Friday!!!
When we evaluate players, it’s a long, thorough process we go through. Obviously it’s very inexact. We’ve been right on players, we’re been wrong on players, just like every other team, every other coach, and every other personnel person has. So we do the best we can. It’s a long process that involves visiting the school, interviewing with the player, talk with the people who have had the most involvement with him, like his coaches, college coaches, high school coaches, even beyond that. Other people that have had associations with him, former teammates, so forth and so on. It’s a mosaic composed of a lot of different pieces and you try to fit them all together and put some type of evaluation on the player. You do that for all the players. Each one is different. Each one is unique. But at the same time you have to have some type of system that accounts for what you feel the player’s value is to your football team. That’s what it’s all about.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/when-we-evaluate-players-its-a-long-thorough/
Maybe the Cowboys brain trust should spend some time at the combine watching how the Patriots go about this process.
There were a record 1,030 games started by NFL rookies in 2013. The Patriots had a league runner-up 57. Despite all that youth on the field, New England still won 12 games, another AFC East title and reached the AFC title game.
The league is getting younger. The number of rookie starts has increased by the year from 650 in 2008 to 706 in 2009 to 763 in 2010 to 853 in 2011 to 1,000 in 2012 and now 1,030 in 2013.
The Patriots have kept pace. They have retained 43 rookies on their roster over the last four years 27 draft picks and 16 college free agents. Those rookies have combined to start 186 games for New England.
Great must-read, thanks to @PatriotsSB49 for the link…
https://www.patspropaganda.com/maybe-the-cowboys-brain-trust-should-spend-some/
Mike, if the Patriots do trade out of the #29 pick, who would you like them to pick in the second round wherever they trade down to?
I really can’t answer that yet. I’ve been primarily focusing on free agency at this point while slowly getting up to speed on the draft. It takes me a while to first find all the prospects I like, then order them how much I like them. It’s a matter of finding where the value will be.
One thing I will speak to is how most mocks have the Pats taking Jace Amaro in the first round. I don’t see it. Amaro is not going to come in and be the “Y” tight end with heavy in-line blocking responsibility. He’s a great fit in that Hernandez “F” role where he could be moved around and would be a mismatch blocking on defensive backs.
The Pats will likely get someone like Scott Chandler as Gronk insurance to be that heavy blocking Y guy, I think those two would be a great combo. Or even prospects like Niklas or Seferian-Jenkins are better Y fits and I’d say both are more likely better targets and better value picks.
I see Amaro more as a luxury pick and that kind of value just doesn’t jive from what I believe the Patriots expect out of a first-round pick. which is for them to be a three-down player at least, and maybe even a four-down (special teams) guy. Amaro’s coming out of Texas Tech, was mostly a receiver and would take time to develop his ability to block NFL caliber defensive lineman.
No doubt he’d be an exciting addition to the offense, but I think if they make a first round pick they’ll be better served looking along the line on either side of the ball. The “F” is a need, but not an integral part of the offense. Just because he’s a tight end, doesn’t mean he’s the right kind of tight end.
This is just an example of how I don’t see the value of the player to the Patriots matching up with where he will likely be chosen.
Projected Lineups: New England Patriots | ProFootballFocus.com
Projected Lineups: New England Patriots | ProFootballFocus.com
Good stuff from Steve Palazzolo breaking down the Pats’ roster, although I’m sure some will take issue with Brady not being labelled “high quality” and not “elite”.
I also don’t see Mayo moving to middle linebacker, put Hightower there, Collins at SLB and let Mayo stay at WLB where he’s protected to use his speed.
Would like to see some or all of the corners get up into the green this year. Dennard showed flashes over his first two seasons but I think last year his off the field stuff and injuries were responsible for a down year.
When Bill hits the field and the whistle blows to start the game Belichick is in a race. He’s not just in a moment, he’s in a race to figure how [the opponent] wants to play the game. Once he figures it out, then he makes his adjustments.
Michael Lombardi
Congrats to Michael Lombardi for officially joining the Pats. Always enjoyed his insight into BB when he was an analyst and hopefully someday we’ll get to hear more of it, now with direct Pats experience.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/when-bill-hits-the-field-and-the-whistle-blows-to/
Who on each side of the ball needs to improve the most for that side to be better
It has to be Dobson on the offensive side of the ball, although I’d fully expect an open competition at every receiver spot and he won’t be handed the starting X job.
I’ll be curious to see how Thompkins progresses as well. I really liked him at the start of the season but the double-catches and constant leaving his feet to catch the ball started to grow some doubt in my mind if he really was as good as a lot of us thought he was coming out of training camp. He could be starting or cut and neither would surprise me.
Defensively I think it has to be Jamie Collins. Can he become a three-down linebacker? Will he permanently takeover the nickel linebacker spot next to Mayo? He really flashed some star potential in the playoffs and if he can become that kind of impact player the whole defense will take a big step forward. He’s the perfect kind of linebacker for today’s NFL and especially for the Pats’ defense.
