Tweet
Draft Pick-Up Artists: Patriots use smooth moves to select talent
As much as The Answer hates the Pats, you have to admit their front office is among the best in all professional sports. Marv please take notes:
Draft pickup artists: Patriots use smooth moves to select talent
By John Tomase
Boston Herald Sports Writer
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 - Updated: 05:36 AM EST
The Patriots [team stats] routinely confound the draft experts, who examine a need, project players to fill that need, and are then stunned when the Patriots ignore them.
Few expected them to use first-round picks to take a running back last year (Laurence Maroney [stats]), a guard in 2005 (Logan Mankins [stats]), or their second tight end in three years in 2004 (Ben Watson [stats]).
This year the belief is they’re targeting a linebacker with one of their two first-round picks because of age and a lack of depth at the position. Never mind that the Pats never have selected a linebacker on the first day, let alone in the first round, since Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli started calling the shots. The Pats need a linebacker, and a linebacker - whether it’s Mississippi’s Patrick Willis or Miami’s undersized Jon Beason - it shall be.
That actually may prove to be the case, since the Patriots are, after all, unpredictable. But their history says don’t bet on it.
Anyway, here’s a general look at some of the misconceptions and realities of the Pats’ draft philosophy, as gleaned from the seven drafts since Belichick arrived in 2000, as well as past interviews with the decision makers.
# The Patriots won’t overdraft for intangibles.
There’s a rush to label someone a “Patriots kind of player” because they’re smart and work hard and assume the Pats will jump in the first round.
Their first-round picks have turned out to be high-character guys (Richard Seymour [stats], Daniel Graham [stats], Ty Warren [stats], Vince Wilfork [stats]), but first and foremost, they can play. The idea of the Patriots taking anything other than an A-1 athlete in the first round is not supported by their history.
Even Mankins, considered a reach in 2005, has turned out to be one of the most unique athletes on the team, with an ability to remain equally as aggressive in pass blocking as run blocking. He’s already a borderline All-Pro.......
~The Answer
Draft pickup artists: Patriots use smooth moves to select talent
By John Tomase
Boston Herald Sports Writer
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 - Updated: 05:36 AM EST
The Patriots [team stats] routinely confound the draft experts, who examine a need, project players to fill that need, and are then stunned when the Patriots ignore them.
Few expected them to use first-round picks to take a running back last year (Laurence Maroney [stats]), a guard in 2005 (Logan Mankins [stats]), or their second tight end in three years in 2004 (Ben Watson [stats]).
This year the belief is they’re targeting a linebacker with one of their two first-round picks because of age and a lack of depth at the position. Never mind that the Pats never have selected a linebacker on the first day, let alone in the first round, since Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli started calling the shots. The Pats need a linebacker, and a linebacker - whether it’s Mississippi’s Patrick Willis or Miami’s undersized Jon Beason - it shall be.
That actually may prove to be the case, since the Patriots are, after all, unpredictable. But their history says don’t bet on it.
Anyway, here’s a general look at some of the misconceptions and realities of the Pats’ draft philosophy, as gleaned from the seven drafts since Belichick arrived in 2000, as well as past interviews with the decision makers.
# The Patriots won’t overdraft for intangibles.
There’s a rush to label someone a “Patriots kind of player” because they’re smart and work hard and assume the Pats will jump in the first round.
Their first-round picks have turned out to be high-character guys (Richard Seymour [stats], Daniel Graham [stats], Ty Warren [stats], Vince Wilfork [stats]), but first and foremost, they can play. The idea of the Patriots taking anything other than an A-1 athlete in the first round is not supported by their history.
Even Mankins, considered a reach in 2005, has turned out to be one of the most unique athletes on the team, with an ability to remain equally as aggressive in pass blocking as run blocking. He’s already a borderline All-Pro.......
~The Answer