NFL Off-season 2022

[Phantom255x]

Bummer. Jets trade up to get Johnson. Jags trade up to get Lloyd. Both just a few picks above the Pats...

Really hope they take Dean now.

Well, Dean is available. Let's see if they pick him, or Booth, or Hill.... or someone totally random (like WR Metchie or WR Pierce).

Ummm... they drafted OL Cole Strange. I honestly hadn't heard of him before LOL

Update: I'm looking it up, and this guy was projected to go Day 2 in the Draft (probably even Round 3). Seems like a huge reach ugh

[Cman]

Bummer. Jets trade up to get Johnson. Jags trade up to get Lloyd. Both just a few picks above the Pats...

Really hope they take Dean now.

Well, Dean is available. Let's see if they pick him, or Booth, or Hill.... or someone totally random (like WR Metchie or WR Pierce).

Ummm... they drafted OL Cole Strange. I honestly hadn't heard of him before LOL

Never heard of him. Of course. Sigh. Well, that's all for me tonight. I'm going to go weep into my pillow and hope something magical happens for Pats in the draft tomorrow.

[RPGenerate]

Oh my god what a horrible pick. Just pick him in the third!

[Goldstar88]

Bill is the Mad King. Just drafted a guy in the first round that was projected to go in the 3rd. Unbelievable. Strange is ranked 3rd for his position according to ESPN and they had him going 77 overall. Pats take him at 29…Could have had Booth or Dean and STILL taken Strange in the late 2nd or 3rd, but instead Bill decided to flush the first round pick down the toilet.

[Moranis]

The video of the Rams staff laughing and joking about wasting their time looking at Strange since they thought he might be there at 104 is incredible on so many levels. 

Maybe Strange works out, but Bill's draft record the last 7 or 8 years, especially in the 1st round is not good.  Bill the coach is the best ever, Bill the GM has a lot to be desired, especially since Pioli left him.

[Phantom255x]

I don't have a problem at all with the player, it's just where he was drafted. There are a ton of sources saying he would been available in the late 2nd/early 3rd round too. They could have gotten one of the better LBs or CBs 1st round, then pivoted to Strange 2nd round.

The only other explanation is that the Pats got an inside scoop that a team was actually going to take him around pick 33-40, or the Pats simply aren't high on a lot of these LBs/CBs like other teams

[Amonkey]

Nickgneta, did you see that Everett has a player drafter in the first round! And to think they have another player projected to be picked on the 4th round, that’s incredible for Everett High School.

[boscel33]

The video of the Rams staff laughing and joking about wasting their time looking at Strange since they thought he might be there at 104 is incredible on so many levels. 

Maybe Strange works out, but Bill's draft record the last 7 or 8 years, especially in the 1st round is not good.  Bill the coach is the best ever, Bill the GM has a lot to be desired, especially since Pioli left him.

This is Logan Mankins v2.0.  No one thought he'd go when he did, but he turned out OK.  Look, if Bill truly thought this guy wasn't going to be there at 54, so be it.  It's tough to say and know what to believe from anyone.

[Vermont Green]

I like the trade, getting a 3rd round and a 4th round to move back in a draft where everyone was supposed to want to move back, is a lot of value.  So love the trade.

As to the pick, I don't know what to think.  People say you could have gotten him later and maybe that is true, but he also may be able to get those fast defensive players or the wide receiver that everyone wants later now also, with two more solid roles of the dice.  I have never seen Strange play and even if I have, I don't think I could assess his talent.  I am OK to trust Bill that he is going to be good.

I am actually unsurprised that he took an O-lineman in the first round.  OL are like starting pitchers, you need 5 solid players at a minimum but really you need 6 or 7 solid OL over the course of a season in order to be solid in that critical aspect of the game.  One bad apple is a problem.  There is no passing or run game without a good O-Line.  By keeping a stream of high level young talent coming in, you avoid having to pay high contracts for veterans that probably don't have that much more impact than a good young player.  It is far more important to not have a weak link than it is to have top end talent on the OL, more so than any other position group on the field.

[Moranis]

The video of the Rams staff laughing and joking about wasting their time looking at Strange since they thought he might be there at 104 is incredible on so many levels. 

Maybe Strange works out, but Bill's draft record the last 7 or 8 years, especially in the 1st round is not good.  Bill the coach is the best ever, Bill the GM has a lot to be desired, especially since Pioli left him.

This is Logan Mankins v2.0.  No one thought he'd go when he did, but he turned out OK.  Look, if Bill truly thought this guy wasn't going to be there at 54, so be it.  It's tough to say and know what to believe from anyone.

I think if the Patriots had actually been drafting well you can give them the benefit of doubt on the value of the player, but the Patriots have not been drafting well for almost the entire last decade.  Jones certainly looks like an ok pick, but you have to go back a long way to find the next most recent pro bowler taken by the Patriots (Collins in 2013).  There just isn't a recent history that should lead anyone to have faith in the Patriots reaching a full round for a player. 

[Smartacus]

Bill Belichick does not care about your big boards, mock drafts, draft grades, or prospect valuations.

He saw the player that he wanted, knew there was a trade back opportunity and took it, and made the pick without looking back. Strange seems to be an extremely athletic, high character guard, who might start this year. If the Patriots make a run at the playoffs again this year, taking your starting guard at pick 29 is great value regardless of what his pre-draft evaluations were.

Really excited to see what Belichick has in store for Day 2 and 3. That trade was excellent value compared to what the Vikings got from Detroit.

[Vermont Green]

The video of the Rams staff laughing and joking about wasting their time looking at Strange since they thought he might be there at 104 is incredible on so many levels. 

Maybe Strange works out, but Bill's draft record the last 7 or 8 years, especially in the 1st round is not good.  Bill the coach is the best ever, Bill the GM has a lot to be desired, especially since Pioli left him.

This is Logan Mankins v2.0.  No one thought he'd go when he did, but he turned out OK.  Look, if Bill truly thought this guy wasn't going to be there at 54, so be it.  It's tough to say and know what to believe from anyone.

I think if the Patriots had actually been drafting well you can give them the benefit of doubt on the value of the player, but the Patriots have not been drafting well for almost the entire last decade.  Jones certainly looks like an ok pick, but you have to go back a long way to find the next most recent pro bowler taken by the Patriots (Collins in 2013).  There just isn't a recent history that should lead anyone to have faith in the Patriots reaching a full round for a player.

I am not going to try to argue that the Patriots haven't had some questionable drafts but I don't think failing to draft a pro bowler is a fair measure.  How many late first round picks are projected to be pro bowl players in their careers?  That is where the Patriots have been picking in the last 10 years, other than last year.  Very late in the first round.  The hope there to me is a solid starter.

I am scratching my head with this pick like everyone.  No one knows how good Strange is going to be but my guess is he becomes a David Andrews or something of that level, never a pro bowler but if Strange ends up as good as Andrews, is that a bad pick?

O-Line is the one area where the Patriots have picked well.  Maybe not pro bowlers but they generally manage to put together a good OL every year.  I also don't know if they could have getting this guy in the 2nd or 3rd round.  Seems like they could have but who knows.

I suspect the next few pick (round 2 and 3) will focus on defense.  We have 1 second and 2 thirds.  There are probably some good LBs and DBs to be had still.  Maybe a WR gets picked in this range.  To me, these are the 3 picks that are going to make or break this draft.  But it is not likely any of them will be pro bowlers.

[Cman]

The video of the Rams staff laughing and joking about wasting their time looking at Strange since they thought he might be there at 104 is incredible on so many levels. 

Maybe Strange works out, but Bill's draft record the last 7 or 8 years, especially in the 1st round is not good.  Bill the coach is the best ever, Bill the GM has a lot to be desired, especially since Pioli left him.

This is Logan Mankins v2.0.  No one thought he'd go when he did, but he turned out OK.  Look, if Bill truly thought this guy wasn't going to be there at 54, so be it.  It's tough to say and know what to believe from anyone.

I think if the Patriots had actually been drafting well you can give them the benefit of doubt on the value of the player, but the Patriots have not been drafting well for almost the entire last decade.  Jones certainly looks like an ok pick, but you have to go back a long way to find the next most recent pro bowler taken by the Patriots (Collins in 2013).  There just isn't a recent history that should lead anyone to have faith in the Patriots reaching a full round for a player.

Can we count JC Jackson?
Also, while he's not a pro-bowler (yet), the selection of Kyle Dugger is in some ways similar to Strange. I'm not trying to justify the pick, which I still can't quite get over, but in general I think the Pats get unfairly criticized for their draft picks.

[Moranis]

The video of the Rams staff laughing and joking about wasting their time looking at Strange since they thought he might be there at 104 is incredible on so many levels. 

Maybe Strange works out, but Bill's draft record the last 7 or 8 years, especially in the 1st round is not good.  Bill the coach is the best ever, Bill the GM has a lot to be desired, especially since Pioli left him.

This is Logan Mankins v2.0.  No one thought he'd go when he did, but he turned out OK.  Look, if Bill truly thought this guy wasn't going to be there at 54, so be it.  It's tough to say and know what to believe from anyone.

I think if the Patriots had actually been drafting well you can give them the benefit of doubt on the value of the player, but the Patriots have not been drafting well for almost the entire last decade.  Jones certainly looks like an ok pick, but you have to go back a long way to find the next most recent pro bowler taken by the Patriots (Collins in 2013).  There just isn't a recent history that should lead anyone to have faith in the Patriots reaching a full round for a player.

I am not going to try to argue that the Patriots haven't had some questionable drafts but I don't think failing to draft a pro bowler is a fair measure.  How many late first round picks are projected to be pro bowl players in their careers?  That is where the Patriots have been picking in the last 10 years, other than last year.  Very late in the first round.  The hope there to me is a solid starter.

I am scratching my head with this pick like everyone.  No one knows how good Strange is going to be but my guess is he becomes a David Andrews or something of that level, never a pro bowler but if Strange ends up as good as Andrews, is that a bad pick?

O-Line is the one area where the Patriots have picked well.  Maybe not pro bowlers but they generally manage to put together a good OL every year.  I also don't know if they could have getting this guy in the 2nd or 3rd round.  Seems like they could have but who knows.

I suspect the next few pick (round 2 and 3) will focus on defense.  We have 1 second and 2 thirds.  There are probably some good LBs and DBs to be had still.  Maybe a WR gets picked in this range.  To me, these are the 3 picks that are going to make or break this draft.  But it is not likely any of them will be pro bowlers.

Collins wasn't even a 1st round pick.  In 2012, Jones (21) and Hightower (25) were both pro bowlers.  In 2010, McCourty (27) and Gronk (42) again both pro bowlers.  the NFL isn't like the NBA, pro bowlers are drafted from every round regularly.  Obviously it is easier to draft them the higher you are, but going almost a decade between pro bowl draft picks is very difficult to do. 

And it isn't just that it had been awhile between Collins and Jones, it is more they have no one even close other than Jackson.  The Patriots aren't getting value from their drafts.  They aren't pulling long term starters from the 2nd and 3rd round very often.  As Bill took more control, the quality has been deteriorating.  It is hard enough being a coach or GM, but trying to do both is a recipe for disaster and you are seeing it in New England.  They aren't drafting well and haven't been for nearly a decade. 

[Goldstar88]

Bill Belichick does not care about your big boards, mock drafts, draft grades, or prospect valuations.

He saw the player that he wanted, knew there was a trade back opportunity and took it, and made the pick without looking back. Strange seems to be an extremely athletic, high character guard, who might start this year. If the Patriots make a run at the playoffs again this year, taking your starting guard at pick 29 is great value regardless of what his pre-draft evaluations were.

Really excited to see what Belichick has in store for Day 2 and 3. That trade was excellent value compared to what the Vikings got from Detroit.

Apparently, otherwise he would have picked him in the 3rd round. Notice how none of the other teams drafted a player that wasn’t expected/ranked to go in the first round or early second? There were no other “reaches” like this pick of Strange.

Just like the year before last, taking Harry when Deebo, AJ Brown and Metcalf were all ranked higher going into the draft. But hey, Bill knows best, right?