We’ve reached that point in the pre-draft process
where all we hear about is flaws, real or perceived; when the #1 overall pick
becomes a hot potato. You can almost smell the fear and understandably so.
Blowing a Top 10 pick can haunt a franchise for years, not to mention costing
the GM and Head Coach (and his assistants) their jobs. Trade down? Trade down.
Okay, trading away the #1 pick and then watching
Jadeveon Clowney go on to become the most dominant defensive player of his generation
would be big bowls of porridge for the trolls on the Texans’ team site until
Clowney retires or Bill O’Brien gets fired. A lot depends on the comps, of
course. If the Texans pick up multiple picks and – let’s say – Derek Carr
becomes his generation’s Tom Brady, well, that’s a different story. Anybody
taking bets on Derek Carr becoming his generation’s Tom Brady? No?
What happens in the Top 10 is of little more than
academic interest to Patriots’ fans like me who are mentally preparing
themselves for Bill Belichick trading out of the 1st round once
again.
Maybe we shouldn’t.
I was intrigued by the implications of Christopher
Price’s post on WEEI’s It Is What It Is blog this Sunday. By Price’s count
of “expected starters, as
well as some key backups who have already put in extended time in the system
and could be considered entrenched members of the roster,” 49 of the 53
roster spots are already locked up. Price doesn’t use the phrase “locked up”
and notes that a lot can happen between now and the season opener but it struck
me that trading down for more picks might not be the best strategy for the Patriots,
even with a draft that is supposedly as deep in talent as any in the last ten
years.
From the New England perspective, is there a
transformative talent in the 1st round? How much coin will it take
to move up to a spot where the Patriots can draft that player?
The only player I see who might be worth it is WR Mike Evans
from Texas A&M because of his size and upside; he’s coming out after his
sophomore year so I could
see him improving with some NFL coaching. Maybe DT Aaron
Donald out of Pittsburgh. He’s undersized by Patriots’ standards but he
looks like he could be
special.
Might be.
Maybe.
I’m having a hard time talking myself into the
trade up scenario, obviously, but it’s an interesting “what if.” Evans looks
like the prototypical big, outside the numbers threat the Patriots have lacked
since Randy Moss and we all know what Brady was able to do with Moss and Welker
in 2007. What could Tom Terrific do with Evans, Aaron Dobson split wide, Julian
Edelman in the slot and Rob Gronkowski (eventually) at TE? Put me down as
someone who would like to find out (maybe Peyton Manning would turn out to be
right that Brady would break his TD record next year).
While we’re looking at trading up, let’s go big.
What would it take to get that #1 pick from Houston to take Jadeveon Clowney? I
think the Pats would need to offer their #29 this year, Ryan Mallett and maybe
next year’s 1st round pick at minimum. Belichick worked with
Lawrence Taylor when he was a defensive coordinator with the Giants and while
the LT comparisons are unfair, if Clowney is that “once
in a generation” talent that some pigskin pundits and bobbleheads have
called him, he will be worth whatever it takes to get him.
In truth, I’m counting on Belichick trading down
for more
picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. I’m counting on the
Patriots picking up a TE like C.J. Fiedorowicz or Troy Niklas (maybe Jace
Amaro), help with pass rush/depth at linebacker from a Kyle Van Noy, Scott
Crichton, Kareem Martin or Jeremiah Attaochu, a big safety like Deone Bucannon and
a C/G, maybe David Yankey.
That would be fine.
More than fine.
But it wouldn’t be Clowney.
Is Bill Belichick that unpredictable?
No comments:
Post a Comment