As I watched the 2010 NFL drafts 1st Round unfold, I know I felt much like the rest of Patriot Nation- who are the Patriots going to take at pick #2?. One pick after another went by, some were surprising- according to the draft experts(I use that term loosely)- I noticed a name that wasn’t being called and that was WR Dez Bryant, and by pick #16 realized he may be available at #22 for the Patriots.  I know he has some character issues but the talent has been compared to Randy Moss or Calvin Johnson, and Randy could have played the Chris Carter role and helped shape a  “young trouble making wideout” but it was not in the cards.  The Pats traded down with the Broncos to #24 and watched them draft a WR in Demaryius Thomas and they could still get  Bryant, but nooooooooo.  The Pats traded once again, this time to the Cowboys for the #27  and in the trades they moved up in the 4th and picked up a 3rd round pick, and the Cowboys drafted Bryant. Ok. Time to move on, now they will have to draft their other big need, a Pass Rusher, Right?  It may work out just right, with Sergio Kindle(still available), Jared Odrick(28th), and Jerry Hughes(31st) all still on the board, they could get their pass rusher and they have an extra pick down the line, I’m okay with this at this point in my night.  So here comes Roger Goddell, the pick is actually in, no trades this time and…  “With the 27th pick the New England Patriots select……Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers University”.  Okay I’m not a “draft guy” so I don’t know a whole lot about this player and this team can always use help in the secondary especially since 2 teams in their division just upgraded big time at WR (Marshall, Holmes) but I can’t say I’m thrilled with this pick when I see other glaring needs on this team, D-line, linebacker, WR, and TE all come to mind.  I  feel I’m one of the few fans left who believe the “in Bill we trust” mantra that’s running in my mind right now, but he is not making it very easy anymore.  With 3 picks in the 2nd round, the Patriots could still find talent to fill the gaps, and I will bet you my Tedy Bruschi jersey that they will make another trade, and they have 12 more picks in total, so they will be a busy team that’s for sure. Hmmmmmm…..”In Bill we trust…..In Bill we trust…. In Bill we……..”

With the 2010 NFL Draft just a few days away I decided to take a look at the drafts of the last ten years, otherwise known as the Belichick era. It can only be described as a mixed bag.  Obviously, they have made some outstanding draft picks, including in Bill’s first year with Tom Brady in the 6th round, but that one is pretty well known by now. Let’s not forget they have made some terrible picks as well; just look at the 2007  draft. Besides Brandon Merriwether, not a single pick is currently on the Pats roster.

The Patriots over the past 10 years have been able to find great value in the later rounds,  which  I would consider the 4th-7th rounds (see example of Tom Brady as stated above). Some of the players include David Givens (7th in ’02), Asante Samuel (4th), Dan Koppen (5th) and Tully Banta-Cain (7th) all in 2003; James Sanders (4th) and Matt Cassell (7th), both in 2005; and Stephen Gostkowski (4th in ’06). And it may be too early to tell but Julien Edelman (7th in “09) seems like pretty good value to me.  The main reason I’m telling you this is because the Pats have 5 picks just in the 7th round of this year’s draft so maybe they will uncover a hidden gem very late on Saturday.

It’s very rare that the Patriots pick in the Top 15 in any draft but when the do, they make sure they draft a stud.  Richard Seymour(6th pick in 2001), Ty Warren (13th pick in 2003) and Jerod Mayo (10th pick in 2008), for example, but most years they find themselves picking at the back end of the first round much like they do this year.  Most years they make pretty solid picks, such as Vince Wilfork and Logan Mankins, but also I would say they have  missed with Lawrence Maroney, Benjamin Watson and Daniel Graham — all 3 have never played like 1st round picks.

The 2010 draft has been described as being loaded with plenty of talent and the Patriots have 4 picks in the first 2 rounds and will be looking for impact players to put into the line-up immediately but the question is, as always, which direction will they go?  All signs point to defense, especially on the D-Line or help at linebacker and most likely a pass-catching tight end. It is possible the will go with a wide receiver with the health of Wes Welker up in the air, but history has shown they have trouble drafting solid offensive skill players early in the draft (Maroney and Chad Jackson ’06), but somewhere in the first 2 rounds I do think they will take a receiver. Scouring the internet looking for mock drafts, the mockers have them drafting all over the place in the 1st round, but the names that continue to come up are: Jarod Odrick DT (Penn State), a hybrid-style lineman who can line-up at several positions, linebackers Brandon Graham (Michigan) and Sergio Kindle (Texas) and Jermaine Gresham (Oklahoma), a big, pass-catching tight end. The only down side is he is coming off a big injury.  Then there is the ridiculous mock drafts that have the Patriots taking Tim Tebow in the 1st round, and Dez Bryant, the #1 wide receiver on most boards, slipping all the way to the Patriots which is not likely in my opinion. And it will really surprise me if the Pats use any of their early picks on Tebow. It just doesn’t make any sense, where does he fit in? Myself I’m hoping for Odrick or Gresham.

I know  predicting what the Pats will do on draft day is impossible; they have been so inconsistent and have always loved the draft day trade, making it very difficult to pin point the direction they are going. The one thing I do know is that it is going to be interesting and I will be glued to the television.

(By the way, as I was working on this the Pats signed veteran WR Torry Holt, this may change their plans just a tad.)

At 12midnight tonight, March 5, the 2010 free agent period officially begins and the New England Patriots are a team with some holes to fill.  The question remains: will they be big players or small players in the market? History has shown that they prefer several mid-level moves rather than one big signing, but with the prospect of an uncapped year, will they decide to break the bank or continue to play it safe?

In this writer’s opinion, the Patriots need to fill several positions with proven players rather than draft starters. 

Linebacker:  It seems every offseason this is a pressing issue, but this season proved the need for some help at outside linebacker, especially once they drop Adalius Thomas (as it has been reported they will do) and to get help for Mayo on the inside.  There are several free agents out there that could clearly help this team.  Here’s a few I like for this team:

Keith Bulluck: He would be a perfect signing for the Pats: a tackling machine and a Pro Bowl caliber player who would provide great veteran leadership in the locker room. He is 10-year veteran and may not possess the speed of a great pass rushing backer but he has always been a play maker.

Why not a veteran white guy? Scott Fujita, Aaron Kampman, and let’s bring back Mike Vrabel. All three are solid linebackers and could fit well into the Patriots system, especially Vrabel, of course.

Antonio Pierce and Jason Taylor are two other names I think they will look into. They may be too old and injury-prone to sign to a major contract, but they would provide some of that veteran leadership this team needs. Karlos Dansby and Demeco Ryan (RFA) are great players but just too pricey for this team.

They will definitely attempt to try to sign Tully Banta-Cain who had a pretty productive season with the Pats leading the team in sacks, and if he doesn’t try to break the bank (again), should re-sign with the team.

Defensive End: With Wilfork franchised and hopefully signed to a long-term deal they need some help on the line.

The big name of course is Julius Peppers. I would love to see the Patriots sign this player, a speedy pass rusher who can play on and off the line. Perfect for the 3-4 defensive they play, but the market may be big for him and the price may be just too high (but a man can dream, can’t he?).

Other names that could provide great play on the line are Kyle Van den Bosch, Adewale Ogunleye, and Dwan Edwards, all solid veterans, but none have the marquee value of a Peppers.

Defensive Backs: Again, another position the Patriots need to fill each offseason, and the most likely candidates are veterans like Nick Harper and Dre Bly. Rather than paying top dollar for Dunta Robinson or Leigh Bodden, this may be an area they look to trade for a starter.

WR/TE/RB: There are certainly need s on the offensive side of the ball, but with many starters already in place it may be several complementary players.  They do need a tight end and hopefully the reports of looking to trade for Greg Olsen are true. He would be a great pass catching tight end in this offense, but if not, Anthony Fasano would be a good option as a free agent.  Wide receiver will be a tough one with the status of Welker up in the air and the readiness of Edelman to step up, but a good solid receiver could be the answer and veterans like Tory Holt and Derrick Mason could fill that possession receiver role until Welker is ready.  My preference would be another speedy guy on the outside, maybe a Josh Reed, Nate Burleson or Kevin Walter, all solid receivers with big play ability.  Finally, not sure they will pursue a running back but they might want to take a risk on several names: Willie Parker may have a few good years left  in the tank, and Chester Taylor would most likely get big money but would be a perfect back for the Patriots, a big bruiser who can catch the ball and doesn’t need the ball 25 times a game. Most likely they will re-sign Kevin Faulk and keep things as they are or draft for depth.

This is just one man’s humble opinion but I do believe the Patriots will be active in the free agent market and will take care of their own free agents such as Mankins, Gostowski and Pierre Woods who are believed to be receiving tenders as we speak. The one thing we know here in Patriots Nation — it will be interesting and most likely unexpected.

Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock……….the clock strikes midnight…..

The New England Patriots and Vince Wilfork do not seem to be on the same page heading into this off-season’s free agency. With about a week left before the deadline for teams to place a franchise tag on a player, it is my opinion that the Patriots will do just that to Wilfork and I don’t blame them. There are several reasons why I feel the Brain Trust at Patriot Place will franchise Wilfork.

The obvious reason: If they place the tag on the Big Nose Tackle it guarantees Vince a salary of about $7 million for the 2010 season, and if any team is willing to sign Vince to a new deal, the Patriots will get compensated with a draft pick.

The fiscally responsible reason: The Patriots are looking ahead to the future and the fact that the NFL could be locked out in the 2011 season, so why would they sign a long term deal with a player (especially if they don’t have to) and give him a hefty signing bonus if the owners will not be bringing in any revenue in 2011 and that bonus money is guaranteed and would have to be paid even if a lock-out occurs.

The personal reason: The Patriots are a tight-lipped organization and expect their players to act accordingly, and Vince has been using the media to attack the team’s lack of loyalty like he would an all-you-can-eat buffet. Last time I checked, this team really doesn’t reward a player and his wife when they stomp their feet and cry about not being respected (paid). And it is speculated that they did make him an offer with a signing bonus in the $23 million range and Vince turned it down. Vince has also made it publically known that he would love to return to the Miami area, so who’s the one being disloyal?

In a perfect world, sure, it would be nice for the both sides to agree on a long term deal. Vince is a very important part of the defensive scheme, but we don’t live in a world of rainbows and unicorns; this is the real world, and to the Patriots it’s strictly business. Of course, Vince does have the right to sit out this season, but that doesn’t benefit him at all; that means no money or exercise for the big man for the entire season, which wouldn’t be good for someone who look likes he could be a contender on the Biggest Loser.

First let me introduce myself, seeing that this is my first submission in the Blogosphere. I’m Jay, a husband, father of one with one on the way, and a Patriots fan. But more importantly, I’m a football fan, so I believe I look at this team in a more objective way (with a touch of homer-ism). Hopefully you will enjoy reading my blog and please feel free to comment, agree or disagree. I do love a good sports debate.

Now to the main issue on hand, the New England Patriots. It has been a rough month or so since the Pats tough loss in the Wild Card round of the Playoffs and the question I have heard from Patriots Nation is “who do we blame? “ I have heard some ridiculous theories about Brady, such as “now that he has a baby and wife his mind is elsewhere.” This is unreal; Brady had a fantastic season. No, it wasn’t 2007 good, but Brady is not the problem. Do we blame Belichick — has the genius lost it? Is his risky decisions (i. e., the Indy Game) hurting this team? As much as I didn’t like that decision to go for it on 4th down at Indy, I don’t blame Bill, and I don’t believe he is the problem. So where does the blame lie?

My answer is on the defensive side of the ball. There is no leader on this defense. We watched four giant pillars of this defense in recent years walk away this off-season in Harrison, Bruschi, Seymour and Vrabel (granted through trades and retirement) and tried to replace them with younger, faster players. But one thing was missing — none of those players are ready to be leaders on this team. Mayo is a fantastic player but he is still young, and while I do believe he will be one of the leaders down the line, he just wasn’t that guy this year. Mayweather and Sanders were supposed to be leader types but I didn’t see it, on the field anyway. Wilfork should be ready for the role, but with big Vince worrying about his upcoming contract he certainly wasn’t much of a leader in the locker room. They brought in Adalius Thomas in free agency a few years ago to be a vocal playmaker; he’s been vocal, but not much of a playmaker, and he may not be with this team much longer if he keeps mouthing off like a spoiled child. And the 75-year-old Junior Seau and his TV show wasn’t going to save this defense.

So to paraphrase Rick Pitino, “Bruschi and Harrison aren’t walking through that door.” It’s now up to Coach Bill to bring in someone to be a leader on defense and be his voice out there on the field. Who that should be is a mystery — Peppers? Mayo? All I know that was not the New England Patriots hit-you-in-the-mouth defense on the field during the 2009 season, and Belichick knows it. Why do you think he has taken back the defensive play calling?

See you next time on the Blaaaaaammmeeee Game!!

Please feel free to comment.