I've said this before, but I hate that argument. Like it's some kind of fail that the Pats didn't go 16-0 again. That's insane. That was the greatest regular season performance in history. If Cassel took over and they went 4-12 and he pulled a Painter... that'd be something. But 99% of the time that team was good enough to make the playoffs.

This looks like it could be the final stage of a long civil war between the Draftubators & The Pro Patriot way folks. After we finish 4-12 Cassel will be gone, coaches will be fired, and arguments will have been won.

Then I want my ****ing chance to turn Atlanta into a tinderbox.

To be fair Dimitroff has drafted differently and I don't think I've ever heard him mention the right 53 garbage.

Bill Belichick is so brilliant even has his own fashion line, the hoodie truly is a fashion statement.

When i play Madden i wear my Patriots hoodie and my players instantly perform 75% better than expected, Belichick factor baby.

With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, that was obviously the worst mistake.

But just as obviously, 25 or so other teams also didn't know what Clay Matthews was going to be or he wouldn't have lasted that long...

Who hasn't noticed what the Packers are doing.

What's your point? Fire Belichick? Is that what you would do? Brilliant!

This. He was there for 2006-08, which were the worst of them...


I don't think Seymour was a no-brainer, though he wasn't a BRILLIANT that you took this guy so high pick either. Idiot Borges' mouthings come to mind, of course, about what a mistake it was to take Seymour there, but I don't think he was entirely alone.

He certainly hit very well on many picks earlier in his Patriots drafting career. Matt Light, a 10+ year starting left tackle with a couple Pro Bowls under his belt early in the 2nd, Deion Branch in the 2nd, David Givens in the 7th, 'Sante in teh 4th and Koppen in the 5th. There were a number of hits outside the first round.

That lasted through '05, really. Some idiots on here are saying '04 was the last good draft, or Wilfork the last great pick or whatever, but that doesn't make any sense. Mankins was considered by many a reach with the last pick in the first round in '05, but was a very good pick. Hobbs and Kaczur, both starters in the 3rd, Sanders (ditto) in the 4th, and a good prospect QB in the 7th who will remain nameless that we later packaged up to get a high 2nd from another team (cough)

'06 was a bad draft. '07 was, seemingly, a weak draft class. BB didn't seem to like it as he dumped picks to get veterans (Moss/Welker) or picks in '08. Meriweather wasn't a good pick in the 1st, and after that we didn't pick again until the 4th, and nobody worked out after that, so yeah, nothing good there.

'08 was a bad draft for teh Patriots also, with Jerod Mayo being the lone exception. Slater was a good pick for the 5th round, but he's not going to the HOF or anything.

'09 was a mixed bag. Some very good (Chung, Vollmer, Ohrnberger, Pryor, Edelman) relative to their spots. Others mediocre/bad (Brace, Butler, McKenzie etc.)

'10 was awesome, assuming McCourty's rookie year is more indicative of his career than what happened so far this year. Of course, the one pick that really stands out as not working out is Cunningham, the one that we perhaps needed to work out the most.

'11 -- it's early. So far mixed reviews. Some guys can't stay healthy. Others have contributed and been solid.

Over the entire length of time, however, Belichick's drafts and performance as GM have been at least average if not above average. The "problem" is that the problem drafts happened in a group, and recently, and we continue to pay the price for them.

relative to the number of picks they've had, their drafting has been lacking


weirdest to me i their inability to find a RB...imagine Brady with Rice/Charles/Forte etc....it's criminal, there are good RBs all over the draft and they can't or won't find one...WR too, honestly...

Why are you acting like what this guy speaks is the truth?

Source?

Well stated...

Yes. But over the entire 10 years, no.


It's fairly clear the Patriots don't think investing very high picks in RB is very worthwhile. Maroney is the only 1st round pick they've invested in RB. The latest book by Holley says they were primed to take Steven Jackson until Wilfork fell into their laps. That certainly would have been fine.

Other than that, until 2011, they have NEVER spent a 1st or 2nd round pick on a RB under Belichick, and only one 3rd, in 2000.


WR, yes. The Patriots have thrown themselves on a spike when it comes to high (esp. 2nd round) picks at WR and DB. WAAAY too many failures. The DB failures are especially haunting the team now, and has been for 2-3 years.

well, obviously I wasn't talking about a decade ago..but I forget how ****ing pedantic pats fan are....god forbid you discuss the Pat's in unapproved ways...

People on here are saying BB sucks as a GM. That's ridiculous. You don't cherry pick years to analyze that. That's all I'm saying.

You watn to say the Pats drafts lately have been lacking, fine, but I'm just trying to make sure that the criticism is properly balanced.