Just a hunch, but I don’t think the Patriots and Bill Belichick view the 2012 draft as highly as some others in recent years. Taking that hunch one step further, I think they’ll look to come out of it with a few must-haves (safety, front-seven help, dynamic returner) while hopefully positioning themselves well for 2013. All hunches, because no one truly knows what Bill Belichick is thinking, including many on his own staff.
Quick-hit thoughts around NFL & Pats – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston
I have to agree with Reiss here, with the Pats not picking until the late-20’s it’s going to be all about who falls.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/just-a-hunch-but-i-dont-think-the-patriots-and/
This spring, Arrington and third-year cornerback Devin McCourty are excited to have Dowling back in the mix at the position. “It will bring a smile to all our faces seeing him back out there,” McCourty said. “He’s been working extremely hard all offseason just getting back out on the field, so I’m excited just to see him get back out there.” “High-character guy in the locker room,” Arrington said of Dowling. “He’s physical; he brings a physical element to our secondary. You can’t teach height. He’s tall. He gets those arms on you. Definitely looking forward to seeing what he can do.”
https://www.patspropaganda.com/this-spring-arrington-and-third-year-cornerback/
Bill is very analytical. Bill is all about not falling in love with a player. Bill is looking at value. He wants the correct definition of the player and the correct value of the player. When he determines that, then he understands where he can move around in the draft [with trades]. … His whole approach is value – ‘if I trade down, I get better value.’ But the key component as to why he’s traded down all these years was the rising cost of rookie draft picks. He did not want to bring somebody into his locker room that was going to be in the top 5 payroll of his team.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/bill-is-very-analytical-bill-is-all-about-not/
Great stuff from Big Vince via:
Vince Wilfork Unfiltered
Vince on who he would start (Mark Sanchez or Tim Tebow) if he were Rex Ryan.
“Tebow. He’s a winner. He’s proven. I mean, I’ll tell you what, both have positives and negatives. You really can’t go wrong. I’m glad I’m not in that boat. Put it like that.”
Vince on what part of the NFL he would like to change if he could.
“One thing I’d get rid of is the penalties, certain penalties. I can do without them. You have a guy that’s making $30 million a year (the quarterback), but you can’t touch him. C’mon, let’s be for real now. Me as a defensive lineman, it’s OK for somebody to hold me up, and another guy to come and chop my legs, and I can’t protect myself. I can do without that. That’s probably the main thing. Being able to hit a quarterback good. We need that. We need that back right there.
“But you hurt the franchise of your team if you’re allowed to tee off on the quarterback. Cuz you know, quarterbacks are wimpy.”
Ladies and gentlemen, Vince Wilfork.
I really like Shea McClellin, and I put out there on Twitter and wrote about it as well – as he develops in the NFL, there will be similarities to Clay Matthews. He’s a great pass rusher, but he’s just scratching the surface of his potential. He’s got really great lateral movement, and he’s naturally athletic. He was used as a moveable chess piece in a lot of sub packages at Boise State. I think Shea McClellin will be a better pass rusher in the NFL.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/i-really-like-shea-mcclellin-and-i-put-out-there/