As we enter the silly season of free agency and draft, I need to make my yearly commentary about a topic that everyone seems to forget about – the development of young players on the roster.
It’s already started. “The Patriots need weapons”. “The Patriots focus too much on the bottom of their roster”. “Over-priced free agent X is the perfect fit”. “The Patriots should trade up to take player X”. Etc…
The most under mentioned and under appreciated part of team building is improvement by young players. Player X was inconsistent as a rookie? Replace him with Mike Wallace!
The Patriots featured one of the youngest teams in the NFL last year, especially on defense. You cannot discount major strides that could potentially be made by players like Logan Ryan, Dont’a Hightower (who got a ton of experience this year), Jamie Collins, Aaron Dobson and the other rookie WRs, among others.
Michael Buchanan might just be one of the biggest guys to focus on come training camp. His emergence could be a major factor for the Pats if he’s able to take strides in his run defense and pass rush arsenal.
So before we list the “needs” you need to account for young players getting some benefit of the doubt to develop. Do you go out and pay a huge ransom for a free agent wide receiver and the expense of retarding Dobson’s progression?
I’m all for good competition, but you have to trust the draft process and understand that most players don’t truly excel as rookies. It’s takes time and if they’re not given that time they might never hit their full potential.