mayoclinic
Sith Apprentice
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As I spend most of my time on ChiefsPlanet, it's refreshing to see a downtrodden fanbase, usually used to failure and stupidity, overjoicing at what they see as a very solid and impressive draft. They're all excited about their front office making smart picks, they're looking forward to the new blood coming in, they're looking forward to continuing the winning ways that Pioli and Haley started last season. It's boundless optimism in the face of years of depression and drugdery.
And then I come here after a very solid draft in which they filled positions of need, after going 14-2, after winning three Super Bowls recently, after having an excellent draft last year, on a team with the BHCE and BQE... and find bitching because they didn't take ****ing Romeus (who almost slipped to Mr. Irrelevant) and delivering ultimatums to the team about how THEY will feel about this year's draft depending upon how OTHER TEAMS' players play.
Here you go. This one's for you. Wear it with pride.
I have to tell you JD, I am just not impressed with Scott Pioli's drafting since he went to KC. And I feel that the Pats' drafting has improved markedly since 2009.
Consider the 5 last drafts we had under Belioli (2004-2008). The Pats had 41 players drafted in those 5 drafts, or just over 8 players/year. Over those 5 drafts, the Pats had exactly 4 "home run" picks:
2004 - Vince Wilfork (21)
2005 - Logan Mankins (32)
2005 - Matt Cassel (230)
2006 - Stephen Goskowski (118)
2008 - Jerod Mayo (10)
3 out of those 5 were 1st round picks. In contrast, 24 if those 41 picks - almost 60% - appear to have been total busts for the Pats: Marquise Hill (2004, 63), Gus Scott (2004, 95), Dexter Reid (2004, 113), Cedric Cobbs (2004, 128), PK Sam (2004, 164), Christian Morton (2004, 233), Ryan Claridge (2005, 170), Andy Stokes (2005, 255), Chad Jackson (2006, 36), Garrett Mills (2006, 104), Jeremy Mincey (2006, 191), Dan Stevenson (2006, 205), Kareem Brown (2007, 127), Clint Oldenburg (2007, 171), Justin Rogers (2007, 180), Mike Richardson (2007, 202), Justice Hairston (2007, 208), Corey Hilliard (2007, 209), Oscar Lua (2007, 211), Mike Elgin (2007, 247), Terrence Wheatley (2008, 62), Shawn Crable (2008, 78), Kevin O'Connell (2008, 94) and Bo Ruud (2008, 197). By "total bust" I mean that the player either never produced for the Pats at all or vastly underproduced for the level at which they were selected. Lots of other players were relative disappointments, including 1st round picks Lawrence Maroney (2006, 21) and Ben Watson (2004, 32).
In contrast, in the 3 drafts since Pioli left the Pats have taken 33 players. It's too early to judge 2011, but the Pats appear to have had "home run" picks with Patrick Chung (2009, 34), Sebastian Vollmer (2009, 58), Devin McCourty (2010, 27), Rob Gronkowski (2010, 42) and Aaron Hernandez (2010, 113) plus extremely productive picks (relative to where they were selected) from Myron Pryor (2009, 207), Julian Edelman (2009, 232), Jermaine Cunningham (2010, 53), Brandon Spikes (2010, 62), Zoltan Mesko (2010, 150) and Brandon Deaderick (2010, 247). Plus a lot of players who are still developing and who could contribute significantly down the road - Brandon Tate, Taylor Price, Kade Weston, Rich Ohrnberger, Ron Brace, Darius Butler, etc. And I'm guessing that there will be at least 3 or 4 major "hits" out of 2011 - Nate Solder, Marcus Cannon, Ryan Mallett, Ras-I Dowling and at least one of the RBs are my guesses.
I haven't been terribly impressed with Pioli's drafts in KC so far. A huge reach for Tyson Jackson at #3 to start. I don't know the KC roster very well, but I don't see much productivity out of the 2009 draft. 2010 was better - it had to be, 2010 was loaded - but I thought Pioli reached for Dexter McCluster at 36 and Javier Arenas at 50. I'll defer to you on those, since I don't know the KC team that well. And finally, I thought his 2011 draft was very suspect - especially Jonathan Baldwin at 26, Justin Houston at 70 and Allen Bailey at 86. Not impressed at all.
Curious as to your thoughts, since you know both teams.
