Coach Belichick is sitting pretty this draft, with a lot of teams envying those two first round picks. There's lots of speculation that the Pats will use one of the picks for need and trade another to a team desperate to move up into a better position to grab a quarterback. Sounds reasonable.
Except ... I have a hard time swallowing that Bill is out to "help" any team land a new franchise QB, even to snowball that mound of draft picks even bigger. What if ...
... well, c'mon, does anyone really think Hoyer is slated to follow in Brady's footsteps and be the Patriots' starting QB someday? Honestly?
So ... in a year where teams are scrambling like mad for quarterbacks (or projected to at least) wouldn't it make evil genius sense to grab the 3rd or 4th QB off the board, fill a long-term need, and throw the entire draft into havoc?
It will be interesting to see what New England does with those two picks. And remember, they own Carolina's 2nd round pick... the 33rd overall pick is essentially a 3rd first rounder for NE as well. Plus their own 2nd round pick. And two third round picks.
History shows that New England will trade down (or into the 2012 1st round) with at least one of those first three picks. It is an interesting thought to take a QB at one of those spots... but I think that QBs are going to fly off the board in 2011 due to demand, and NE isn't going to see too much value in drafting a QB in the first.
But if you are Kraft/BB, you do have to start thinking about the future at some point. Maybe with one of the 2nd or 3rd round picks?
Indibuck wrote:But if you are Kraft/BB, you do have to start thinking about the future at some point. Maybe with one of the 2nd or 3rd round picks?
Well, they have looked at Dalton and Stanzi, as well as Texas Tech QB Taylor Potts.
Dalton could be a consideration if he is available at the 33rd pick, while I think Stanzi and Potts would be considered later.
My gut feeling is that the Pats address QB 3rd round or later, if at all in 2011. Hoyer may or may not be the future... but when you look at the success of Brady and then Cassel I don't doubt the ability for the Pats to draft and develop quality QBs from the late rounds.
They already have a good foundation to win now...if I were them I'd worry about replacing Tom Brady later and try to get guys who can contribute immediately.
u_fig_eater wrote:They already have a good foundation to win now...if I were them I'd worry about replacing Tom Brady later and try to get guys who can contribute immediately.
There's no doubt they'll stock up on young talent again with all those picks, but QB definitely is a need. With six or more teams desperate for a starter, there won't be any talent left in the free agent pool once the season starts (assuming it does). Do the Patriots really want to gamble again on Brady staying healthy? Hoyer has been awful in limited action. Due to this year's demand for quarterbacks, it's highly unlikely that anyone like Brady will slip through the cracks and appear in late to mid rounds. With all those early picks, why not grab a late first or early second QB? It would probably even be an excellent move from a trade bait standpoint. Some teams are going to lose out in the scramble for QBs and might be willing to give up more for a player than they would have for the draft pick itself.
u_fig_eater wrote:They already have a good foundation to win now...if I were them I'd worry about replacing Tom Brady later and try to get guys who can contribute immediately.
There's no doubt they'll stock up on young talent again with all those picks, but QB definitely is a need. With six or more teams desperate for a starter, there won't be any talent left in the free agent pool once the season starts (assuming it does). Do the Patriots really want to gamble again on Brady staying healthy? Hoyer has been awful in limited action. Due to this year's demand for quarterbacks, it's highly unlikely that anyone like Brady will slip through the cracks and appear in late to mid rounds. With all those early picks, why not grab a late first or early second QB? It would probably even be an excellent move from a trade bait standpoint. Some teams are going to lose out in the scramble for QBs and might be willing to give up more for a player than they would have for the draft pick itself.
Well they lucked out and got Mallet in the 3rd. Great pick imo. However I think the "evil genius" could have done better. I feel they missed out on huge opportunities to grab either Brooks Reed or Cameron Jordan (steal for NO) and taking Ras-I Dowling I don't think was the right choice. I think that pick shoulda been Brooks Reed after passing on Jordan in the first. Then again BB is the greatest coach of his time, maybe ever...
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by DraftDodger » Tue Apr 05, 2011 2:05 am 
