Drafting players with potential

[rudys119]

Is it me or does it seem like we always value develipmentL players with potential and diamonds in the rough over players everyone expects to be great in the early rounds. Other than Tunsil i dont remember a player we drafted in the first round we could pencil in as a starter and game changer. Instead we draft someone we know will take a year or two to develop. The problem is that it seems they usually either flame out after 3-4 years or they start to become a quality starter in their 3rd or 4th year and then sign somewhere else because now we cant afford them or dont think they are worth it based on 1 or 2 years production. I have a feeling Jackson will be that for us. He will struggle his first year. 2nd year be serviceable. 3rd year decent then 4th year good and looking for a massive contract and we either trade him or let him walk so we can start with a new project.

 

['Deep]

Who's Taylor?

 

[rudys119]

Lol meant jackson was reading something else and for some reason Taylor stuck in my head. Fixed it!

 

[Mach2]

Is it me or does it seem like we always value develipmentL players with potential and diamonds in the rough over players everyone expects to be great in the early rounds. Other than Tunsil i dont remember a player we drafted in the first round we could pencil in as a starter and game changer. Instead we draft someone we know will take a year or two to develop. The problem is that it seems they usually either flame out after 3-4 years or they start to become a quality starter in their 3rd or 4th year and then sign somewhere else because now we cant afford them or dont think they are worth it based on 1 or 2 years production. I have a feeling Jackson will be that for us. He will struggle his first year. 2nd year be serviceable. 3rd year decent then 4th year good and looking for a massive contract and we either trade him or let him walk so we can start with a new project.

It is just you.

Thanks for asking though.

 

[rudys119]

Ok just making sure!! Must just be years of being beaten down by failed 1st and 2nd round picks I figured they were projects. Guess they were just busts

 

[Andyman]

Ok just making sure!! Must just be years of being beaten down by failed 1st and 2nd round picks I figured they were projects. Guess they were just busts

Everybody misses on picks. There are practically no sure things and as such all drafted players are developmental. For what it’s worth, I don’t think New England has drafted a probowler in six or seven years.

 

[gregorygrant83]

I think Minkah was thought of as day one ready and not a project. Same with Christian Wilkins.

My stance is they're all projects and need to improve on their game to make it in the NFL. If they don't have that desire and ethic to to improve from where they are as rookies they will likely fail. So to me the difference between a Wilkins and Reakwon Davis is their starting point but if neither have to ability or desire to build on their foundations than they won't last past their rookie deals. If they both have the desire and work ethic than they could be equally as dominate in my book.

 

[Andyman]

Ok just making sure!! Must just be years of being beaten down by failed 1st and 2nd round picks I figured they were projects. Guess they were just busts

Jordan Philips, Jarvis Landry, mike Gesicki and Xavien Howard are all recent second rounders to do very well. Just off the top of my head. Unfortunately two of those are not on the team.

 

[Mach2]

Ok just making sure!! Must just be years of being beaten down by failed 1st and 2nd round picks I figured they were projects. Guess they were just busts

I'm certainly not going to argue that we haven't been far below average in both selecting players, as well as putting them in a position to succeed.

Thing is, I'm not going to, automatically, hang the failures of previous regimes around the current one's necks.

I get the skepticism. I just think this staff of Flo/Grier/McKenzie/Allen is far better and more cohesive than in previous years.

 

[rudys119]

I agree that previous regime failures shouldnt influence how we look at this draft class. I'm definitely excited about next year and the future of the team. Just hope history doesn't keep repeating itself. I was super excited after Gases first year too! But I do think they are doing it right this time and trying to build from the ground up

 

[Locke]

Why wouldn’t you? What’s the point in drafting a player that’s as good as he’s ever going to be?

 

[rudys119]

Jordan Philips, Jarvis Landry, mike Gesicki and Xavien Howard are all recent second rounders to do very well. Just off the top of my head. Unfortunately two of those are not on the team.

That's also part of the problem I see. Most of the ones that due well dont get past their rookie contract or even through their rookie contract. With Howard being the exception. Gesiki I am really excited about but his first year he was a non factor last year he picked it up and brought himself to a middle of the pack to slightly above avg. Next year hopefully he blows up but then after next year he is in a contract year do we give him a big contract or say we got 2 good years from him and let him walk

 

[rudys119]

Why wouldn’t you? What’s the point in drafting a player that’s as good as he’s ever going to be?

Because they can contribute right away and you get a quality player on a rookie deal. Rather than develop them and when they finally reach that potential in year or three or four they hit free agency or get traded away.

 

[Fin D]

This coaching staff took an awful roster with virtually no talent and got them to play at the absolute peak of their ability.

By drafting the players we did, we grabbed players who will quickly buy into Coach Flo so they should play to absolute peak of their ability as well...its just their peak is considerably higher than the guys from last year.

The patriots have proven if you have intelligent guys who buy in and even only have average NFL physical ability, you can put together a powerhouse. I think the problem with the NFL in general (and by extension, it's fanbase) is that we are too caught up in physical measurables and less worried about mental make up.

 

[Fin D]

That's also part of the problem I see. Most of the ones that due well dont get past their rookie contract or even through their rookie contract. With Howard being the exception. Gesiki I am really excited about but his first year he was a non factor last year he picked it up and brought himself to a middle of the pack to slightly above avg. Next year hopefully he blows up but then after next year he is in a contract year do we give him a big contract or say we got 2 good years from him and let him walk

A lot of those guys were scheme specific players and we've changed coaches and schemes quite a lot. Its rare for a team to get players that are scheme transcendent...especially in the second round.