Patriots Draft Recap

So I have not updated in a bit, and that's on me. Most of it was due to writers block, or more actually not being able to write about what I really wanted to write about. Some of it is due to Pat's visit, which was short but very sweet, we had a great time but nothing epic occurred, nothing worthy of an entire post. The last reason though was that this past weekend was one of the weekends you dream about as a sports fan. The NFL draft was occurring, which is fantastic theater, and I am going to write down my observations now on the draft and hopefully it will still be around in some form so I can compare them with what really happens in a few years. Hope springs eternal on Draft Day, although as dedicated New England fan sometimes Belichick moves in mysterious ways on Draft Day. This was not one of those drafts, I think I get the whole thing, and I like it. The Celts are locked in an epic first round series with the Chicago Bulls. This series is a great match-up of a young and up and coming team trying to face down a Champion not quite ready to let go yet. The Champs are hurt and older and about as deep as a puddle right now, but they are fighting off the young Bulls barely. The Sox went into a 3 game set with the Yankees Friday on a roll, and came out the other side with their streak intact, again just barely. Finally the Bruins, well they should have been locked in a playoff battle with THEIR rivals le Canadiens, but they swept their French ass so the B's got to sit at home and enjoy the show.

Patriots:

I am going to through these pick by pick and just give some thoughts and predictions about what could be for each one.

Patrick Chung (S Oregon): Or as I like to refer to him, Rodney Jr. Started all four years at Oregon, a major Pac-10 team. The Pats have two young safeties already, but both are more cover types. Chung will play closer to the line of scrimmage, almost like a linebacker, and he will be the recipient of those plays Rodney has had for years, where he comes off the edge untouched on passing downs. Hopefully Patrick is just as good at bringing the QB down.

Ron Brace (DT BC): Listen to the commentators when they talk about the 3-4 defense, and they always talk about how hard it is to find the 3-4 nosetackle. Well, Brace might not be the most talented guy in the world, but he can take up space in the middle, a better candidate for backup NT then the undersized Mike Wright, and insurance in case Vince Wilfork gets hurt or leaves via free agency next year. Also you have to love the local guy coming to play for his hometown team. Born and raised in Worcester, played in college at BC.

Darius Butler (CB Uconn): With the addition of Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden (who had his best year under Romeo in Cleveland) Ellis Hobbs was no longer necessary, this pick gives us depth and potential. A first round graded player with the third Pats pick in the second is always good. Has the same build as Hobbs without the lingering injuries that have plagued him.

Sebastian Vollmer (OT Houston): Sea Bass (as anyone named Sebastian should rightfully be called, and he is.) is my sneaky favorite pick of the draft.
He is a latecomer to football. He only started playing at age 14 in Germany, and came to the US as a 250 lbs tight end. Within four years at Houston they had turned him into an all-conference offensive tackle. Shows he is smart and able to adapt quickly, having no English when he first came to this country. He has the prototypical body for the new kind of left tackle, he is 6'7" and 314 lbs, with long arms that he knows how to use for great leverage. You probably will not see him this year, but give him some time under the Master Dante Scarnecchia, and some time in the weight room and i think this guy can be a beast as a pro, in the mold of an Antonio Gates or Stephen Neal, players that came to football late but blossomed.

Brandon Tate (WR UNC) Another great value pick, a guy who had first or second round grades on a lot of boards before a positive test for marijuana at the combine. (oh GOD! a college student smoked WEED! The only points he loses in my book are IQ points for getting caught.) Set the NCAA record for return yards which is necessary because we just lost Ellis Hobbs who was one of the best kick return guys in the game, and I would really prefer it was a rookie and not Wes Welker who gets his head taken off every time the Pats receive a punt.

Thoughts on the lower rounds: I got nothing on McKenzie, hopefully he can provide some depth at LB. Ohrnberger and Bussey, maybe we can pull a decent back up guard out of one of these guys. Jake Ingram, long snapper. Luckiest dude on the face of the planet. He went to college at Hawaii for god's sake. Now he will probably have a job in the NFL for 12 years executing one and only one thing. Hiking a ball back between his legs at certain distances 13-18 times per game. I wish I was Jake Ingram. The two late D-lineman I don't feel good about them making it out of camp. Julian Edelman, WR/QB from Kent State is interesting if only because I wondered last year what Belichick could do with judicious use of the wildcat offense. Maybe we will find out.

Last but not least, this is the biggest roll of the dice, but I just want to get this out now, so hopefully I can point to it down the road. The Pats need a QB to groom for the future, a la Brady or Cassel. They signed Brian Hoyer out of Michigan State after the draft, and Todd McShay convinced me that the kid can play, he was just plagued by drop balls by his WR's. I am not saying he is the QB of the future, but he could be. Please feel free to point and laugh when he is playing for Amsterdam in two years.

Thoughts on the Celts, Bruins and Sox soon. Draft recap took longer then I thought it would.