I'll be writing here about the Patriots draft options leading up to the 2009 NFL Draft. Currently the Patriots draft 23rd overall. They have two second round picks, the first coming from the Chargers from a draft day trade last year. Their second round picks are 58th overall and 47th overall. They also hold their own third round pick which is the 89th overall pick. They have one pick in each round 4-7. Additionally, the Patriots figure to get some additional help from the NFL with compensatory picks for free agents the team lost prior to last season. Notably, the loss of Asante Samuel, a Pro-Bowl CB, will likely reward the Patriots with either a 3rd or 4th round selection. That compensatory pick will come at the end of the round, and cannot be traded.
The Patriots needs, in order of priority, are:
CB
ILB
TE
S
DL
The need for a CB is clear cut. Although the team does have starting CB Ellis Hobbs returning, and they look to get last year's second round pick Tyrone Wheatley back from injury, improving CB play is critical to improving the Pats defense.
At ILB, the need may be lessened if the Pats think they have a keeper in Gary Guyton, who saw a lot of playing time as a rookie. One ILB position has been solidified for the forseeable future with Jerod Mayo, but the other position remains a question mark with the aging Tedy Bruschi and the rookie Guyton. Another option would be to move Mike Vrabel inside, where he's played before. Vrabel has more value on the outside, but the Pats have depth at OLB with Thomas, Woods, and Crable all returning from injuries. Woods is a restricted free agent.
For most of the season the Pats only kept two TEs on the gameday roster. Ben Watson and David Thomas are decent TEs, but with Watson's contract expiring after the 2009 season, the Pats will surely look to develop another TE this season. Watson hasn't performed well enough to earn a big contract from the Patriots, so 2009 is likely his last season with the team.
Safety is a question mark. Merriweather has developed into a starter on one side, but the other side is in flux. It's unknown whether Harrison will return, and even so, with his recent injury history depth is a must. James Sanders, who has played well, is a free agent.
I put D-Line 5th because I think Bellichick believes you can never have enough big D-Linemen. Plus the Patriots have both Wilfork and Seymour scheduled for free agency after the 2009 season. Drafting a D-Lineman this year would add depth behind the superb starting 3, plus provide insurance if the Pats can't keep both Seymour and Wilfork after the 2009 season.
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Very good! I think their first priority will be defense as they looked a bit slow last year. Their offense looks pretty good, but if they franchise Cassell then they will have 29M tied up for one position. Money could become a big factor in the draft.
Foxy's Back
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I see olb, dl, and wr as primary concerns. One reason that the pass d was bad was no rush at the qb.
Perfectpats
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I would put outside linebacker higher on the list than inside linebacker. Woods was doing a good job and we have several rooks from last season looking to return there. Outside linebacker we have good bookends in Adalius and Vrabel, but with Adalius versatility I would look for the Patriots to try and find an adequate third man (not to mention age is an increasing concern for Vrabel).
To respond to #2 in a 3-4 defense the DL is primarily responsible for occupying as many blockers as they can to allow the OLB free access to the runner/QB. Our defensive line is one of the best in the league in the 3-4 alignment.
I'm surprised you did not put receiver on this list. Our third receiver in Gaffney was an under performer. I would not expect our first rounder on WR, but a second or third rounder would be sensible.
Grachuus
Westford , MA
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Unless he signs the tender right away this situation will not come to pass. I do not believe the Patriots would keep Cassel if good offers come to them (which they will). In the event that quality offers were not made it is still very much possible for the Patriots to sign Cassel to a long term deal without such a large cap hit. There are some restrictions for the multi-year signing period (I believe sometime in july/late june they may no longer sign any deal but the one year tener), however Cassel is not dumb and would not hurt the team.
Grachuus
Westford , MA
Total Comments (309)
Thanks for the comments. I'll address a couple points here and hit the rest in my next entry. Woods did look good before getting hurt, but he plays OLB. That gives the Pats a 3 man rotation with Vrabel, Thomas, and Woods at OLB, with the possibility of Crable adding a fourth man for depth. At ILB they only have Bruschi, Mayo, and Guyton under contract, unless you count the special teamers.
I'll hit the whole Cassell situation in a future entry, complete with potential trade partners.
I agree that 3rd WR could be something to look at -- good point.
mike_m235
Apo, AE
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Oh that's definitely my mistake. I'd seen him lining up in the middle a few times and didn't really notice that he wasn't there primarily. It does make ILB more intriguing in that situation. Now I'm even less inclined to dream of Peppers - Cassel trade.
Grachuus
Westford , MA
Total Comments (309)
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