NFL Draft

[TA9]

Overall Patriots had a great draft!
Im excited to see how our 2 first round picks will play this season.
I wouldnt be surprised if Alfonzo Dennard came out as one of the steals of this draft. The talent is there, the guy just needs to stay out of trouble!

[Cman]

A few quotes on Ebner (h/t Mike Reiss):

Ebner did not play football in high school, and walked on to the Buckeyes' football team in 2009. An article by the Cleveland Plain-Dealer earlier this week called Ebner the best special teams player on Ohio State in 2011.
 
"I'm going to be hitting people with my body as long as it can take it," Ebner told the Plain-Dealer. "I'm definitely playing rugby somewhere if I'm not playing football."
 
Ebner impressed scouts at his Pro Day, running a 4.48 40-yard dash and also notching an impressive three-cone drill time. In 12 games played last season, Ebner saw action in just three defensive snaps, recording one sack. He had 11 tackles overall on the season.
 
"He's a sick athlete, and he's one of the toughest players I've played with,” Ohio State linebacker Andrew Sweat told BuckeyeExtra.com.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4721347/patriots-select-db-ebner-at-197

A few things to note:
-He was a walk-on football player 3 years ago, never played before.
-In 3 defensive snaps, scored 1 sack -- that's an impressive average!
-Mike Vrabel coached him at Ohio State.

I think this guy has the potential to be a terror on special teams, which is primarily how BB will use him, but will also see some snaps on D from time to time jjust to disrupt the opponent's thinking a bit.

[Donoghus]

Could someone break it down for me and explain why WAS took another QB? 

Odd, to say the least.

I definitely am not the smartest NFL (or NBA) fan out there, but this still seems a bit odd, to me.

Thought it was a pretty dumb move, myself.

4th rounders aren't throw away picks and the Redskins have several needs to be addressed.  Taking another QB there when you took one in the 1st round wasn't the brightest move, IMO.

Could you end up with another Shuler/Frerotte situation if RG3 struggles early on?

[clover]

Overall Patriots had a great draft!
Im excited to see how our 2 first round picks will play this season.
I wouldnt be surprised if Alfonzo Dennard came out as one of the steals of this draft. The talent is there, the guy just needs to stay out of trouble!

I agree.  Also, I don't think Belichick takes Wilson where he did unless he's pretty confident about him--and he knew that one or more of those 7 teams who had him in privately was going to snag him.  But even if he's a miss, I think the other 5 are all pretty promising for where they were taken.

[nickagneta]

Overall Patriots had a great draft!
Im excited to see how our 2 first round picks will play this season.
I wouldnt be surprised if Alfonzo Dennard came out as one of the steals of this draft. The talent is there, the guy just needs to stay out of trouble!

I agree.  Also, I don't think Belichick takes Wilson where he did unless he's pretty confident about him--and he knew that one or more of those 7 teams who had him in privately was going to snag him.  But even if he's a miss, I think the other 5 are all pretty promising for where they were taken.

Wilson is the only pick I have a problem with.

Josh Robinson was on the board. He runs a 4.32 40-yd and was amazing at returning punts a couple of years ago and has all the tools to be a great return man. Also, he is a very good corner though he lacks size and line of scrimmage physicality you would want to see in a smaller, speedy corner.

I really think Robinson was the guy he should have taken. We will see.

[Eja117]

Belichick is a very entertaining drafter.  If I were locked away in a cave and could only be told what one guy had done in a draft I'd want to know what he did.

Here are the interesting moves this guy has made.

Picking up a wrestling champion and stashing him on the practice squad for two years

Drafting a QB in the 7th that backed up two Heisman winners...flipped for a high pick years later

Drafting a QB with a 6th round compensatory pick when he already drafted a guy the year before and had a former #1 overall pick running the show

Drafting a QB from Kent State in the 7th round and turning him into a slot guy and special teamer

Drafting a kicker in the 4th

Drafting a punter

Drafting a long snapper in the 6th

Drafting a rugby player in the 6th

Drafting a guy almost nobody had heard of in the 2nd

Drafting a player with essentially no position late in the draft, then giving him snaps at WR, DB, and he makes the pro bowl as a special teamer

Using a 4th rounder to get Randy Moss

Using a 2nd rounder to get Wes Welker

picking a guard with the last pick in the 1rst round. Off the radar guy. He goes to the pro bowl

Picking a tackle almost nobody heard about in the 2nd round. (Vollmer). Guy becomes 2nd team all-pro

Picking a center in the 5th round and starting him for a decade

very entertaining guy

[Eja117]

Here appears to be an ongoing list of college free agents going places. Interesting list. Pats only got 4 guys and I'm not very familiar with em

http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2012-nfl-undrafted-free-agents

[MBz]

Could someone break it down for me and explain why WAS took another QB? 

Odd, to say the least.

I definitely am not the smartest NFL (or NBA) fan out there, but this still seems a bit odd, to me.

Thought it was a pretty dumb move, myself.

4th rounders aren't throw away picks and the Redskins have several needs to be addressed.  Taking another QB there when you took one in the 1st round wasn't the brightest move, IMO.

Could you end up with another Shuler/Frerotte situation if RG3 struggles early on?

Agreed, it's almost a lose lose situation.  If RG3 struggles and you put Cousins in and Cousins succeeds now youre in major trouble for giving up so much to get RG3.  If RG3 and Cousins both struggle, well now youre in even worse shape.  They shouldn't have drafted Cousins.  Just find a veteran QB to help RG3 in the locker room/sidelines.

[Jon]

One quick thought on Tavon Williams.  Everyone is knocking BB for reaching on him, which may be the case.  But this is a guy who is a hybrid cornerback/safety.  As I said to my friends the other day, with the influx of great pass catching TEs, who do you put on them?  Cornerbacks?  Too small.  Linebackers?  Too slow.  Maybe the answer is something in between.  And maybe Williams is that type of player: a guy with safety size, but cornerback pass coverage ability.   

May just be a crackpot theory, but this could be BB ahead of the curve again.

[Donoghus]

One quick thought on Tavon Williams.  Everyone is knocking BB for reaching on him, which may be the case.  But this is a guy who is a hybrid cornerback/safety.  As I said to my friends the other day, with the influx of great pass catching TEs, who do you put on them?  Cornerbacks?  Too small.  Linebackers?  Too slow.  Maybe the answer is something in between.  And maybe Williams is that type of player: a guy with safety size, but cornerback pass coverage ability.   

May just be a crackpot theory, but this could be BB ahead of the curve again.

From what I've read early on, it sounds like he projects as their nickel back. 

Belichick had a very good DB with the Jets named Victor Green in the late 90s who seemed to have a similar makeup.  I wonder if he plans on using this kid in a similar fashion?