Bold move by Pats...Jimmy Garoppolo

[chad72]

I love the Pats OL picks in Stork and Fleming, back to what they do best, protect Brady and control line of scrimmage for the run

[chad72]

That is 3 OL picks for the Patriots now, truly revamping their O-line. Everyone other than Solder and Mankins are probably not safe. They needed a new center anyway - so Stork will most likely start.

[IcEWoLF]

Yup, that was a much needed upgrade, still in need of a safety and tight end and possibly add more depth to our D.

[IcEWoLF]

Well there ya go, they added a DE. Now we just need a decent safety and a TE

[JerodMayo51]

I can't say I would be happy if I were Brady.  Brady is getting older, but still has several years left and they draft a Qb?  Some more offensive help would have been nice.

 

Some offensive help?  You mean like a Center, Tackle, Guard, RB and WR that they drafted?

[JerodMayo51]

I honestly did not like the pick, we needed to bulk up our interior O Line and BB has not done anything to improve it

 

They drafted 3 offensive lineman......   What are you talking about?

 

Just because you dont think there are any good prospects does not mean its true.

 

They have Solder at LT, a very talented first round pick..

They have Mankins at LG, who is a hall of fame talent

They drafted a Center in the 4th round that looks to be legit and they have Connolly and Wendell already on the roster who have a lot of experience at Center.

They have an All-Pro right tackle in Vollmer...

So all they really needed was a RG and they drafted 3 Olineman to help address that...   I honestly don't understand your statement because it seems like you weren't even watching the draft.

 

Also we needed a safety too, that didn't pan out either.

 

 

We didn't need a safety as badly as some people think.. Devin McCourty is an All-Pro free safety and team captain, one of the best in the league at his position...   They have Harmon they drafted last year , Patrick Chung is back as depth, Tavon Wilson a 2nd rounder from 3 years ago and Browner could potentially fill in as a SS as well.

 

Its not the best safety tandem in the league but its not even close to bad or a weakness right now..  You cant have all-pros at every single position on the field, its impossible so to have that level of expectation is unrealistic and you will always be disappointed.

 

 

Also we need a good cover LB, I'd want to see Collins as a DE.

 

 

A good cover LB?  Are you serious?  Collins is a ridiculously talented coverage linebacker..  He was covering Wes Welker last year!  Why would you want one of their most talented young prospects that was excelling at his position in his rookie year to move to a different position, leaving a huge weakness in the area that he was excelling at?

 

That logic makes zero sense.

 

 

 

Lastly who is going to be our tight end on week 1 of the season?

 

 

Tell me how many teams in the league have 2 super star tight ends?  The Pats have Gronk, who when healthy is one of the most dominant TEs this game has ever seen.  Having a Hernandez and Gronk at the same time was a stroke of luck and very rare, that is not typical for a team to land 2 talents like that in the same draft and most teams only have 1 high quality TE, so the sky certainly isnt falling just because they didnt draft one.  Having Gronk back makes the Pats TE situation better than nearly every other team in the league... 

 

 

 

 

 

Sounds very much like you're a glass is half empty type of guy.  All you have to do is open your eyes and you can see that the Pats basically addressed every area that you mentioned except Safety and Tight End..  Its purely opinion that the Pats dont have a good safety situation, I happen to disagree and think they'll have one of the better secondaries in the league next year now with Revis, McCourty, Browner, Dennard and Harmon..  

[JerodMayo51]

If you want your team to succeed then you need a great O Line that can push the pile...right now this oline is just weak. I want us to win, tired of seeing the Broncos doing everything they can to get a winning cast around manning.

All we get is patchwork year after year just like the Talib and now Revis signings.

 

A weak oline?

 

Patchwork?

 

Solder = 1st round pick.. Pro-Bowl talent.

Mankins - 1st round pick, HoF talent

Sebastian Vollmer = 2nd round pick, All-Pro talent

 

They had serviceable guys in Connolly and Wendell on the interior that needed some upgrading, which is why they went and drafted 3 more Olinemen in the draft.

[JerodMayo51]

 I love my Pats but this is getting old real quick, we have not addressed many issues on our D...

 

 

What issues are those exactly?

 

They have a super talented edge rusher in Chandler Jones.. they have a Hall of Fame DT in Wilfork, they have a very solid veteran in Tommy Kelly at the other DT spot... they just drafted another DT in the 1st round that excels at getting after the QB and disrupting plays...

 

They also drafted another DE and they have 2 young guys in Vilano and Jones that were rookies last year and got a ton of playing time and experience.

 

Our linebacking core is one of the best in the league... Mayo was a top 10 1st rounder, is a team captain, All-Pro LB that wears the green dot and QBs the defense... he is not a run stopping LB,... he is an every down linebacker and leads not just the team but the ENTIRE LEAGUE nearly every single year in tackles...  The dude is a beast, i cant even believe my eyes when I read you referencing him as "just a run stopping LB." 

 

Hightower was a 1st round talent and has been playing very well considering the situation he was put in last year with Wilfork, Kelly and Mayo all going down around him.. he stepped up, wore the green dot helmet and was calling the plays on D.. hes a 3 down linebacker as well and still has room to grow.

 

Collins is a phenomenal coverage LB that can also get after the QB if they want to send him on blitzes... hes an insane athlete..

 

Ninkovich is a solid linebacker and also has the flexibility to put his hand down from the DE position opposite of Jones... 

 

They have a fantastic situation at linebacker... 

 

 

The secondary is really solid as well.. You have a Hall of Fame talent in Revis and an All-Pro talent in McCourty as your studs.. you have Dennard on the other side who can match up well against most receivers, and you have Browner who can come in and match up bigger, more physical WRs..  You have Arrington as the nickle back which hes very solid at as well...  Its still too early to tell what Harmon will become, but he got some playing time and some starts last year as a rookie.

 

 

 

I just dont understand where you're coming from pointing out supposed "weaknesses" on the defense...  They have a pretty good defense and have some studs at all 3 levels of the D..  What more do you want?  Do you expect them to have Von Miller, Watt, Ngata and Wilfork on their Dline, with Bowman, Cushing, Willis and Kuechly at linebacker?  Why not throw in Sherman, Revis, Thomas and Polamalu in the secondary as well...

 

 

 

Obviously we all know thats not possible.. you cant field a team full of hall of famers at every single position.. so im not sure what your expectations are, but they seem pretty unrealstic for someone who claims to be a realist.

[JerodMayo51]

wow and i completely forgot about Logan Ryan, who was a stud last year as a rookie and could sub in at SS as well.

 

The Pats are in great shape on the defense... they just need some of these young guys on offense to pan out and they'll be the same juggernaut they've been for the last decade+

[amfootball]

wow and i completely forgot about Logan Ryan, who was a stud last year as a rookie and could sub in at SS as well.

 

The Pats are in great shape on the defense... they just need some of these young guys on offense to pan out and they'll be the same juggernaut they've been for the last decade+

My thoughts as well. D will be one of the tops in the league. We need the O to improve with the young guys stepping up and hopefully have some luck with health in terms of Gronk and Amendola. I feel like if those guys play most of the season then we will be just fine but that is a big IF unfortunately.

[Cynjin]

Some offensive help?  You mean like a Center, Tackle, Guard, RB and WR that they drafted?

 

Yes they did end up doing that later.  However, I am going to go out on a limb here and say that the Pats probably could have got a better player at one of those positions in the second round versus a later round.  Just a guess though.  Tom Brady is at the back end of his career not the front.  He is also, from what I hear going to play for another 3 to 5 years.  All I said was that if I were Brady I would have appreciated more help to win another Superbowl and actually that could mean either offensively or defensively, although I would prefer offense.  Drafting a Qb in the second round would not be a priority.

[amfootball]

Yes they did end up doing that later.  However, I am going to go out on a limb here and say that the Pats probably could have got a better player at one of those positions in the second round versus a later round.  Just a guess though.  Tom Brady is at the back end of his career not the front.  He is also, from what I hear going to play for another 3 to 5 years.  All I said was that if I were Brady I would have appreciated more help to win another Superbowl and actually that could mean either offensively or defensively, although I would prefer offense.  Drafting a Qb in the second round would not be a priority.

Most important position on a team is QB which means back up QB is the second most important. I fully expect the Pats to trade Mallett which means they need to have Brady's replacement now. Brady *may* play 3-5 years but very few QBs play into their 40's at a high level. I think Brady can do it but the Pats would be foolish to not have his successor ready in the next couple of years.

[Defjamz26]

He went to the perfect situation but the move is a pretty Patriot like move. Every couple of years they draft some highly touted QB and let him sit behind Brady, and then every team starts to think he's the next best thing just because he sat behind Brady, and the Pats just end up flipping the guy for a high pick, or some team overpays for them.

 

The pick made perfect sense to me. They're going to flip Mallet, who was never going to be the successor to Brady.

[Cynjin]

Most important position on a team is QB which means back up QB is the second most important. I fully expect the Pats to trade Mallett which means they need to have Brady's replacement now. Brady *may* play 3-5 years but very few QBs play into their 40's at a high level. I think Brady can do it but the Pats would be foolish to not have his successor ready in the next couple of years.

 

I do not agree, at least with the Pats, that the backup Qb is the second most important position.  Brady has had very few injury concerns and the way he reads defenses and gets rid of the ball he does not get hit that often.  So he probably has a very good chance of playing 3 to 5 years.  I agree that they look like they will try to trade Mallett and will need a backup, but there where probably just as capable backup Qbs later in the draft.  My point is that if Brady does plan on playing until he is 40, that is another 4 years.  I have to believe that Brady would want as much help as possible to win another Superbowl, that is not going to be a Qb selected in the second round.  I could see selecting his replacement in another year or two, just not this year.

[dgambill]

I didn't like the pick....because I think the kid is going to be good....I really think they got themselves a sleeper pick here. Brady better hope he doesn't get "Brady'ed" like Bledsoe did....Pats fans should be happy though...I like this kids future.

[amfootball]

I do not agree, at least with the Pats, that the backup Qb is the second most important position.  Brady has had very few injury concerns and the way he reads defenses and gets rid of the ball he does not get hit that often.  So he probably has a very good chance of playing 3 to 5 years.  I agree that they look like they will try to trade Mallett and will need a backup, but there where probably just as capable backup Qbs later in the draft.  My point is that if Brady does plan on playing until he is 40, that is another 4 years.  I have to believe that Brady would want as much help as possible to win another Superbowl, that is not going to be a Qb selected in the second round.  I could see selecting his replacement in another year or two, just not this year.

6 of the Pats 9 picks were offensive picks so I am not sure Brady has much to complain about to be honest. They completely revamped his line and drafted a WR and RB. And last year they got him two receivers in the draft and an undrafted player in Thompkins. They also signed LaFells this off-season who will be a legit thread on the outside. Drafting his replacement was a major need this off-season with Mallett in his final year and a draft deep on Qbs. The Pats saw the guy they wanted in the second round and nabbed him. If he ends up being a solid starter after Brady goes then they will have taken a huge step toward staying a contending team for years to come.

[Cynjin]

6 of the Pats 9 picks were offensive picks so I am not sure Brady has much to complain about to be honest. They completely revamped his line and drafted a WR and RB. And last year they got him two receivers in the draft and an undrafted player in Thompkins. They also signed LaFells this off-season who will be a legit thread on the outside. Drafting his replacement was a major need this off-season with Mallett in his final year and a draft deep on Qbs. The Pats saw the guy they wanted in the second round and nabbed him. If he ends up being a solid starter after Brady goes then they will have taken a huge step toward staying a contending team for years to come.

 

You are thinking about this from the organizations point of view, not necessarily Brady's.  You have to admit that drafting a Qb in the second round does nothing to help Brady win another Superbowl.  My only point was that if I were Brady I would want the organization to draft players that would help in winning a Superbowl in the next 4 years.  Their second round pick does not do anything to help him win again and anyone that is as competitive as Brady is would not be happy about this.  I am not saying that the organization is wrong to think about the future beyond Brady, but that Brady is probably not happy with the pick.  As I stated in a previous post the pick could have been a defensive player, just some position other than Qb that would help win another championship.

[amfootball]

You are thinking about this from the organizations point of view, not necessarily Brady's.  You have to admit that drafting a Qb in the second round does nothing to help Brady win another Superbowl.  My only point was that if I were Brady I would want the organization to draft players that would help in winning a Superbowl in the next 4 years.  Their second round pick does not do anything to help him win again and anyone that is as competitive as Brady is would not be happy about this.  I am not saying that the organization is wrong to think about the future beyond Brady, but that Brady is probably not happy with the pick.  As I stated in a previous post the pick could have been a defensive player, just some position other than Qb that would help win another championship.

I know what you are saying and I completely disagree. Brady would not be mad about taking a QB just like he was not mad when they took Mallett a few years ago or Hoyer or Cassell. Every QB needs a back up. A 37 year old QB understands that the Pats will go on without him in a few years and they better have the right trigger man. Heck, for the past 10 years the Pats have been one of the few teams to only carry two QBs on the roster because they didn't want to take up another roster spot. So Brady has had the benefit of having an extra player to help him win on the field for a long time.

 

And like I said, I am not sure how Brady could quibble with much of anything this off-season. The Pats went out and got the best CB in the game which was their main weakness last year when Talib was hurt. Then they resigned his main WR in Edelman. Brady actually came out after that signing and said how happy he was that Edelman would be coming back. Then they sign Lafells to give him a big threat on the outside. You can't have superstars everywhere and you can't just draft with 2014 in mind. No team does that. Brady has also said repeatedly over the years that he enjoys the QB competition as it helps him become a better QB and he enjoys mentoring the young guys and watching them go on and succeed elsewhere. He still talks with Cassell often and Hoyer. That is who he is. A team guy through and through.

[GoPats]

Overall I liked the Patriots' draft and what they've done in the offseason, but I have to admit I did not like the Garoppolo pick at all. It's not the guy they got - I haven't seen him play at all - it's where they got him, and when. Second round, with other needs still to address, seems soon to me.

 

His rookie deal will expire the same season that Brady's contract will expire, and the prevalent line of thought has been that Brady would play out his contract and then probably do a series of modest one-year deals until he's done. They can still do that I guess, but it seems too early to me to start grooming "that guy." I'd rather have seen them fill a more immediate need at that spot in the draft. They could have waited another year or two, IMO, to pick up Brady's possible successor. I wouldn't have used a pick any higher than the 4th round this season on a QB. 

 

Other takes... 

 

Belichick basically ignored the apparent need at safety, which tells me they already have a plan there. Maybe they like Harmon. Or maybe they play Ryan there, or Browner. I don't know. But I'd guess they did not see it as a need.

 

I'm very confused about what they're doing at TE. Again, maybe there's an in-house plan. But it doesn't sound like it. Obviously the way Gronk plays the game you have to be concerned about his durability. 

 

The Easley pick was a bit of a gamble for sure but if it works out he'll be a difference-maker. They did a nice job restocking their offensive line (they had not drafted a lineman for two years) and got the type of guys I like late -- players with unique circumstances and perhaps not a ton of high-level experience, but high up-sides. 

 

I would have loved to have seen a TE or outside-type receiver taken in the 2nd round over a developmental QB, but overall it was a solid haul I think. 

[GoPats]

You are thinking about this from the organizations point of view, not necessarily Brady's.  You have to admit that drafting a Qb in the second round does nothing to help Brady win another Superbowl.  My only point was that if I were Brady I would want the organization to draft players that would help in winning a Superbowl in the next 4 years.  Their second round pick does not do anything to help him win again and anyone that is as competitive as Brady is would not be happy about this.  I am not saying that the organization is wrong to think about the future beyond Brady, but that Brady is probably not happy with the pick.  As I stated in a previous post the pick could have been a defensive player, just some position other than Qb that would help win another championship.

 

This is consistent with my line of thinking... I don't want to see the Patriots drop off after Brady is gone, but at the same time I know how rare an opportunity it is to have a QB like him. I've been a Pats fan for a long time, through a lot of really awful years, and know what it's like to see your team in the doldrums. Still, I'd sacrifice a little in the long-term future to make the immediate future better. Garoppolo isn't going to help the Patriots anytime soon, and a second round pick was a valuable asset to give up for a guy who won't be playing until probably 2018 at the earliest. 

[Cynjin]

I know what you are saying and I completely disagree. Brady would not be mad about taking a QB just like he was not mad when they took Mallett a few years ago or Hoyer or Cassell. Every QB needs a back up. A 37 year old QB understands that the Pats will go on without him in a few years and they better have the right trigger man. Heck, for the past 10 years the Pats have been one of the few teams to only carry two QBs on the roster because they didn't want to take up another roster spot. So Brady has had the benefit of having an extra player to help him win on the field for a long time.

 

And like I said, I am not sure how Brady could quibble with much of anything this off-season. The Pats went out and got the best CB in the game which was their main weakness last year when Talib was hurt. Then they resigned his main WR in Edelman. Brady actually came out after that signing and said how happy he was that Edelman would be coming back. Then they sign Lafells to give him a big threat on the outside. You can't have superstars everywhere and you can't just draft with 2014 in mind. No team does that. Brady has also said repeatedly over the years that he enjoys the QB competition as it helps him become a better QB and he enjoys mentoring the young guys and watching them go on and succeed elsewhere. He still talks with Cassell often and Hoyer. That is who he is. A team guy through and through.

So what you are saying, since you disagree with me, is that some how drafting a QB in the second round is going to help the Pats win another Super Bowl? I really do not understand that logic. I am sure that Brady enjoys QB competition, not that he has actually had any true competition, but most of the best NFL players are drafted in the first two or three rounds. The QB taken in the second round, while maybe a starter in 4 or 5 years is most likely not going to contribute to any Super Bowl run.

[-JJ-]

wow and i completely forgot about Logan Ryan, who was a stud last year as a rookie and could sub in at SS as well.

 

The Pats are in great shape on the defense... they just need some of these young guys on offense to pan out and they'll be the same juggernaut they've been for the last decade+

dang-I forgot Mayo will be back. woot

 

Only thing I think is we need the big WR . I've lost faith in Gronks health.  He won't go down and his size makes a good target for his knees. He might want to sacrifice some of those yards he's dragging people and just go down.

[amfootball]

So what you are saying, since you disagree with me, is that some how drafting a QB in the second round is going to help the Pats win another Super Bowl? I really do not understand that logic. I am sure that Brady enjoys QB competition, not that he has actually had any true competition, but most of the best NFL players are drafted in the first two or three rounds. The QB taken in the second round, while maybe a starter in 4 or 5 years is most likely not going to contribute to any Super Bowl run.

What I am saying is you cannot draft solely for 2014. No team does that. It is foolish. Back up QB is not some toss away position that you can just ignore in favor of going all in for this season, especially when you feel like the guy that may be able to replace Brady is sitting there in round 2. And your current back up is in his final year. It was a position of need. I have more of an issue with them spending a first round pick on a DT which was not a position of need with Wilfork, Kelly and Vellano there. Not to mention the injury history of the player. That one was more of a head scratcher and I would rather have had them take a TE there or the Oline which they ended up drafting later.

 

I think the fans in GB probably had the same feeling when the Packers took Rodgers in round 1 knowing he was 3-4 years away from starting but when Favre did finally move on, they had developed one of the best QBs in the league and got a ring to boot. And Brady will mentor this kid way more then the selfish Favre did with Rodgers.

[amfootball]

dang-I forgot Mayo will be back. woot

 

Only thing I think is we need the big WR . I've lost faith in Gronks health.  He won't go down and his size makes a good target for his knees. He might want to sacrifice some of those yards he's dragging people and just go down.

I think I have as well. He has not given us much hope to think he can play a full season or be around in the post-season. I think the fact that the Pats did not draft a TE may be a signal that they are moving away from the TE predicated offense to a more traditional offense that goes through the WRs. But like you said, they need a real threat at that  WR position. There is no one there now that strikes fear into any opposing secondary.

[Cynjin]

What I am saying is you cannot draft solely for 2014. No team does that. It is foolish. Back up QB is not some toss away position that you can just ignore in favor of going all in for this season, especially when you feel like the guy that may be able to replace Brady is sitting there in round 2. And your current back up is in his final year. It was a position of need. I have more of an issue with them spending a first round pick on a DT which was not a position of need with Wilfork, Kelly and Vellano there. Not to mention the injury history of the player. That one was more of a head scratcher and I would rather have had them take a TE there or the Oline which they ended up drafting later.

 

I think the fans in GB probably had the same feeling when the Packers took Rodgers in round 1 knowing he was 3-4 years away from starting but when Favre did finally move on, they had developed one of the best QBs in the league and got a ring to boot. And Brady will mentor this kid way more then the selfish Favre did with Rodgers.

 

I agree with the bolded statement, if you are the the GM and Coach of the Pats not if you are an aging player on the team.  You also bring up the first round pick, which according to what I have heard will probably not play next year.  So Tom is sitting there, with a limited amount of time left to play for a Superbowl, and hearing that both the first and second round picks will probably have little to no chance of helping his team win a Superbowl.  How is he supposed to feel about that? I just have a hard time imagining any player in his position thinking that is a good idea or being happy about it.  

 

I believe that you are correct about the Green Bay fans, but if I recall correctly Favre was not happy about the front office drafting a Qb.  He was not happy because he knew he had a limited amount of time to try to win another Superbowl and drafting a Qb would not help.  It is only natural for players as competitive as these players are to feel that way, they want to win and they want the front office to help them win.

[JerodMayo51]

dang-I forgot Mayo will be back. woot

 

Only thing I think is we need the big WR . I've lost faith in Gronks health.  He won't go down and his size makes a good target for his knees. He might want to sacrifice some of those yards he's dragging people and just go down.

 

Yea its tough though because his reckless play-style is also what makes him so good as well.  Hopefully he can find a nice middle ground where he tries to make smarter decisions on when to sacrifice his body for those few extra yards and when to just go down and get them on the next play.

 

I really like where the Pats are at, I feel they have just as good a shot as anyone to compete for the Lombardi this year if they can just avoid the injury bug.  There's lots of young talent on the team that are only going to get better and better.  There's also a nice mix of savvy vets, pro bowlers, all pros and hall of famers as well for scheme versatility.

 

There's a lot to feel good about for a lot of teams around the league, its going to be an entertaining season that's for sure!

[JerodMayo51]

This is consistent with my line of thinking... I don't want to see the Patriots drop off after Brady is gone, but at the same time I know how rare an opportunity it is to have a QB like him. I've been a Pats fan for a long time, through a lot of really awful years, and know what it's like to see your team in the doldrums. Still, I'd sacrifice a little in the long-term future to make the immediate future better. Garoppolo isn't going to help the Patriots anytime soon, and a second round pick was a valuable asset to give up for a guy who won't be playing until probably 2018 at the earliest. 

 

Its essentially a long term investment that they used the 2nd round pick for, which is not exciting to watch or see, but what if someone blows Brady's knee out again?  You need someone who can step in and continue to run your offense and try to compete and win some games.  Grappolo fills the immediate need of a backup for Brady with Mallet on the final year of his deal and it also could potentially fill a long term need of a starting QB after Brady hangs it up, or the Patriots move on from him.

 

All of his toys from last year will have a full season under their belt and should really see an improvement from their rookie years to sophmores. Grappolo is an insurance policy for Brady both short and long term, so its really not a bad use of the pick, its just harder to swallow because thats all it is, insurance...  and we all hate paying for our insurance on cars, houses etc... until something horrible happens and you have it there to save your %^#@

 

The offense should be significantly improved from last year, and they were 4th in scoring offense, so that's saying something.

[JerodMayo51]

So what you are saying, since you disagree with me, is that some how drafting a QB in the second round is going to help the Pats win another Super Bowl? I really do not understand that logic. I am sure that Brady enjoys QB competition, not that he has actually had any true competition, but most of the best NFL players are drafted in the first two or three rounds. The QB taken in the second round, while maybe a starter in 4 or 5 years is most likely not going to contribute to any Super Bowl run.

 

If hes playing at an Aaron Rodgers type level 4 years from now, will you think it was a great pick?

[amfootball]

I agree with the bolded statement, if you are the the GM and Coach of the Pats not if you are an aging player on the team.  You also bring up the first round pick, which according to what I have heard will probably not play next year.  So Tom is sitting there, with a limited amount of time left to play for a Superbowl, and hearing that both the first and second round picks will probably have little to no chance of helping his team win a Superbowl.  How is he supposed to feel about that? I just have a hard time imagining any player in his position thinking that is a good idea or being happy about it.  

 

I believe that you are correct about the Green Bay fans, but if I recall correctly Favre was not happy about the front office drafting a Qb.  He was not happy because he knew he had a limited amount of time to try to win another Superbowl and drafting a Qb would not help.  It is only natural for players as competitive as these players are to feel that way, they want to win and they want the front office to help them win.

Favre was and always will be a prima donna dunce. He also urged one of his receivers to just play instead of holding out and that receiver ended up ripping up his knee if I remember correctly.

 

I get what you saying and I am sure Brady would love for the Pats to draft 4 WRs, 2 TEs and a RB every draft but he also understands that he is part of an org that sees life after him. The Pats have always been a team that plans for now and the future. That is what has helped keep them so consistent for the past 13 years and counting. He is 37 so they have to look at a QB now especially in a draft that was deep at the QB position. They really did not have a ton of needs this draft because they addressed so many in FA by signing their own guys (Edelman, Wilfork) and added new, high level talent (Revis, Browner Lafells, Smith). Their biggest needs were OL and TE. They seriously addressed Oline, added depth at DT, WR, RB and got Brady's successor. Pretty solid draft all around IMO. I think the fact that they did not address TE means they may be moving away from the TE predicated offense into a more traditional O focused on the WRs which would also explain why they drafted two WRs last year and brought in the undrafted FA Thompkins.

[OffensivelyPC]

I liked this pick for hte Pats.  I've been saying it for the past couple of months, this guy will be the best QB from this class.  Would love to see it develop into the next Colts/Pats rivalry.

[-JJ-]

Its essentially a long term investment that they used the 2nd round pick for, which is not exciting to watch or see, but what if someone blows Brady's knee out again?  You need someone who can step in and continue to run your offense and try to compete and win some games.  Grappolo fills the immediate need of a backup for Brady with Mallet on the final year of his deal and it also could potentially fill a long term need of a starting QB after Brady hangs it up, or the Patriots move on from him.

 

All of his toys from last year will have a full season under their belt and should really see an improvement from their rookie years to sophmores. Grappolo is an insurance policy for Brady both short and long term, so its really not a bad use of the pick, its just harder to swallow because thats all it is, insurance...  and we all hate paying for our insurance on cars, houses etc... until something horrible happens and you have it there to save your %^#@

 

The offense should be significantly improved from last year, and they were 4th in scoring offense, so that's saying something.

Exactly. You can have a vet backup or a promising star which can serve as both the backup and possible replacement. How long will Brady play- well nothing is in the bank so. This was the smart move.

[GoPats]

Its essentially a long term investment that they used the 2nd round pick for, which is not exciting to watch or see, but what if someone blows Brady's knee out again?  You need someone who can step in and continue to run your offense and try to compete and win some games.  Grappolo fills the immediate need of a backup for Brady with Mallet on the final year of his deal and it also could potentially fill a long term need of a starting QB after Brady hangs it up, or the Patriots move on from him.

 

All of his toys from last year will have a full season under their belt and should really see an improvement from their rookie years to sophmores. Grappolo is an insurance policy for Brady both short and long term, so its really not a bad use of the pick, its just harder to swallow because thats all it is, insurance...  and we all hate paying for our insurance on cars, houses etc... until something horrible happens and you have it there to save your %^#@

 

The offense should be significantly improved from last year, and they were 4th in scoring offense, so that's saying something.

 

I hear you and it's a fair point... 

 

I just hope they've done enough to compete with Seattle/San Fran/Denver. Those are the three teams that, IMO, they're looking up at as the upcoming season gets rolling. When you look at the immediate impact players that they could have taken instead of Garoppolo, you can't help but wonder if they left something on the table for 2014. If they keep Mallett around, Garoppolo will be 3rd anyway. And if Brady goes down, all bets are off regardless! 

[Qwiz]

I hear you and it's a fair point...

I just hope they've done enough to compete with Seattle/San Fran/Denver. Those are the three teams that, IMO, they're looking up at as the upcoming season gets rolling. When you look at the immediate impact players that they could have taken instead of Garoppolo, you can't help but wonder if they left something on the table for 2014. If they keep Mallett around, Garoppolo will be 3rd anyway. And if Brady goes down, all bets are off regardless!

At least you don't have to worry about San Fran/Seattle until the Super Bowl. The Broncos got better too but who didn't? They can be beaten, so getting homefield will be vital in the playoffs. But like you said....if Brady goes down I don't know lol.

[GoPats]

At least you don't have to worry about San Fran/Seattle until the Super Bowl. The Broncos got better too but who didn't? They can be beaten, so getting homefield will be vital in the playoffs. But like you said....if Brady goes down I don't know lol.

 

So true. When I look back at 2013... the Broncos lost a Thursday night game to the Chargers, but then on Sunday the Patriots lost at Miami. Perfect opportunity there to take the top seed, and they couldn't get it done. They had already beaten Denver so they had the head-to-head tiebreaker. 

 

Didn't help that the AFCCG in Denver was like 50 degrees, no wind and sunny. If that game had been played in New England that day, can't help but wonder how it would have went. 

[Qwiz]

So true. When I look back at 2013... the Broncos lost a Thursday night game to the Chargers, but then on Sunday the Patriots lost at Miami. Perfect opportunity there to take the top seed, and they couldn't get it done. They had already beaten Denver so they had the head-to-head tiebreaker. 

 

Didn't help that the AFCCG in Denver was like 50 degrees, no wind and sunny. If that game had been played in New England that day, can't help but wonder how it would have went. 

Yeah, we all know that Brady can play in bad weather...it's basically how every game he plays at home the last two months of the season. Plus the atmosphere in Denver and the high altitude itself is a killer to other teams that aren't the Broncos. That's why it is imperative to hope that you see them on your own field, well, for basically every team in the league lol.

[King Colt]

Mallet I believe has one year left and I smell a plot by the Texans coach to grab Mallet hence the wait so long to pick a QB in the draft with only one real year of play. He would be the back up and Mallet will be the starter. This I believe to be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me Homer Simpson.

[southwest1]

Whatever Belichick touches turns to gold so here is my advice: Sign all the QB's!

Your sarcasm notwithstanding. SW1 has got to admit that was pretty darn funny. 4 thumbs up for ReMeDy:        Do you want fries & a drink for the road too? Well played sir. Well played.  

[Cynjin]

If hes playing at an Aaron Rodgers type level 4 years from now, will you think it was a great pick?

 

You seem to be missing my point.  It has nothing, I repeat nothing to do with if the pick was a good idea from the Pats organization point of view.  Try to get that out of your head.  My posts were from a player's point of view, a player that does not have much time left to try to win a Superbowl and sees the team that he plays for draft other players that will not help him accomplish that goal.

[thedude]

....    He's a very good prospect//.He needs time... but NE has time

 

He might be the one to succeed Brady

 

Glad they didnt take Nix, though

This was not a bold or even smart move.  It was a dumb move.  There's no way this guy is the replacement for Brady.  The Pats just wasted a draft pick.  The only thing they can do is make people believe he is a top prospect and hopefully trade him for another pick some day. 

[BpG]

Really?  Ask Matt Cassell about that.

BB took a guy who didn't play in college and turned it into draft picks. How is that not turning nothing into gold?