First Draft of Pigskin History

As the dust begins to settle on the Patriots' 2024 NFL Draft, let's do what we all do in New England. 

Act like we could've done better than actual football people did.

Post-Coital Pigskins

The 2023 NFL Draft is complete.

Was it good for you?

Draft Denouement

 Bill Belichick is the DGAF GM. 

It says so on his business card.

Two Days and Three Drafted

 Is it wrong for me to have this smug, self-satisfied feeling of validation because I took CB Marcus Jones at #85 for the Patriots in my final PFF Mock Draft? Just like Bill Belichick just did?

Too much?

Too much.

Draft Therapy

 If Cole Strange turns out to be Logan Mankins 2.0, then we're all good with this, am I right?

Pigskin Futures

 I may be addicted to the PFF Mock Draft Simulator.

Is that a bad thing?

Feeling The Draft

I spent an indefensible amount of time today using the PFF Mock Draft 2022 Simulator. Then again, what wannabe NFL GM hasn't?

Doomscrolling the Patriots' Off Season

Can the NFL get any stranger? 

When the Draft is a Cool Breeze

The NFL Draft is like gambling on a coin flip. You've got a 50% chance of being right and a 50% chance of having people make fun of you for the rest of human history, You bet $120mm dollars on a coin flip? And you lost?

Yeah. Just call heads every time.

I've seen it work.

Now It's A Party

Like Chuck Norris, Bill Belichick doesn't sleep.

He waits.

The Triumph of Hope Over Draft Profile

Loved it when Bill Belichick reminded the pigskin pundits and bobbleheads in his post-Day 2 stand up the Patriots had already banked WR Brandin Cooks (and his 5th year option), DE Kony Ealy, TE Dwayne Allen and RB Mike Gillislee before Day 1 of the draft.

He didn't mention keeping QB Jimmy Garoppolo or CB Malcolm Butler; I know they were on the roster all along but somehow it seems like the Patriots acquired them from Cleveland and New Orleans, respectively, doesn't it?

Also loving the reaction to the Patriots 3rd round picks but I have to admit I'm caught off guard by a New England draft that doesn't get a C+ "Failed to work up to expectations" kind of grade.

Perhaps an even bigger surprise? Belichick didn't take a safety nobody ever heard of in the 3rd round this year.

Last Minute Pre-Draft Doodles

The NFL Draft is almost, mercifully, finally upon us. The fates of Jimmy Garoppolo, Malcolm Butler and hundreds of young men with the hopes and dreams of pigskin fame hangs in the balance. It isn't exactly western civilization we're considering here but for whatever reason, I'm far more interested in football. I mean, western civilization is so 20th century, am I right?

Prop Bets on the Future

Life itself is a prop bet, isn't it? As Aristotle once said, we're all day to day.

I'm pretty sure that was Aristotle.

It's Time to Dream Big

Well, the draft is over and everyone is sure their team, bolstered with youth and talent, is on it’s way to the Super Bowl. Well, except for Cleveland Browns’ fans. They know better.

Most fans believe their team did well in the draft if they recognize the names taken, names they heard in the run up to the draft. Players from Top 10 programs, Combine warriors. Mentions by Mel Kiper, Jr., Todd McShay and Mike Mayock. If you’ve heard their names it was a good pick. It’s something of a self-rationalizing system.  For the most part, over the first 100 picks, it works. Sure, there are famous 1st round busts but the top talent in any field is fairly easy to identify. I remember reading an e-mail exchange between Malcolm Gladwell and Bill Simmons that Simmons posted on his site in which Gladwell posited an interesting point. While he had only a superficial knowledge of the sport of basketball, he could actually use that to his advantage and still be quite successful. He wouldn't be in a position to over-analyze, to over-think his draft strategy. All he knew was that schools like Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, etc. were really good college basketball schools so as an NBA GM, he would simply draft from those schools.

Think about that as you consider how many kids from Ohio State were drafted this year.

Unmuted Anticipation

It’s Spring. A time of hope for football fans west of the Connecticut River that this will be the year their team makes the playoffs and the Patriots don’t.

I wonder what that feels like.

Thinking About The Future By Looking At What Happened Yesterday

When all was said and done, it was a classic Bill Belichick draft.

We Can Only Guess What Happens Next

It wouldn't be the NFL draft without Bill Belichick doing something that makes Mel Kiper, Jr.'s hair catch on fire. Not literally, of course.

The End of the Big Wait has Begun

The 2015 NFL Draft – our pigskin winter of discontent made glorious summer – is tomorrow night. Whatever Belichick does in the draft, whether he trades down or trades up or sticks and picks I know one thing for certain.

No wait.

I don't.

My bad.

So anyway…

More Mockery

I generally have problems with what the mockers do to the Patriots in their drafts. I know I should let it go. They're called mock drafts for a reason, I suppose. Most pigskin pundits and bobbleheads have to look at New England and think, who knows what Belichick will do, anyway? Still, when they mock the Pats taking a wide receiver with small hands and off-the-field issues or a defensive tackle whose curriculum vitae includes back surgery and references to an inconsistent motor and the next player off the board is an offensive lineman who was a team captain who put up 25+ reps on the bench press and a sub-7.5 second 3-Cone Drill, I can't help but scratch my head.

This recent 7-round mock on NFL.com was – in some ways – a pleasant surprise. In other ways? My head still hurts from all that scratching.

The Face of the Franchise

Will the sexual assault suit filed against Jameis Winston affect his draft status?

Why is this even a question?