Rd 1, #29 - Cole Strange, IOL, Chattenooga

[Grogan]

Mason was the highest rated Pats OLineman last year. But instead they're keeping and paying crappy Wynn 11M this year.

Exactly, this is what the Bill ***** don't want us talking about. Like Bill's past accomplishments should make him immune to criticism. The league was laughing at him last night.

 

[Grogan]

Clearly you don’t know the roster that well.
Perkins?
McGrone?

Both excellent college players who fill needed roles.


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Both scrap heap players that have proven nothing in the league and you're pinning blind faith on them?

 

[sg14]

That was my take as well. Lazar apparently thinks that all of the work he does needs to be validated by the Patriots. Why on earth would he think that, based on BB’s track record?


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I like Lazar. I can't believe he thinks the Patriots follow him. This pick is exactly the opposite of what he has been saying for a week. His pride / professional standing was hurt more than anything. Have heard other reporters say he lives like a hermit doing his film study.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

I like Lazar. I can't believe he thinks the Patriots follow him. This pick is exactly the opposite of what he has been saying for a week. His pride / professional standing was hurt more than anything. Have heard other reporters say he lives like a hermit doing his film study.

Lazar is diligent no need to pile on him. McVay's honest reaction tells everything. This is widely seen as a massive over reach by 50 picks. And don't turn it into a fake argument of whether Strange would be there at #54. Could have traded back 10-15 picks, gotten more picks, and still gotten their guy if it was Strange no matter what.

 

[Flagg the Wanderer]

Disagree. The Mankins pick was bad as well even though Mankins was good. Pats routinely find quality guards in the mid to lower rounds. Going guard or RB in the first round is never good. Just like you might be able to agree picking a kicker or punter too high doesn't make sense no matter how good the player is.

The Patriots routinely find quality WRs and CBs and LBs in the mid to lower rounds, too.

I get the positional value argument. The "but he was a 3rd rounder on draft boards" argument is one I don't have a lot of patience with.

Kid is a first rounder. Why? He was selected in the first round. Why does that make sense? Because when you're making a mock draft, you're slotting guys in spots that because you think one team values them at a particular draft position. One team.

As someone in the future-predicting business, I was trying to think of another field where we look at all the predictions, then reality happens, and everyone points to the predictions as evidence to mock reality as stupid and wrong. I can't find a single one except the NFL Draft. I should try this at work when I'm wrong...

 

[BostonTim]

That was extremely interesting to watch for the first four minutes.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Evan have a temper tantrum before but that was clearly one. Somewhere along the lines it seems his opinions were some thing that he thought the Patriots were paying attention to. And now he’s pissed as a result of being ignored.

I love Evan and appreciate his work but he needs to take a cold shower and chill.

I thought the cold shower was to abate the ecstasy?

Cheers, BostonTim

 

[spacecrime]

Evan Lazar just absolutely going off on this pick. He is visibly angry and upset.


View: https://youtu.be/AQ8lG_QE6ks

Angry? Lazar is going apeshit. But it's the same thing about opinion. "I had Strange as a fourth round pick, so Belichick picked for need not talent, and no one EVER better say that the Pats go for the best player available."

Well, not as an ironclad rule, Evan. I think BB has said he picks the player that will help the team the most, regardless of position.

I had to stop listening, he is so freaked out. It's like in Grogan was reading his angry texts out loud to me.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

The Patriots routinely find quality WRs and CBs and LBs in the mid to lower rounds, too.

I get the positional value argument. The "but he was a 3rd rounder on draft boards" argument is one I don't have a lot of patience with.

Kid is a first rounder. Why? He was selected in the first round. Why does that make sense? Because when you're making a mock draft, you're slotting guys in spots that because you think one team values them at a particular draft position. One team.

As someone in the future-predicting business, I was trying to think of another field where we look at all the predictions, then reality happens, and everyone points to the predictions as evidence to mock reality as stupid and wrong. I can't find a single one except the NFL Draft. I should try this at work when I'm wrong...

I hear you. I'm not saying wait till 3rd or even roll the dice waiting till #54. It's safe to say they could have traded down further. It's a false argument to debate whether he would be there at #54 or the 3rd round, to justify taking now as the only choice. Could have traded back 10 spots and still gotten this guy...

.

 

[Flagg the Wanderer]

Angry? Lazar is going apeshit. But it's the same thing about opinion. "I had Strange as a fourth round pick, so Belichick picked for need not talent, and no one EVER better say that the Pats go for the best player available."

Well, not as an ironclad rule, Evan. I think BB has said he picks the player that will help the team the most, regardless of position.

I had to stop listening, he is so freaked out. It's like in Grogan was reading his angry texts out loud to me.

I was listening to that as I worked last night. I tuned in for awhile. If you watch the full clip there were two times I thought he was actually going to cry.

...then all the intrepid reporters pansied out when actually asking Bill questions about the pick. Too funny.

 

[Big/Sky/Fly]

Chattanooga

This is my problem, even if the guy can play we could have gotten him 3 rounds later and addressed the defense. As of now we are still old and slow, that's what he **** Bill apologists aren't getting.

I'm a BB homer...but, I don't agree with what he did. He isn't perfect.

 

[spacecrime]

BB's take via PFT:

The Pats picked guard Cole Strange and McVay reacted with surprise. He said the Rams “wasted our time watching him, thinking he’d be at 104″ when they make their first selection this year. There were plenty of others who were surprised to see the UT-Chattanooga product come off the board at that point, but Patriots head coach Bill Belichick didn’t agree with that assessment.


Belichick said at his own press conference that Strange “wouldn’t have lasted much longer” and that the team might have taken him at No. 21 if they didn’t trade that pick to the Chiefs for the 29th, 94th, and 121st selections.

“Yeah, well, if we had stayed at 21, then we would have obviously picked somebody,” Belichick said. “Probably a good chance it would have been him. I don’t know, there were several teams that we talked to prior to when we made the trade. There were some other conversations going on there, but ultimately that’s the one we chose. Glad Cole was there when we picked, and as I said, feel like we made the best decision that we could at 21.”

 

[DropKickFlutie]

BB's take via PFT:

The Pats picked guard Cole Strange and McVay reacted with surprise. He said the Rams “wasted our time watching him, thinking he’d be at 104″ when they make their first selection this year. There were plenty of others who were surprised to see the UT-Chattanooga product come off the board at that point, but Patriots head coach Bill Belichick didn’t agree with that assessment.


Belichick said at his own press conference that Strange “wouldn’t have lasted much longer” and that the team might have taken him at No. 21 if they didn’t trade that pick to the Chiefs for the 29th, 94th, and 121st selections.

“Yeah, well, if we had stayed at 21, then we would have obviously picked somebody,” Belichick said. “Probably a good chance it would have been him. I don’t know, there were several teams that we talked to prior to when we made the trade. There were some other conversations going on there, but ultimately that’s the one we chose. Glad Cole was there when we picked, and as I said, feel like we made the best decision that we could at 21.”

I hated the Mankins pick too even with the reports Mankins would have been gone soon thereafter too to SF. You just don't go guard or RB with a 1st round pick. It's terrible value. If the Pats traded back to #39, collected more draft picks, and took Strange at #39, nobody would be taking this kid that early from #29-39.

 

[Flagg the Wanderer]

I hear you. I'm not saying wait till 3rd or even roll the dice at #54. It's safe to say they could have traded down further. It's a false argument to debate whether he would be there at #54 or the 3rd round, to justify taking now. Could have traded back 10 spots.

.

I'm not debating whether he would be there at #54.

I'm making the point that the "reach" argument is nonsense when made against "the rankings.". You can debate the quality of the player, team needs, and positional value, but reaching compared to where a player is supposedly ranked across 31 other teams is folly.

Put another way: if we had the 2000 draft again, wouldn't you pick Tom Brady in the 1st round? Or would you be willing to risk that none of the other 31 teams were smart enough to see what you saw in him, and let him slide to pick #199 because that was better value?

 

[Grogan]

Chattanooga

I'm a BB homer...but, I don't agree with what he did. He isn't perfect.

That's all I'm saying, but if you say that here, all thebobos come out attacking you and calling you a troll. LOL

 

[aloyouis]

Why not move back another 10 picks then? No need to take the guy at #29.

Also JC Jackson, Hightower, Van Noy are gone plus the DLine still sucks and was a worst-5 rushing defense. Nothing was addressed adequately via FA or last night.

I love all of you Master Drafters that sit onhere and dream up mythical (but waaaay better) scenarios that BB should have pursued. There are a 1000 variables to drafting and you get stuck on a position or a player and disregard the rest and then blame BB who HAS to take in to consideration the other 999 variables.

But there is an easy one: Trade with who?

You need to have a willing fucking trading partner that is offering value. Sometimes I wonder if certain people ever had to do any kind of a business deal in their lives.

 

[HSanders]

That's all I'm saying, but if you say that here, all thebobos come out attacking you and calling you a troll. LOL

i wouldn't say someone's a troll for critiquing/not agreeing. it takes more than criticizing a decision or a draft.

 

[Flagg the Wanderer]

That's all I'm saying, but if you say that here, all thebobos come out attacking you and calling you a troll. LOL

No. They call you a troll because of your history attacking everything Belichick does. That steals credibility from your posts on this particular subject.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

I'm not debating whether he would be there at #54.

I'm making the point that the "reach" argument is nonsense when made against "the rankings.". You can debate the quality of the player, team needs, and positional value, but reaching compared to where a player is supposedly ranked across 31 other teams is folly.

Put another way: if we had the 2000 draft again, wouldn't you pick Tom Brady in the 1st round? Or would you be willing to risk that none of the other 31 teams were smart enough to see what you saw in him, and let him slide to pick #199 because that was better value?

See this is a good example though. Part of what is lovely about that was getting a great player and also not overdrafting. Brady was a part time QB who teams dismissed because of Drew Henson, and questioned his athleticism and arm. So yes you don't blow your load on a 1st rounder when you know he's not going in the top 100. No need to go no-name all the time to seem smart. Use the anticipated draft board to your advantage to get additional value. Who else was taking Strange before pick #40???

 

[Big/Sky/Fly]

I love all of you Master Drafters that sit onhere and dream up mythical (but waaaay better) scenarios that BB should have pursued. There are a 1000 variables to drafting and you get stuck on a position or a player and disregard the rest and then blame BB who HAS to take in to consideration the other 999 variables.

But there is an easy one: Trade with who?

You need to have a willing fucking trading partner that is offering value. Sometimes I wonder if certain people ever had to do any kind of a business deal in their lives.

He never had to trade down again if he picked a player that was projected to be a 1st round pick...

 

[Flagg the Wanderer]

See this is a good example though. Part of what is lovely about that was getting a great player and also not overdrafting. Brady was a part time QB who teams dismissed because of Drew Henson, and questions about his athleticism and arm. So yes you don't blow your load on a 1st rounder when you know he's not going in the top 100. No need to go no-name all the time to seem smart. Use the anticipated draft board to your advantage to get additional value. Who else was taking Strange before pick #40???

It's a good example because we know what actually happened. You're telling me that if you were in the draft room in April 2000, and you knew exactly what they knew then, EXCEPT a time traveler literally stepped out of a portal and handed you Tom Brady's resume of all his career accomplishments, but excluded any info about what team drafted him or with what selection, you would wait until pick #199? You'd risk that?

The more certain you are about your player evaluation, the less comfortable you should be trading back and assuming that he will be there. You trade back when there are a number of guys you have rated more or less equally, not just because you think no one else is as smart as you.