There is no shortage of Patriots-related content in pre-draft articles around the web. A sampling:
Christopher L. Gasper of the Boston Globe checks in with Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who tells him not to rule anything out on draft day related to building the team's roster -- whether it's picking players, or trading for a veteran.
Also, the Boston Globe's interactive draft board on Boston.com continues to take shape.
On Saturday, Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas returned to his alma mater, Southern Mississippi, to hold his annual free football camp. The Hattiesburg American has the details as more than 700 campers were in attendance.
Mike Klis of the Denver Post opines on the rating of drafts and determines that the Patriots' work in 2007 was the best he's seen this decade. "I just found the undisputed best draft of the past decade: In 2007, the New England Patriots traded their second- round pick to Miami for Wes Welker and their first fourth- round selection to the Oakland Raiders for Randy Moss," Klis writes. "Go ahead, scour the draft picks of every year, for every team. Good luck finding a draft in which a team got the likes of Welker and Moss with back-to-back picks — neither of which were plucked from the first round."
NFL.com delivers video from former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel as he answers questions from reporters in Kansas City following a mini-camp practice. Donning a Chiefs football t-shirt and red visor, Cassel talks about establishing an environment and foundation in K.C., and how he still talks to Tom Brady on a weekly basis.
SI.com's Don Banks files the sixth installment of his mock draft and has the Patriots selecting UConn cornerback Darius Butler at No. 23.
In a Foxsports.com piece, Peter Schrager writes on 10 potential draft-day shockers. No. 8 is his thought that the Patriots will trade up. "Never count Bill Belichick out," Schrager writes. "In a draft in which the Patriots have six of the top 100 draft picks, they could package multiple picks to move up in the first round for a player they really have their eyes on."
Vinny Iyer of the Sporting News offers his own top 10 list -- his 10 final thoughts before the draft. His No. 9 thought is that the Patriots are in position to have the best draft. "You have to like Bill Belichick's chances to significantly boost his talented team with 11 picks at his disposal ... Considering they can inject needed depth and youth into their defense via the draft, New England will look like Super Bowl favorites again."
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Mike, when do you sleep? Are you one of those 'twilight vampires'?
Hi justafan. I had put this update together the night before, and scheduled it to post in the morning. I wasn't up at 5 a.m. It's a cool feature of our blog tool that we can schedule updates. I usually like to have something fresh on the blog in the morning, if possible.
--Mike
Hi Mike,
What is up with the draft mockers starting to have the Pats pick Darius Butler at No. 23 recently? last week, the guys on the NFL radio show "Moving the chains" also made that pick in their live mock.
Thanks
Looks like Mike Florio gave you some props on your 'Revisiting the '06 draft' column. Whats next you going to debate Skip Bayless on First Take, Mike?!
justafan,
It would be an insult for Mike to go debate Skip... Skip is a moron.
More manlove from the Denver Post for Belichick's drafting skills in 2007, because he *traded* for two top players using draft picks. Good trades for established players don't make the Pats a good judge of college talent. It's like saying because I bought a nice old house, I know how to build a new one. The fact is that the Pats' college scouting and drafting recently has been horrible. So now the Pats are in catch-up mode, trying to patch up holes with older free agents because their drafting has been so poor. Isn't it perfectly obvious? If the Pats had drafted better would we need all these retreads (eg. in the defensive backfield) who may or may not have anything left??? Oh, I forgot, the Pats can do no wrong, and it was all planned.
@Schrager “10 potential draft-day shockers….No. 8…the Patriots will trade up… they could package multiple picks to move up in the first round for a player they really have their eyes on."
The player I can most realistically imagine the Patriots trading up for would be Malcolm Jenkins. But this would require a deal with the Broncos, who everyone thinks must use at least use one of their two picks to move up acquire a QB and that it has to be either Sanchez or Stafford. Of course, anyone who believes that also assumes that McDaniels made a terrible mistake in thinking about dealing Cutler. I don’t.
For the Pats, Jenkins would be a very safe pick @12; for the Broncos, Freeman would be within range @18, & a better-than-safe pick @23, if, like, no-one else wants him. Even if he’s off the board; there’s still plenty of defensive players for them to choose from. A Win-Win.
What makes Jenkins@12 safe is not, necessarily, that he’s the best player available (though, at that particular spot, it’s very likely he is) but that he’s got the necessary talent as well as versatility in an area where the Pats have a lot need, though more long-term than short-term, and the type of personality that the Pats are looking for in that area.
He fits in that backfield better than any of the DE’s fit into the Pat’s DL or any of the USC Linebackers (or Laurinaitis) fits into their secondary. And, as has been said before, the second round is the new first round, that’s where you find the real value. The first round is more about avoiding the players you can’t use & maneuvering to keep the best players from your rivals.
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