Get Me To The Promised Land

It appears the test case for the Patriots 2014 draft will be C.J. Fiedorowicz, the TE from Iowa New England passed on in favor of their QB of One Possible Future, Jimmy Garoppolo. I had cooled to Fiedorowicz in favor of Notre Dame’s Troy Niklas (who was off the board at #62) but the former Hawkeye was seen by many as a good fit with the Pats and good value in the 2^nd (preferably 3^rd) round. Now, he’s an opportunity missed. Should he develop into a Pro Bowl talent, Fiedorowicz will be red meat for the haters of the Patriots commentariat. At least they have something to live for.

 

I hope Garoppolo doesn’t see any action outside of preseason games in 2014 but I have to say the highlights I’ve seen are reassuring. I don’t care what the level of competition is; throwing for 5,000+ yards and 50+ TD is impressive. More importantly, the ball seems to explode out of his tiny right hand.

I’m going to make the bold prediction that Jimmy G. beats out Ryan “Trade Bait” Mallett for the backup QB gig. The only thing that will keep Mallett on the roster will be an unwilling trade partner. Belichick probably won’t move Mallett for less than a 2^nd round pick when he could get a 3^rd round compensatory pick when Mallett leaves in 2015. Belichick has carried three QBs before and it seems likely he will for 2014.

Reading the chats and comments, it seems Jimmy Garoppolo may hear some boos when he steps on the field at Gillette. I suppose that attitude is only exacerbated by Tom Terrific’s advancing age/closing window. The Garoppolo pick speaks to that but in a way Pats fans weren’t ready to hear. The Patriots weren’t a C.J. Fiedorowicz away from winning the Super Bowl, of course. Still, most citizens of Patriots Nation seem more than willing to trade a 2-14-0 season after Brady retires for a game-breaking wide receiver or running back that could mean one more ring on TB12’s pinky next February. Instead, Belichick takes a defensive tackle still recovering from a blown ACL with his first pick and a developmental QB with his second. It’s entirely possible neither of the Patriots top two picks will see any action in the 2014 season.

Yikes!

Did someone forget to remind Bill Belichick that Tom Brady is 87 years old?

Okay, we’ll fact check Tom’s birth date later. The point is old quarterbacks (with rare exceptions) don’t win Super Bowls; at least not without significant help. My pitchfork and torch bearing neighbors seem to be ignoring two possibilities in their dismissal of the Garoppolo pick.

First, are we all so sure Jace Amaro (who could’ve been had at #29) is a sure thing? Is Sammy Watkins worth a 1^st this year and next? Are we sure of anything in this crazy world, let alone whether or not Mike Evans will be a dominating outside the numbers wide receiver in the NFL? Take a deep breath and tell me which player in this year’s draft you think was worth mortgaging the Patriots post-Brady future.

Well?

Secondly, maybe the weapons Brady needs are already on the roster.

We’re at best cautiously optimistic about Gronk’s health and rightly so but just for a moment here, let’s be wildly optimistic. Remember how the Patriots offense looked with Gronk on the field last year? 30+ points per game.

Remember the progress Aaron Dobson was making before he blew a tire in Pittsburgh? How about that first game of the season against Buffalo for Danny Amendola before he tore his groin muscle completely off the bone or Shane Vereen in that same game before a broken wrist caused him to miss eight weeks?

Remember two years ago when Stevan Ridley ran for 1200+ yards and double digit touchdowns?

Sure, Brandon LaFell looked solid (at best) in Carolina but how will he look with Tom Brady throwing him passes?

Remember, we’re being wildly optimistic here.

What if even one of the rookies – Jeremy Gallon or Roy Finch or James White – turns out to be a playmaker?

What if Bryan Stork and Jon Halapio or Marcus Cannon take over the center and right guard positions (respectively) and Tom Brady is sacked half as many times in 2014 as he was in 2013?

If Wilfork returns to form with Tommy Kelly and Armond Armstead actually gets on the field this year, the Patriots may have enough at DT (throw in Chris Jones or Joe Vellano) to give Easley a redshirt season.

As I sit here and think about it – even knowing there’s no regression to the mean when it comes to injuries – I wonder if I’m being that wildly optimistic.

Okay, I’m hoping they sign Dustin Keller and Justin Jones is as good as his three cone drill time. I’m hoping James Morris and Cameron Gordon provide the depth at linebacker the Pats need as much as I’m hoping Jamie Collins makes that second year leap. I’m hoping Zach Moore can make the transition from Concordia College to the NFL and Michael Buchanan can make not so much a leap as a step in the right direction so Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich can play less and produce more.

Is that a lot to ask?

Maybe.

Whatever the case, it’s hard for me to feel badly about rooting for a team that seems to be set up to be competitive not only this year, but for the foreseeable future. Given the incredible run we’ve enjoyed over the past decade of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, it’s easy to lose sight of what it must be like to root for the Lions or Browns or Raiders or any number of NFL franchises that routinely stumble through 4-12-0 seasons.