PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

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One reason for New England to sign veteran Marcus Stroud to play defensive end in their 3-4 scheme right before the lockout was the added flexibility he gives the team, on the field and on the draft board. That spot is a need area for the Patriots. So by getting a stop-gap player, there’s now less of a need to reach for that position during the draft.

If the right player is there for the Patriots, then so be it. Most teams couldn’t do enough of the above without free agency, which means more clubs have more holes going into draft weekend. That means you might see more “runs” on positions than normal, with teams moving up the board as certain positions become thin.

“I think when those players are leaving the board in a need category, teams are really going to feel the uncertainty of free agency and start grasping for those needs,” said the AFC personnel director. “You don’t even know what the rules are going to be in free agency – ‘Is this five-year or four-year guy gonna be available? What’s the deal?’

https://www.patspropaganda.com/one-reason-for-new-england-to-sign-veteran-marcus/

Outtake from ESPN’s The Brady Six on the 2006 AFCDG

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Mike Reiss posted this quote from a clip that didn’t make the final cut of ESPN’s The Brady Six that airs Tuesday night:

Shea shared another memory from when he was with the San Diego Chargers and the Brady-led Patriots visited in the AFC Divisional Round.

“We sat there at my house, watching the Ravens-Colts game, and we’re talking shop. I was hurt, so I wasn’t playing in that game, and he says, ‘By the way, I’m going to tell you what, we’re going to beat you tomorrow.’ He was looking at me very seriously and my wife looked over and I said ‘You’re crazy, man, we’re the best team in the NFL,’" Shea recalled.

“He started going through the team, saying ‘This guy is overrated, he gets beat on double-moves, and one of your safeties, I’m going to take advantage of him all day long.’

Love it, and I was at this game and the funny thing is that Brady actually didn’t have a good game. He made a couple clutch plays when he needed to, but if not for Troy Brown’s fumble recovery the Pats were probably heading home.

Brady certainly seemed to take advantage of their safeties on the long pass to Reche Caldwell that set up that game winning FG.

Patriots Caldwell Chargers 2006

NFL.com Video: Patriots Draft Philosophy

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NFL.com Video: Patriots Draft Philosophy

Here’s the video from yesterday’s Path to the Draft where amazingly Charley Casserly pretty much nails the big points of where the Pats stand for this draft, what they need, and who they might look at. As I tweeted last night, even a broken clock is right two times a day.

If the Patriots aren’t an absolute force (not that they aren’t right now, but it’s clear they’re still developing) by 2013 I’ll be shocked. I’m talking a defense that can win games outright. There’s no excuse to have as many picks as the Pats have had, do have and will continue to have, and not build another shutdown defense.

Frenz: Patriots seven round mock

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Frenz: Patriots seven round mock

Frenz has a good haul of prospects here, heavy on Wisconsin Badgers and Clemson Tigers, and brings up an interesting prospect (or better yet type of prospect) in Casey Matthews. I’ve wondered if the Pats have been looking at players who might not have the ideal size but might be a little more athletic and Matthews fits that mold.

I think the key thing to drafting a guy like that is if he’s not going to play first and second down he needs to play a lot of special teams. The difference is between guys who are 6-04, 250 and guys who are 6-2, 235 and it might not seem like much, 2 inches, 15 pounds, but in terms of speed and quickness it can be significant.

I’m sure that after the draft is over the Patriots will still have needs and based on this mock I think the leftover need here would still be interior offensive line. But it’s pretty much impossible not to be excited no matter who the Pats add.