2023 NE Patriots Draft

[Dude]

"MIAMI, May 1 (UPI) -- The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots are among the teams who received my best grades from the 2023 NFL Draft."

NFL Draft: Seahawks, Patriots, Texans winners; Browns, Chargers underwhelm - UPI.com

The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots are among the teams who received the best 2023 NFL Draft grades from UPI senior sports writer Alex Butler. The Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers received low grades.

www.upi.com

East
Dolphins -- B+
Bills -- B-
Jets -- C
Patriots -- A-

It’s funny. A lot of “experts” have the Pats at C-, D pr even F+ in this draft. Time will tell.

 

[nefansince75]

It’s funny. A lot of “experts” have the Pats at C-, D pr even F+ in this draft. Time will tell.

To be fair, I've seen B+ too.

There are several ways to measure anything and relying on just one leads to flawed results. Most writers don't know the field deep enough to apply this logic.

 

[Dude]

To be fair, I've seen B+ too.

Yep. There are better grades. Let’s settle on a solid B?

 

[Southieinnc]

Yep. There are better grades. Let’s settle on a solid B?

I tend to be optimistic but I see no reason to not give them an A.
We did not get a top WR - or did we?
We did not get an OT - or did we?

We also filled needs this draft and off-season. What are we lacking? Seriously!
Improved on O-line - check.
Improved at WR - check
Improved at RB - probably
Improved at D-line - check.
Improved at D-back - check
Improved at LB - check.
Improved at ST's - check
Improved at QB - hopefully with proper coaching......

 

[YankeeRebel]

I tend to be optimistic but I see no reason to not give them an A.
We did not get a top WR - or did we?
We did not get an OT - or did we?

We also filled needs this draft and off-season. What are we lacking? Seriously!
Improved on O-line - check.
Improved at WR - check
Improved at RB - probably
Improved at D-line - check.
Improved at D-back - check
Improved at LB - check.
Improved at ST's - check
Improved at QB - hopefully with proper coaching......

Or did we?

No team will know how well they did for two or three years from now. We have seen to many busts, to many high rated guys that are average at best and to many diamonds in the rough. BB shore up the defense and defense is his Forte' and addressed obvious areas of weakness. I said this right after the draft, it wasn't flashy but it was good. I think I gave it a B or B+. And I still think Boutte and Malik Cunningham may surprise

 

[Southieinnc]

Or did we?

No team will know how well they did for two or three years from now. We have seen to many busts, to many high rated guys that are average at best and to many diamonds in the rough. BB shore up the defense and defense is his Forte' and addressed obvious areas of weakness. I said this right after the draft, it wasn't flashy but it was good. I think I gave it a B or B+. And I still think Boutte and Malik Cunningham may surprise

You are certainly correct.
It is foolish to grade a draft before zero snaps have been played - maybe even foolish after 1 year.
Look at Thornton and Strong. They virtually red-shirted so we can't even grade them now.
I like this draft but WTF do I know?
Only thing I really know is the "experts" giving this draft a D are either morons or haters!

 

[BigKen]

Improved on O-line - check.
Improved at WR - check
Improved at RB - probably
Improved at D-line - check.
Improved at D-back - check
Improved at LB - check.
Improved at ST's - check
Improved at QB - hopefully with proper coaching......

Improved at P - check
Improved at PK - check

 

[nefansince75]

Improved at P - check
Improved at PK - check

Too soon to tell if they can handle the riggers of the NFL.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

Or did we?

No team will know how well they did for two or three years from now. We have seen to many busts, to many high rated guys that are average at best and to many diamonds in the rough. BB shore up the defense and defense is his Forte' and addressed obvious areas of weakness. I said this right after the draft, it wasn't flashy but it was good. I think I gave it a B or B+. And I still think Boutte and Malik Cunningham may surprise

Right after the draft I gave them a B.

Love STs picks. As far as I'm concerned their play cost us games. Missed kicks, inability to flip the field... now we wait and see if the additions can change that? Really wanted Adam Korsak.

Bold prediction. The Oline will be better. Actually that's a sure bet. It can't be worse.

I was never in the "we need a top WR" pool. So I guess I'm ok with that. The improved Oline should help improve the offense coupled with a better D/ST play will give them more chances.

Still a B until we actually get to see what these players and coaches can do?

 

[BigKen]

I gave this draft a B+.

After really considering all things, the team had no punter and an aging PK who could not even consider kicking beyond 42 yards.

Both positions have been filled. Hopefully both kids can't become adults and Bill (or his sucessor) won't have to even think about a leg until their contracts are up in 2027.

Trent Brown has to look over his shoulder and worry about not playing every snap and ending up Like Isaiah Wynn. Unemployed in 2024. Have two vets in camp just might motivate him to be the player he was watching Brady's blind side.

I previously listed the veteran WRs and with the addition of Kevin Boutte and Demario Douglas, there might be competituion. Everyone talks about Boutte but Douglas burned everyone at the Senior Bowl. He just might sneak into the slot. 5'9" 180# isn't very big, but he's compact and extremely quick. Douglas might be the surprise WR starting in September.

As has been the the Patriots draft year in and year out, one name guy and 11 guys that have all of the 'experts' scratching their heads. Next February they'll all be saying that they had every one of the Patriots rookies on their "Watch" lists.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

And I still think Boutte and Malik Cunningham may surprise

As always lots of negativity towards Boutte for lack of effort and a "Coachability Issue".

I expect good results from Boutte.
And I think Kevin is a good boots on the ground kind of judge.

NFL notes: Patriots great Kevin Faulk is bullish on LSU receiver Kayshon Boutte

Kevin Faulk, LSU’s running backs coach during Kayshon Boutte’s first two years with the Tigers, sizes up the Patriots sixth-round pick.

www.bostonherald.com

 

[YankeeRebel]

As always lots of negativity towards Boutte for lack of effort and a "Coachability Issue".

I expect good results from Boutte.
And I think Kevin is a good boots on the ground kind of judge.

NFL notes: Patriots great Kevin Faulk is bullish on LSU receiver Kayshon Boutte

Kevin Faulk, LSU’s running backs coach during Kayshon Boutte’s first two years with the Tigers, sizes up the Patriots sixth-round pick.

www.bostonherald.com

First to sign say ready to go IMO

 

[Southieinnc]

Made me smile!

 

[BigKen]

Again, don't shoot the messenger.

Albert Breer was on Sports Sunday, which I didn't watch until this morning. He made a very, very interesting point.
"Bill Belichick drafts to achieve a team balance. He has historically ignored players who might stand out and demand (player or fans) to get more attention on the field. With Brady as the QB for twenty years, he was able to do that because Brady was exceptional at spreading the ball evenly across the board. He continues to do the same today, the only problem is that Mac Jones is not Tom Brady."

"Patrick Mahomes has total control of the two weeks before mandatory OTAs and Mini-camps. For the past three year, every back up QB, WR,TE and RB attends the Mahomes spring camp. No one knows where they are or anything else. No one ignores it. When camps and practices start, the skill position players are already two weeks up on the rest of the league. Brady was known to have started this practice by having players go to strange places like Montana or North Dakota, away from cameras and media. Mac has had some workouts with a few players, but nothing organized."

Interesting statements, which I paraphrased because I can't remember every word exactly. Breer wasn't trying to crap on BB, he was just stating why he believes that he drafts the way he does. My issue with it is that Kraft has forced a cumulative group agreement about who gets drafted. If this group agreement is actuallyn true, then not every player may have been BB's pick and he agreed tat the player taken was a better selection or idea than his.

The media is so desperate for football news that the only thing they have is a draft that was over two weeks ago.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

Again, don't shoot the messenger.

Albert Breer was on Sports Sunday, which I didn't watch until this morning. He made a very, very interesting point.
"Bill Belichick drafts to achieve a team balance. He has historically ignored players who might stand out and demand (player or fans) to get more attention on the field. With Brady as the QB for twenty years, he was able to do that because Brady was exceptional at spreading the ball evenly across the board. He continues to do the same today, the only problem is that Mac Jones is not Tom Brady."

"Patrick Mahomes has total control of the two weeks before mandatory OTAs and Mini-camps. For the past three year, every back up QB, WR,TE and RB attends the Mahomes spring camp. No one knows where they are or anything else. No one ignores it. When camps and practices start, the skill position players are already two weeks up on the rest of the league. Brady was known to have started this practice by having players go to strange places like Montana or North Dakota, away from cameras and media. Mac has had some workouts with a few players, but nothing organized."

Interesting statements, which I paraphrased because I can't remember every word exactly. Breer wasn't trying to crap on BB, he was just stating why he believes that he drafts the way he does. My issue with it is that Kraft has forced a cumulative group agreement about who gets drafted. If this group agreement is actuallyn true, then not every player may have been BB's pick and he agreed tat the player taken was a better selection or idea than his.

The media is so desperate for football news that the only thing they have is a draft that was over two weeks ago.

It's been widely reported in many media outlets that Mac has been having throwing sessions with new and returning catchers.

Albert Breer is an asswad.

 

[YankeeRebel]

It's been widely reported in many media outlets that Mac has been having throwing sessions with new and returning catchers.

Albert Breer is an asswad.

I don't really understand how anyone can say last year was on Mac, or the Mac is not putting in the work to be better. We all raved about him as a rookie. I like the kid, I hope he does well, but if he is putting in the work, with a new OC and still comes up short this year it will be time to start looking elsewhere.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

I don't really understand how anyone can say last year was on Mac, or the Mac is not putting in the work to be better. We all raved about him as a rookie. I like the kid, I hope he does well, but if he is putting in the work, with a new OC and still comes up short this year it will be time to start looking elsewhere.

I am more than just a casual fan, but I am not an NFL talent scout. That said...

I do not believe that Mac will be a Great QB. I believe he does have the talent to be a Very Very Good QB. I do believe that arm strength will hold him back from being great.

But hey, Eli and Ben both won two SB's on a great defense, and arm strength or not, they were not "great" QB's.

 

[YankeeRebel]

I am more than just a casual fan, but I am not an NFL talent scout. That said...

I do not believe that Mac will be a Great QB. I believe he does have the talent to be a Very Very Good QB. I do believe that arm strength will hold him back from being great.

But hey, Eli and Ben both won two SB's on a great defense, and arm strength or not, they were not "great" QB's.

Exactly he is a manage the game type QB, limit your mistakes, make good read, be prepared for the game, don't lose the game. If he can be that QB with this D he stands a good shot

 

[Yankee Traveler]

Exactly he is a manage the game type QB, limit your mistakes, make good read, be prepared for the game, don't lose the game. If he can be that QB with this D he stands a good shot

I'm not saying he has a Chad Pennington Wet Noodle hanging off his shoulder...But a cannon he does not have.


Not that you need a cannon to win the SB...

BRAD JOHNSON (SUPER BOWL XXXVII)

Up to now, this writer still finds it hard to tell turn-of-the-millennium quarterbacks Brad and Rob Johnson apart. But since they were teammates on the Super Bowl-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002, allow me to differentiate — Rob was the mediocre onetime Bills starter, and Brad was the slightly above-average onetime Vikings starter who helped the Bucs to a 48-21 rout over the Oakland Raiders at Super Bowl XXXVII.

With Rich Gannon throwing a ton of picks, Johnson didn't exactly set the world on fire, but he was the better QB, connecting with Keenan McCardell on two short TD passes and getting picked once. He somehow lasted 17 NFL seasons and played well as a starter in most of them, despite a very notable lack of arm strength.

 

[BigKen]

I posted this because many of the posters in here don't get anything out of Boston. I don't know why, but I get NBCSports Boston and NESN here in palm Coast with DirecTV. I tape Sports Sunday and Boston Sports Tonight to get news and ignore Felger's opinions. More often than not, they have other people to keep the viewers' interest

The thing is that the Head Coach of the KC Chiefs pretty much instructs all of the skill plyers to attend Patrick Mahomes' preseason twow-eek camp or face the consequences. So, tell me this. Who's paying for lodging and meals and field or stadium rental? Mahomes??. Since the team and coaches cannot attend or be there, because it would violate the CBA, who's organizing everything and actually doing the coaching for the newbies??

When Brady did it originally, he paid the freight and had guys in those weird, but cheap places. My guess is that Kraft reimbursed him. I also wonder if Breer might have opened a can of worms by mentioning Andy Reid handing over everything to Mahomes.

I found the whole thing to be very interesting to say the least. And, I wonder if there will be any fallout?