There are a few things that have been dangling on my brain lately around the Pats that I’d like to wipe off before taking a blind, marginally thought out stab at the Patriots first two round selections:
It is not a big deal that Tom Brady didn’t go to the White House, provided it wasn’t some asinine political statement (a couple of guys who come to mind in this context are overrated Theo Epstein- that ’04 team was Mike Port’s and Dan Duquette’s team and the move that got them into position to win in ’07- Lowell and Beckett- was done by Larry Lucchino (I hate giving that guy credit)- and acrobatic, bunker-living, I made so many good saves because I was always wildly out of position, Stanley Cup Finals MVP Tim Thomas). Brady does not need to bring a note to school to explain his absence, so the huffers and puffers on sports radio should stand down.
The more I watch the fourth quarter of the greatest football game ever, I actually believe that BB purposely let the clock run down in order to force Pete Carroll to make some on-his-feet, in the moment decisions, decisions where Ol’ Pete wasn’t just yukking it up with the guys.
My initial thought was that Butler should have been the MVP of the SB. Upon further (and further) review, there is no doubt that it should have gone to Brady. As surgical as Denzel was with his shotgun in “Training Day” that’s how much TB12 carved up what was supposed to be the best defense since the ’85 Bears. For big stretches of the game, the Pats went up and down the field with ease. That’s mostly due to Brady’s accuracy, and the O line playing the game of their collective lives.
As a public service to those who have to get up early for work on Monday, there is very good chance that New England will trade out of Round One. I just have a feeling that a trade is a very distinct possibility. Of course, they will probably trade up.
If I had one guy to take in the entire draft it would be defensive tackle Leonard Williams from USC. This is a guy who is going to be in opposing backfields for a decade. He is just a beast who is huge, fast, and strong.
On to Round 2:
My feeling is the Pats will take a skill player here. I’d love to see them take TJ Yeldon from Alabama, who has truly special skills. He has a unique, upright style that makes it look like he isn’t moving nearly as fast as he is. He has the Tony Dorsett-like ability to never be hit squarely by defenders, which should help his longevity. The reason the Pats won’t draft one of Nick’s boys here is because of ball security. TJ has a bad habit of coughing the ball up at the most inopportune moment (see the Ohio State game). In a year when every turnover will be attributed to properly inflated footballs, the Pats can’t afford to have a fumble-prone rookie.
The pick in Round 2 (Pick 32, 64 overall) is Philip Dorsett, 5’9″, 185 from The U- This kid will end up as the second best receiver of the 2015 draft (nobody will be better than Amari Cooper) with his combination of speed and route running skills, he is the perfect type of player to come in and give Brady a target who can consistently get open down the field. They thought they had that in Aaron Dobson, but when they did his physical they didn’t discover that he had no heart. This kid averaged 24 yards per catch and had ten touchdowns with a mediocre freshman throwing to him.
With their first round pick, number 32 overall, the selection will be defensive tackle Michael Bennett, 6’2″,300-ish, There was a way many of my buddies in the Army described guys like Michael Bennett-type of guys– guys who dominated when it mattered and made it look easy, they were called “grown ass men.” That’s exactly what Michael Bennett is. In the biggest games, against the best pro prospects, Bennett made these behemoths look like Pop Warner scrubs. He was THE MAIN reason that Ohio State beat Bama (Blake Sims horrendous game notwithstanding). He was in the backfield all night, disrupting any inside opportunities the Tide had. The only time Alabama was effective was when they went outside, away from Bennett. The Patriots made a calculated decision to let number 75 go. If he is available at 32, and if the Pats still have their pick, this is the guy. If not, I’ve wasted a bunch of time typing into oblivion.
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