PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

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Blount won’t count against the initial 53-man roster limit because of the suspension, which gives a Patriots player who otherwise would have been cut a chance to stick for at least one more week and perhaps longer (depending on injuries). So in a sense, it’s almost as if the team benefits.

Quick-hit thoughts around New England Patriots and the NFL – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN

It was the same way last year with Brandon Browner, essentially giving the Pats an extra roster spot to work with at the time of year when they most need it. If the NFL really wanted to punish everyone, there would be no exemption.

https://www.patspropaganda.com/blount-wont-count-against-the-initial-53-man/

I’ve looked through all of BB’s drafts and was surprised at how bad many were. I know everyone says, no on hits on all. I just think when he’s considered a draft guru, he wouldn’t miss on taking so many studs, or miss on so many that he did draft. There were a few that no player made the team. No WR in the first 4 rounds being picked by them has worked out. I’m stunned. Is it Brady has trouble with the young kids, or they can’t draft a WR? Edelman was a 7th, but almost all others fail

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Belichick’s sample size is pretty enormous now that he’s heading into his 16th season in New England, so yeah, you can pick out plenty of hits and misses, but it’s important to remember the draft is really a crapshoot. There’s no team out there that is nailing every pick.

BB’s style has always been to maximize the value of each and every pick, especially when it was more cost effective to be in the second round than the late-first.

Some important points to remember – Belichick has TWO top ten draft selections (Seymour and Mayo), otherwise he’s pretty much always been in the mid-to-late 20s. It’s hard to find studs that low in the draft. Usually a first round only has 15-18 actual first round talents in it.

Second, look at the success he’s had with undrafted players who come in and contribute. Those players don’t show up in draft results but they’re just as much a part of the process as those who are selected. Stephen Neal, Malcolm Butler, Dane Fletcher are just a few that jump to mind, but it seems like every single year an undrafted rookie not only makes the team, but contributes.

Third, the drafting and developing of WRs hasn’t been great, but I don’t think the offense has struggled much because of it. Maybe they’ve never been able to get one of those generational talents that are drafted in the top 10, but their offense is still always in the top 10.

The draft is one part of the team-building process and it’s an important one. What’s most important to remember though is that rarely has a coach/GM had a chance to rebuild an entire team from scratch multiple times. Few have ever had the longevity to get that opportunity. 

Think about the normal cycle. Veteran offense/defense peaks, team makes Super Bowl contention, players age, team loses players, team falls out of contention, coach is fired, new regime gets high round draft picks and begin the rebuild process again.

Compare that to Belichick’s cycle and you get more perspective on how different and impressive his run has been. The team has never dipped much at all despite total turnover outside of his quarterback.

I’m really excited about the defense this year. A hopefully healthy Mayo, Easley, Jones and Hightower. Sheard, Nink, Collins, DMac, Chung. Dennard, Butler, Ryan all have another year in. Fletcher isnt as bad as they make it sound I think. I think if not for last years D with Revis and Browner, more people would be excited. We could actually have a good pass rush AND decent coverage! What do you think?

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Look it’s hard to be as excited as I was last year when we had the best corner in the game on the roster, but that said, there are always things to be excited about and it will be even more so after the draft.

The aspects I’m most curious about is how the front evolves with Wilfork no longer in the fold and how the coverage in the secondary changes. They’ve got an entire offseason to process how they want to do things without Wilfork. It’s something not really being talked about because Wilfork gave them so much flexibility. Now, even if they take someone like Eddie Goldman, it will have to be done with more of a rotation. Can they still play a mix of two-gapping and single-gapping?

It seems a safe assumption that there will be less Cover 1 Robber, last year’s early down coverage of choice, and a shift to more Cover 2 (man and zone) and Cover 3. 

How will that play out at safety? Will it be Harmon in Cover 2 and Chung in Cover 3? That’s a little too predictable for the Patriots.

Ultimately the most important thing is the front seven taking a big step forward and I hope that guys like Easley, Chandler and Sheard, along with Hightower playing with more flexibility because Mayo is back, lead the way.

Mike, I’ve read your big board, but if Cam Erving, Eddie Goldman, Byron Jones, and Eli Harold are there at pick 32, who’re you going with and why? Feel like you might not go in order they are on your big board.

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It would be down to Erving and Goldman and I’d probably go Erving. Why? There’s literally no starting guards on the roster. Wendell way exceeded expectations last year, but I still see him as a stopgap. And Connolly is still out there. So give me a guy who could possibly play every single spot on the line. Re-sign Connolly and the put Erving as a Day 1 starter at RG and I think we’d be okay.

I love Goldman, but at least there are some interesting other options at DT already on the roster. If I was allowing my heart to make the pick though, I’d probably go with Goldman.

The one argument that could be made is that there are some decent guard options down the board with less drop off from Erving that the defensive tackles will drop off from Goldman. So I don’t know, it’s a tough call. The Pats would probably trade down regardless.