At some point you find yourself watching the highlight reel of a 7th round tight end and you're thinking, hey, this guy is pretty good. Then you check out his stats and realize you just saw every reception he made his senior season. In a minute and 30 seconds.
In Bill We Trust...
It happens every year after the draft. The good citizens of Patriots Nation scan the list of reported UDFA signings and wonder what just happened. If anything, the 2018 draft was the paradigmatic Bill Belichick draft; a record number of trades, puzzling picks, a seemingly perverse approach to the positions of need identified by pigskin pundits and bobbleheads, followed by those "well, you really have to include..." rationales by those grading New England's draft class.
For those predicting the fall of the Six State Empire because they didn't address the issues on the defensive front seven, take a breath and remember this is an NFL franchise that has made it to 3 of the last 4 Super Bowls. Context is important, though often ignored, as is perspective.
While most of us fixated on left tackle with the loss of Nate Solder in free agency, Belichick and the Patriots looked at the offensive line as a whole. They used their first 1st rounder on a potential starter at left tackle (or maybe left guard), traded a draft pick for a starting caliber right tackle in Trent Brown as insurance for oft-injured starter Marcus Cannon, retained serviceable swing tackle LaAdrian Waddle, added journeyman Matt Tobin during free agency, and still have injury redshirt Antonio Garcia, as well as youngsters Andrew Jelks and my person man-crush, Cole Croston, on the depth chart.
As for that defensive front seven, well, a lot hinges on Dont'a Hightower's return from injury. Do I feel totally good about that? No. The answer is no. I do not feel good about that. The Pats didn't do much in the draft but they had already added Jabaal Sheard, er, I mean Adrian Clayborn and Ted Washington, um, I mean Danny Shelton during free agency to the front four. They already have promising youngsters in two more injury redshirts, DE Derek Rivers and LB Harvey Langi, along with second year edge Dietrich Wise, Jr., who flashed starter potential in his rookie year. The Pats have a number of good, young depth pieces in Adam Butler, Vincent Valentine, Eric Lee, and Keionta Davis. There's no Von Miller or Aaron Donald on the Patriots roster, okay, but they do have Trey Flowers and Malcom Brown playing for contracts.
And they look to be stronger in the defensive backfield with the acquisition of veteran Jason McCourty and 2nd round draft pick Duke Dawson. That doesn't account for the hopes that Cyrus Jones is not a bust or that Keion Crossen can compete for a roster spot or UDFA JC Jackson could be the next Malcolm Butler.
No quarterback of the future? Danny Etling would beg to differ! No, nobody else begs to differ but really, only Danny Etling's opinion matters in this case. Besides, based on how many 2019 draft picks Belichick banked, New England's QB of the Future is clearly still in college.
I haven't even mentioned RB Sony Michel, who immediately drew comps to last year's rookie sensation Alvin Kamara. The Patriots offense returns Chris Hogan gets Julian Edelman and Malcolm Mitchell back (fingers crossed), adds veterans Cordarrelle Patterson and Jordan Matthews, slot prototype draft pick Braxton Berrios, and has Phillip Dorsett and Kenny Britt in their second year in the program. They have a running back committee that features James White, Rex Burkhead and either Mike Gillislee or Jeremy Hill (only one of those guys makes the Final 53). And they're adding an Alvin Kamara-like talent in Sony Michel? Yes, please!
Rationalize much? Yeah, sure, okay, you got me. My glass is half full of the Bill Belichick Kool-Aid.
And why not?
No comments:
Post a Comment