April 23rd, 2010 at 10:13 PM ^
The Patriots have mastered the art of the "trade down". The only sure-fire way to never have salary cap troubles.
It doesn't hurt to have a reliable HOF QB either.......
April 23rd, 2010 at 10:17 PM ^
...pick up Ryan Mallett next year and get video/audio of Brady telling Ryan he was a douche bag for transferring! :P
April 23rd, 2010 at 10:29 PM ^
If they trade them to get 4 in the 3rd round and 3 first rounders in 2012??
I kid, but I think they've gotten to the point where they outsmart themselves a little, and get picks, but not impact players. Their draft hasn't been what it used to be.
I'm hoping they keep the two first rounders and start getting some supporting stars again for Brady (on O or D). I'm not thinking the Raiders are going to the Super Bowl, so it should be a pretty good pick. (Panthers 2nd shouldn't suck either).
April 23rd, 2010 at 11:03 PM ^
I think they've taken trading down to a little bit of an extreme. They get a ton of picks, but continuously pass on good players.
Im expecting one of these years when they absolutely have to have a QB/LT/DE, they'll target the best one and jump up a ton to get him. Its a decent strategy knowing that you have alot of flexibility to get a player when you really need him.
Brady was a later round pick.
April 24th, 2010 at 12:24 AM ^
they recognize the ridiculousness of paying 1st rounders tens of millions of dollars in guaranteed money. Now that there's expected to be a rookie cap next year, they positioned themselves to get some high picks.
Pats look to be in a great position for next year's draft. Brady's the man but I could totally see them using one of those 2nd rounders on a developmental QB. Then again, they could just trade all those picks again and make me look like an idiot.
True but whats the point in having so many picks if not all make the team. You want extra picks but this is a little excessive.
Also did you see Brandon Spikes 40 was clocked at 5.08?
I liked how Detroit and Baltimore drafted though. Baltimore, if you ask me, they know how to draft.
Bill Belichik once bet someone in college that, thanks to the higher value of present picks relative to future picks, it would be possible for a team to acquire half of the first round given enough time.
His entire career has been focused on this one goal. His success as a coach only served to create a coaching tree of brainwashed coaches who, when they hear their codeword, quickly lose all football acumen. This causes wild picks throughout the draft, which then leaves good players in the 2nd round that Belichik can use as leverage to work teams out of future first round picks, which he then uses to acquire more second rounders, which are then put back into the cycle. He is currently on pace to win this bet in 2028, and it appears his only adversary on this will be the ever approaching cold embrace of death.
On a sidenote, Josh McDaniels codeword seems to be "character" because he goes fucking nuts every time he hears it. Romeo Crennels was "playoffs", and I'm not sure what Charlie Weis's is, but I'm willing to bet its either "option" or "deep-fried".
I doubt they keep all those picks next year, they are always trading picks for the next draft but never really keep all of them.
... you never draft in the Top 20.
So even if you bust, it's not a costly one.
And if you can evaluate talent better than most of the other teams, you still find diamonds in the rough.
Think Jags #1 and Broncos with Tebow for what some other teams do. Contrast that with the value Holmgren got for the Browns by taking Colt McCoy in the third round.
The Lions have so much money wrapped up in Calvin, Stafford, and (shortly) Suh, that they are 3 ACLs away from being screwed.
Belichick doesn't rebuild, he reloads.
April 24th, 2010 at 10:35 AM ^
The Pats are football's example of moneyball. They have shown no problem with using free agency to pick up veterans that are slightly out of their prime, but still able to contribute. I did read somewhere about players drafted in rounds 2-4 actually being more valuable than players drafted in 1st. That is to say that a 1st round bust hurts more than one in 2-4.
I see the Pats at one end of the scale drafting for value and the Raiders on the other drafting for, well nobody is ever sure about the Raiders but I guess impact would be the best word.
As long as they have Brady and a decent line they can do this, but I think soon they will need to think about the next Qb and some other skill players.
one first and one second? Two guys at the end of round 1 or one guy in the top 10? For each question, the Pats answer is the former, and it's pretty difficult to argue with the results.
April 24th, 2010 at 10:46 AM ^
The Pats biggest benefit is that they are able to lure veterans to their team (sometimes troubled), at great value (lower salaries).
Combine this with the fact that players WANT TO STAY in NEW ENGLAND, and you have a hell of a thing going.
April 24th, 2010 at 12:15 PM ^
They haven't been hitting on those picks like they used to. Missed opportunities at RB, chances to shore up the O-Line, and haven't been able to replace the aging veterans on D they acquired.
Brady doesn't have forever, and he probably needs 2 more rings to be considered the best of all time. Heck, might need another to be considered the best of his era. Damn Peyton love.
Of course, all this would be moot if catching passes off the top of your helmet was illegal...dammit.
for being the best of his era revolves around rings, then he's already got Peyton beat.
They were ready to make Manning the best of all time if he had win THIS year. Silly, but history won't reflect well if the Colts win one or two more, and the Pats don't. And right now, the Colts are closer than the Pats. That needs to change.
for revisionist history though. I'm glad we all understand that 3 is bigger than 1. It's just one more thing where someone from Michigan has Peyton Manning beat.
I would think that you can understand then that 3 and 1 are numbers in transition, as neither player is done with their career. With the current talent around them, one was a play or two from winning the Super Bowl. The other was about 30 points away from having a chance to win a playoff game. That's why better drafting is important.
History is what they say after everyone who actually saw it is dead and gone. What they say on ESPN will be remembered better than your memories. Unitas memories are fewer and farther between, Bradshaw is a tv guy to a generation. Heck, college guys can't remember Montana because they were too young. It's nice that you can make more accurate judgements, but unless you find a way to say it to more people than a posting board, it will not be remembered as history.
April 24th, 2010 at 12:54 PM ^
they drafted Zoltan Mesko!
If they were smart enough to take the Space Emperor, they can do no wrong.