2018 NFL Draft Round 1 Game Thread NO SPOILERS PLEASE

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  • Poll closed .

Jed Zeppelin

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Aug 23, 2008
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Someone fire up the list of R2 LBs and CBs still on the board that I can get excited and subsequently disappointed about.
 

twibnotes

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At some point Brady will decline and he won't be able to make the throws he once could. Having an elite running game and offensive line will help soften that blow and may extend Brady's career. These picks help the transition back into a game manager rather than an elite passer. I have no problem with either of those picks.
Fair enough but the offense would still be good. The D is a long way behind the O. The Super Bowl was a joke.
 

FL4WL3SS

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But Brady should still be elite next season. All he needs to win another SB is just health and a defense that isn’t awful.
Hopefully the injured Pats coming back to the defense help transform the defense.
There is also still a lot of defensive talent left for round 2.
Should.

This is uncharted waters. Would anyone be surprised if Brady was mediocre next season? Besides drafting the next JG, this is the next best thing to de-risk your offense.

I would have preferred defense, but I can see the thinking here. Protect against worst case scenario.
 

dcmissle

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Have no problem with who they picked. The problem is who they didn’t.

As things stand, in terms of reasonable expectation of impact next season, they have 43, 63 and 95. I want all that to go to defense.

Shelve the QB succession until next year, and by all means don’t trade up to pick one on days 2 or 3.

Their show of interest in Lamar Jackson was plainly a smokescreen.
 

Captaincoop

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If Brady falls off a cliff next year, what is there to protect against? It's time to rebuild.

This offseason needs to improve the defense if the Pats want to contend for another year or two. Because one thing that Brady isn't going to do next year is be better than he was in the Super Bowl this year (which they couldn't win because the defense was worthless).
 

BigSoxFan

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Should.

This is uncharted waters. Would anyone be surprised if Brady was mediocre next season? Besides drafting the next JG, this is the next best thing to de-risk your offense.

I would have preferred defense, but I can see the thinking here. Protect against worst case scenario.
And even if the worst case scenario materializes, the next guy will need a good OL. Between Cannon, Mason, Thuney, Andrews, Wynn, Garcia, Waddle, and Croston, Dante has a lot of talent to work with and some real versatility. LT will need to get figured out but I’m confident someone reliable will emerge.
 

heavyde050

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Should.

This is uncharted waters. Would anyone be surprised if Brady was mediocre next season? Besides drafting the next JG, this is the next best thing to de-risk your offense.

I would have preferred defense, but I can see the thinking here. Protect against worst case scenario.
Fair enough. The thought process does make sense.
I would be beyond shocked if a healthy Brady was mediocre. I am not saying he will be MVP again.
But I would be shocked if he turned into Andy Dalton/Joe Flacco next season.
 

heavyde050

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If Brady falls off a cliff next year, what is there to protect against? It's time to rebuild.

This offseason needs to improve the defense if the Pats want to contend for another year or two. Because one thing that Brady isn't going to do next year is be better than he was in the Super Bowl this year (which they couldn't win because the defense was worthless).
And to be fair I am not sure if any QB could be better than Brady was in that game.
That was some wonderful QB play.
 

Kull

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Even if they took Lamar, it wouldn't help if Brady goes down next season. So they add a beast on the OL and an RB with good pass protection skills, and that's your insurance to make sure that Brady stays healthy. Let's face it, he's been taking a beating the past few years, and if they can mitigate that, it's the best scenario for keeping them in SB contention for at least another year.
 

Captaincoop

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I trust Dante and Belichick, but they got a guy who most people project as a guard. Give them the benefit of the doubt on that.

Picking a RB in the first round with all the needs on defense...I don't dispute that a good back could help, but the problem I have is that those guys are easier to find than impact defenders, which they desperately need.
 

FL4WL3SS

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If Brady falls off a cliff next year, what is there to protect against? It's time to rebuild.

This offseason needs to improve the defense if the Pats want to contend for another year or two. Because one thing that Brady isn't going to do next year is be better than he was in the Super Bowl this year (which they couldn't win because the defense was worthless).
Totally get that, but I don't think they would need to rebuild. You turn Brady back into a game manager circa 2001 and try to win in other ways and then look for your replacement next season.
If Brady gets hurt, you have elite talent to help Hoyer or whatever other QB they can find.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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Should.

This is uncharted waters. Would anyone be surprised if Brady was mediocre next season? Besides drafting the next JG, this is the next best thing to de-risk your offense.

I would have preferred defense, but I can see the thinking here. Protect against worst case scenario.
If Brady is mediocre, it does not matter who their RB is.
 

Pxer

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Dave Archibald:
My hot take: Sony Michel is in some ways the new Rob Gronkowski. Gronk gave the Patriots rare ability to run / pass out of the same personnel looks, with which they mixed and matched RBs. Hard now to find two-dimensional TEs; enter Michel, who will bring similar versatility to RB
So...Dion Lewis?
 
Apr 7, 2006
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Most people project him as a guard, but it sure sounds like the Patriots expect him to play OT, and have the flexibility to move inside. Apparently he was terrific senior bowl week against some fairly high profile DL prospects.

As for defensive players, sure, I'd like to have taken someone to impact the D, but why are so many people here acting like we don't have the chance to select two defenders tomorrow in the second round? This thread has it sounding like the team blew its wad tonight and has NO picks remaining. Obviously these were our two most valuable picks, but the draft is deeper on defense at this point. Let's lock up Lorenzo Carter or whoever else and move forward.
 

E5 Yaz

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NE getting A grades from SI and NFL.com, fwiw

Mayock says he thinks Wynn will work at tackle
 

BaseballJones

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Can’t say they drafted for need. By definition they picked BPA
Yeah, my wish list included LBs Evans and Vander Esch, but of course neither were available when #23 came around. They could have traded up for either of them, but I'm glad they didn't. I was surprised that, when Jackson was on the board at #31, they didn't just pull the trigger on him there, but clearly their interest in him, while perhaps real, wasn't so real that they had to have him in the first round. I dunno.

There's no question that they got to very, very, very talented players in Wynn and Michel. Wynn is a beast. I don't care that he's only 6'3" - he has a long wingspan, has great technique, and is an explosive athlete. Should be a longtime starter on the OL for New England.

Michel is a stud as well. Good at basically everything. Surprised they picked a RB in the first round, like most everyone else. But there's no denying the talent.

Brady
Michel
Edelman
Matthews
Hogan
Gronk

With a really, really good OL. That's going to be a very difficult offense to keep in check. That group right there can do everything. Deep balls, intermediate routes, short horizontal stuff, screens and swing passes. Draws. Play action. Power running. You name it, that group right there can do anything and everything you could ever ask an offense to do.

I fully expect, if they have good health, that this offense will put up 31+ points a game next year.

Ah...but the defense. Yes, the defense. And the QB of the future. I think they take either Rudolph or Lauletta in the second round. And hopefully (!!!!) use the other second rounder on defense. The problem is that it means that they only have the third rounder and then late picks left to shore up the D some more. Maybe they trade down from one of their 2nd rounders in order to add another talent.
 

Jerry’s Curl

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Bill is likely coaching for two more years here so it makes sense he picks who essentially replaces Solder and Lewis to make one last run. Not surprised he didn’t take a QB that’s holding a clipboard for the next two years. Brady’s replacement is the next coaches problem.
 

TheoShmeo

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Should.

This is uncharted waters. Would anyone be surprised if Brady was mediocre next season? Besides drafting the next JG, this is the next best thing to de-risk your offense.

I would have preferred defense, but I can see the thinking here. Protect against worst case scenario.
I would be quite surprised if that happened. Brady was excellent last season. Carson Wentz would have been the MVP had he stayed healthy but Brady was clearly in the top tier of players in the NFL, and was excellent in the Super Bowl. He showed no signs of going backwards and if anything, his footwork and pocket awareness gets better every year.

Maybe we're just mincing words in that I could see Tom be not as good as he was in 2017. At some point, age will get him. But we've seen no evidence at all that his play is deteriorating and expecting him to go from MVP to mediocre overnight seems like a reach. If he had sustained an injury at the end of last season, I could see the possibility more.

To me, taking Michel was about taking the best remaining offensive weapon on the board. With Cooks, Lewis and Amendola all gone, the Pats needed to add a playmaker, and they did just that with Michel.

I do hope they draft a QB tonight but because I think they need to have a succession plan when Brady steps down, which could be after this season, and not because I expect him to be materially worse than he was in 2017.
 

Jerry’s Curl

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Yeah, my wish list included LBs Evans and Vander Esch, but of course neither were available when #23 came around. They could have traded up for either of them, but I'm glad they didn't. I was surprised that, when Jackson was on the board at #31, they didn't just pull the trigger on him there, but clearly their interest in him, while perhaps real, wasn't so real that they had to have him in the first round. I dunno.

There's no question that they got to very, very, very talented players in Wynn and Michel. Wynn is a beast. I don't care that he's only 6'3" - he has a long wingspan, has great technique, and is an explosive athlete. Should be a longtime starter on the OL for New England.

Michel is a stud as well. Good at basically everything. Surprised they picked a RB in the first round, like most everyone else. But there's no denying the talent.

Brady
Michel
Edelman
Matthews
Hogan
Gronk

With a really, really good OL. That's going to be a very difficult offense to keep in check. That group right there can do everything. Deep balls, intermediate routes, short horizontal stuff, screens and swing passes. Draws. Play action. Power running. You name it, that group right there can do anything and everything you could ever ask an offense to do.

I fully expect, if they have good health, that this offense will put up 31+ points a game next year.

Ah...but the defense. Yes, the defense. And the QB of the future. I think they take either Rudolph or Lauletta in the second round. And hopefully (!!!!) use the other second rounder on defense. The problem is that it means that they only have the third rounder and then late picks left to shore up the D some more. Maybe they trade down from one of their 2nd rounders in order to add another talent.
They usually find quality defensive players after the first couple of rounds.
 

twibnotes

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Should.

This is uncharted waters. Would anyone be surprised if Brady was mediocre next season? Besides drafting the next JG, this is the next best thing to de-risk your offense..
Mediocre!? I for one would be shocked. He’s not going to suddenly suck. The guy dropped 500 yards in the super bowl a couple months ago and won the MVP of the league.

Decline? Sure. Mediocre? No.
 

pappymojo

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Can’t say they drafted for need. By definition they picked BPA
Having lost Solder and Lewis as free agents, I think that both picks addressed some level of need. Of course, the team continues to have other needs that have not yet been addressed.
 

ElcaballitoMVP

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People need to take a deep breath and relax. If the Pats don't address the defense today, then you have reason to vent, but if Wynn can stick at OT, you've got someone to protect the edge. Michel looks to be a more versatile version of Dion Lewis, with a better ability to run between the tackles.

For defensive players, there are still a ton of guys that I like:
DL: Landry, Phillips, BJ Hill, Nnadi, Hurst, Hubbard
LB: Nwosu, Carter, Jefferson
CB: Jackson, Oliver, Davis
S: Reid, Harrison

Pats have picks 43/63 in R2 and 95 in R3. I could see them moving any of those picks to move back and pick up an additional 4/5th rounder.
 

InstaFace

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What is the 2nd-best-paid position? LT. It stands to reason that the value of premium talent at that position is 2nd highest as well.

We just lost our LT, and have now got a replacement who could turn into an all-pro. What was Plan B? Using a 3rd-rounder for one? Promoting Cannon? Being taught by one of the best line coaches in the business. I don't think anyone can rationally be upset that we picked him rather than a backup QB. I'd entertain arguments that certain defensive players would be bigger upgrades than Wynn is over Cannon / Mason / whoever we would slap in as default LT.
 

FL4WL3SS

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Mediocre!? I for one would be shocked. He’s not going to suddenly suck. The guy dropped 500 yards in the super bowl a couple months ago and won the MVP of the league.

Decline? Sure. Mediocre? No.
There is a long list of QB's that went from great to not so great in very short order. I'm pretty sure Brady is harvesting baby blood, but at some point he'll hit the wall and to assume his greatness will continue in perpetuity is foolish.
 

tims4wins

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There is a long list of QB's that went from great to not so great in very short order. I'm pretty sure Brady is harvesting baby blood, but at some point he'll hit the wall and to assume his greatness will continue in perpetuity is foolish.
Most of the fall off cliff situations are due to injury. If Brady stays healthy he will be great
 

pappymojo

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There is a long list of QB's that went from great to not so great in very short order. I'm pretty sure Brady is harvesting baby blood, but at some point he'll hit the wall and to assume his greatness will continue in perpetuity is foolish.
If they are going to draft Brady's replacement this year, isn't it a huge benefit to that QB if the Patriots improve both their offensive line and their running game? They still have an opportunity to draft a replacement QB. They still have an opportunity to improve their defense. Nothing is finished but the first round.
 

axx

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Yep, there's really no distinction in my mind. There's a cliff and he's approaching it. How he gets to the cliff is immaterial.
True but with Jimmy gone Brady will get a long rope. He's the QB for the next two years unless he gets hurt. I think they can wait until next year to get the right guy.
 

FL4WL3SS

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True but with Jimmy gone Brady will get a long rope. He's the QB for the next two years unless he gets hurt. I think they can wait until next year to get the right guy.
That's the entire point I'm making. They've made their bed with Brady, might as well do as much as you can to protect him and the offense.
 

DeadlySplitter

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Fair enough but the offense would still be good. The D is a long way behind the O. The Super Bowl was a joke.
if the Pats faced Minnesota or some weaker team instead and gave up ~15-20 points instead, would we having this conversation?

The Pats are in the weaker conference and the Super Bowl is one game that can have some significant variance in quality of team faced - it ended up being a bad matchup with a certain scheme from the Reid tree. The NFC champion this year could be entirely different and BB schemes against it better. It was fucking awful but "you're never as bad as you look in your worst losses" is in play too
 

Super Nomario

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if the Pats faced Minnesota or some weaker team instead and gave up ~15-20 points instead, would we having this conversation?

The Pats are in the weaker conference and the Super Bowl is one game that can have some significant variance in quality of team faced - it ended up being a bad matchup with a certain scheme from the Reid tree. The NFC champion this year could be entirely different and BB schemes against it better. It was fucking awful but "you're never as bad as you look in your worst losses" is in play too
They could have also faced a Reid team in the divisional round instead of TEN or the high-flying Steelers in the AFCCG instead of the Bortles-led Jags. This D cannot be trusted against a good offense. They look great against sub-par offenses but it's fool's gold.
 

Captaincoop

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They made the Jaguars' very pedestrian offense look unstoppable in the AFC title game. The defense needs help. Hightower comes back, but he isn't helping with the lack of speed and athleticism. Maybe Rivers and the acquisitions on the D Line make a big difference.
 

pappymojo

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People need to take a deep breath and relax. If the Pats don't address the defense today, then you have reason to vent, but if Wynn can stick at OT, you've got someone to protect the edge. Michel looks to be a more versatile version of Dion Lewis, with a better ability to run between the tackles.

For defensive players, there are still a ton of guys that I like:
DL: Landry, Phillips, BJ Hill, Nnadi, Hurst, Hubbard
LB: Nwosu, Carter, Jefferson
CB: Jackson, Oliver, Davis
S: Reid, Harrison

Pats have picks 43/63 in R2 and 95 in R3. I could see them moving any of those picks to move back and pick up an additional 4/5th rounder.
I have a question about the safety class - Reid and Harrison and others.

The Pats project to have $13 million in cap space. http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/cap/

Eric Reid is 26 years old and Justin's older brother. Along with Eric, Kenny Vaccaro (27) and Tre Boston (25) are all young, unsigned free agent safeties. Why use a draft pick on Reid or Harrison if you can sign one of those guys? I get that they will save salary on a rookie, but as those three free agents are all unsigned, wouldn't you think you might be able to get a discount while also drafting a rookie at another position of need and getting a savings there?