay when the opening game comes around, with Brady throwing touchdowns to Gronk then both high-fiving Belichick as they begin another campaign for title number six. As a faithful blogger of the team I’ve been a big “Ignore the Noise” kind of guy, but there’s too much noise this time to believe it’s all a total fabrication, especially when reports are coming both locally and nationally.

There’s too much smoke for there not to be some kind of fire and now the million dollar question is can that fire be put out in time for another run in 2018?

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2018 PatsPropaganda Draft Big Board

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Welcome to year eight of the PatsPropaganda Big Board! The goal here is to hit as many Pats’ draft picks as possible with these 50 players, so it’s a combination of fits and needs, even if Bill Belichick doesn’t subscribe to need picks.

These are the football nerds, the team leaders, the special teams demons, the kind of players that would buy into the Patriot way and be able to make some sort of impact or at least push the starters. Next week I’ll release my mock draft featuring my favorite of this list.

The biggest areas I focused on were athletic off-the-ball linebackers, mid-round quarterbacks, potential left tackles and versatile edge players. Those are the biggest glaring needs as I see them, though I can certainly see running back, tight end and defensive back being taken because there are quite a few good fits in this draft class.

Am I missing someone you love as a fit? Let me know in the comments!

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