Dynasty League Football Forum

I know I've been on record as saying that outside of Patterson and maybe Lacy I don't really like anybody in this draft, but that if a RB goes to GB or ATL, or if a WR goes to NE, they'd probably be my #2 or even #1 guy.

Today I was reminded of Chad Jackson. Jackson was a freak of an athlete- he submitted a combine performance that rivaled Julio's. I was in my first dynasty at the time and held the 10th pick. After Bush, Williams, Young, Addai, Maroney, Leinart, White, and Holmes were taken, I was getting ready to grab the super athletic Jackson, only to have him get snagged before me at #9. I had to settle for a some short running back who was stuck behind Fred Taylor.

What I remember about Jackson was that he was a physical freak, but more than that I was excited because the Patriot's had drafted him. This was a team with a great track record, a young QB who just led the league in passing yards (4,110 Yards!!!) and the best WR on the team (Branch) was about to be traded. It was the perfect situation and Jackson had all of the physical tools to capitalize on it. Of course, it never happened. Jackson never fit with the Patriots offense, wasn't a great football player, got hurt and got cut.

Maybe NE resigns Welker and keeps Lloyd and only drafts a project type guy in the 5th. But I suspect NE will take a WR in the first two rounds, and I'm guessing that guy will be a fixture in the top 3 of everybody's draft board. If and when that comes to fruition, we should probably remember Chad Jackson and that just going to NE is not a lock for success, before Da'Rick Rodgers or somebody is going way too high.

Great point!

When was the last time that a WR drafted by New England actually did anything?

When was the last time they developed a WR?

I wouldn't hold my breath.

I'd be surprised if they took a WR in the first 3 rounds, it's pretty unusual. I think the only WR's they've taken in the 2nd round in the Belichick era have been Deion Branch, Bethel Johnson, and Chad Jackson. Branch was a great pick, the other two were raw prospects with off the chart physical skills that stayed raw prospects.

David Givens was a 6th or 7th I think, he was an awesome value.

PK Sam, Brandon Tate, Taylor Price were the other guys they took - I think Tate/Price were 3rd round, Sam was later.

Not a great track record, but not a huge sample size either. They just don't like spending top picks at WR. Probably because the passing game is very confusing, so they'd want someone who is coming out of college pretty polished.

So hopefully Patterson goes to NE, and everyone stays away due to NE's track record.

NE is a very cap conscious team. Prior to rookie salary slotting they routinely traded out of the first round which IMO was a strategy to manage the risk of drafting an unknown (rookie) with a large attached salary. I would expect them to become more liberal in drafting skill position players higher in the draft than has been their typical strategy.

Not that I'm projecting them to take a WR, I have no clue. Just speaking to how I think their philosophy has adjusted with the rules.

Good point. Last season they traded up in the first.

Another name to think of is Shane Vereen. Really Chad Jackson wasn't a stud prospect. He was a little raw, sort of a system player, not a great route runner. Got hurt a lot in the pros, which obviously hurt Vereen's PT too. Pats know they can win even if picks don't work out, so it does add risk.

Jimmy Graham Cracker wrote:When was the last time that a WR drafted by New England actually did anything?

When was the last time they developed a WR?

I wouldn't hold my breath.

they developed Gronk and Hernandez pretty good

DallasN1213 wrote:So hopefully Patterson goes to NE, and everyone stays away due to NE's track record.

Patterson is projected to be a top 10 pick possibly. There is virtually no chance he's on the board when the Patriots pick unless they trade up, barring an unexpected tumble on draft day.

kellysheroes wrote:they developed Gronk and Hernandez pretty good

Pretty sure they're tight ends, played tight end in college, and were drafted as tight ends.

Nice try though.

Just my $.02 -

Often times in hindsight, we look back at a promising player who disappointed and label him a bust. Conversely, we see someone relatively unknown emerge in the NFL as a legit starter, and we wonder how we let him slip through the cracks. I believe that not enough attention is given to the coaching staffs of these players & situations. Not just the HC, or offensive/defensive coordinators, but position coaches.

I truly believe there's a reason why the New York Giants consistently develop D-Line talent. Why the Patriots always have a great O-Line with a bunch of no-names. Why it seems that every DEF player drafted by the 49ers has become a stud. Why the Steelers always have stud LB's. It's also why the Patriots can't draft/develop a WR. Why the Colts could never defend the run in Manning's era. Why the Raiders generally just suck. Etc. Etc.

Obviously its not 100% on the coaches, and I don't have any statistical evidence to back this up. But just look at the last 5-10 years to develop a baseline of a player's impending situation in the NFL. WR's have been doing pretty well in New York (Nicks, Steve Smith, Cruz, and now Randle?). CB's do pretty well in Cincy (J. Joseph, L. Hall, and a resurgence from T. Newman/P. Jones). Young WR's do very well with Peyton Manning (Harrison, Wayne, Garcon, Collie). Baltimore seems to have a nose for getting the most out of their RB's (McGahee, Rice, maybe Pierce in the future?)

Green Bay doesn't seem to develop RB's well. Ryan Grant had a brief run of elite numbers, but now that team is so focused on the pass, that I can't see even a 1st round talent (maybe Lacy as the exception) becoming a true stud in that offense. It appears that they devote so much of their time/resources to the passing game that they don't properly develop RB's. We've all seen potential from Alex Green, James Starks, Dujuan Harris, Brandon Jackson, etc. yet the Packers haven't been able to develop any of them into a passable starter in that explosive offense. Obviously none of those guys have 1st round talent, so I'm comparing apples to oranges, but hopefully my point sticks.

Often times teams & their coaching staffs are just as responsible for developing young talent as the player himself. Some just do it better than others.

I don't think it has anything to do with development. The Giants D-Line is consistently elite because they put a huge amount of focus there. Their WRs are solid, but guys like Smith just took advantage of the situation, they didn't develop. There is defintely something to be said for management's ability to find talent and a coach's ability to use talent, but I think development is generally found via stability and solid work ethic.

TheOracle wrote:I know I've been on record as saying that outside of Patterson and maybe Lacy I don't really like anybody in this draft, but that if a RB goes to GB or ATL, or if a WR goes to NE, they'd probably be my #2 or even #1 guy.

Today I was reminded of Chad Jackson. Jackson was a freak of an athlete- he submitted a combine performance that rivaled Julio's. I was in my first dynasty at the time and held the 10th pick. After Bush, Williams, Young, Addai, Maroney, Leinart, White, and Holmes were taken, I was getting ready to grab the super athletic Jackson, only to have him get snagged before me at #9. I had to settle for a some short running back who was stuck behind Fred Taylor.

What I remember about Jackson was that he was a physical freak, but more than that I was excited because the Patriot's had drafted him. This was a team with a great track record, a young QB who just led the league in passing yards (4,110 Yards!!!) and the best WR on the team (Branch) was about to be traded. It was the perfect situation and Jackson had all of the physical tools to capitalize on it. Of course, it never happened. Jackson never fit with the Patriots offense, wasn't a great football player, got hurt and got cut.

Maybe NE resigns Welker and keeps Lloyd and only drafts a project type guy in the 5th. But I suspect NE will take a WR in the first two rounds, and I'm guessing that guy will be a fixture in the top 3 of everybody's draft board. If and when that comes to fruition, we should probably remember Chad Jackson and that just going to NE is not a lock for success, before Da'Rick Rodgers or somebody is going way too high.

As a Patriots fan, the worst part about the Chad Jackson draft pick was they traded with GB to move up, giving up the pick that GB used to draft Greg Jennings.

I loved Chad Jackson based on his measurables and thought he would become a stud. Never happened. No WR has been developed by NE since Deion Branch way back, and he wasn't that good.


I have no idea whether that will affect how good someone can be in the future, however. If NE drafted a stud WR like Julio Jones or AJ Green, they would still be good despite playing for NE. So it really comes down to whether the Patriots can find a smart WR who understands the system instead of going for measurables that don't make a good WR.

I'm holding out hope they grab someone like Hunter or Robert Woods (Patterson will be long gone by the time NE picks in the 1st, and I want defense first, so I am hoping a WR I like falls to the 2nd) and develop him slowly. However, they might be thrown into the fire if Lloyd and Welker leave.