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.

What The What?

What just happened? Did the Patriots just pick a Top 15 talent at #32? 

By 11:00pm, it seemed a who's who of players linked to the Patriots were off the board. The much mocked Florida State offensive lineman Cameron Erving had been drafted by the Cleveland Browns at #19 and secret object of desire WR Nelson Agholor was taken with the very next pick by the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Both were long shots to make it to #32, anyway. 

Hybrid SS/LB Shaq Thompson, who I'd seen mocked to the Patriots at #64, was selected by the Carolina Panthers at #25. Maybe Thompson is the next Troy Polamalu? 

The Dallas Cowboys took super-freak CB Byron Jones at #27 (he reminded me too much of Ras-I Dowling, anyway) and the Detroit Lions took OG Laken Tomlinson at #28 (after trading down, I think). The Patriots were supposed to trade down from #32 to take Tomlinson somewhere in the top half of the 2nd round and the Lions were supposed to take a DT to fill the gaping Ndamukong Suh-sized hole in their defensive line so you'd have to call the Tomlinson pick something of a surprise.

Speaking of surprises...

Malcom Brown? Malcom Brown.

When do the Patriots announce they've re-signed Dan Connolly?

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?

Why the Wells Report is Taking so Long

Day 80-something. I've lost track. I'm out of water. I ran out of food days ago. I've torn my t-shirt into strips. Are there any nutrients in cotton? It's probably a blend so maybe whatever it's blended with has some nutritional value. I hope so. I really wish I'd paid more attention in that freshman zoology class now. I'll tell you this. No matter how long you leave a football in the refrigerator, yes, it gets softer but it's still completely inedible, even with ketchup.

The questions remain, however, even as a fever burns in my starving brain. Why is the Deflategate investigation taking so long?

Three Cones in Sub-7

You can't expect the Patriots to draft on the basis of need – at least not the narrow “Day 1 starter this year at the X position because we lost player Z to free agency” definition of need (and you know who I’m talking about). Look no farther than Bill Belichick’s first two picks in the 2014 draft; a defensive tackle coming off a second ACL tear unlikely to contribute in his rookie year and a QB of the Far, Far Away Future.

Still, we know – or have strong opinions about – what New England needs to make a run at back-to-back Lombardi Trophies…