2008 New England Patriots NFL Draft Needs
June 9, 2008
The Patriots have been good for at least five years now, but their future is definitely in question. Many of its offensive and defensive players are getting older or approaching free agency. Bill Belichik has proven time and time again that he’s always thinking two steps ahead of everyone else. The Patriots opened up their bankroll and got some key free agents last year, but don’t look for folks in New England to be doing much free-agent splashing this season. This is a franchise never willing to rest on what they already have and they are always finding the perfect ways to make their team better. Larry Cook shows you the Patriots 2008 NFL Draft needs and a couple different players that would make them better through the NFL Draft.
2008 New England Patriots NFL Draft Needs:
1.) Inside Linebacker
Junior Seau and Tedy Bruschi are free agents and could be done in New England by the start of the season. Both could easily retire after giving it one last shot at winning a Super Bowl last year. It’s clear the Patriots have to bring in a youth movement at this spot. Belichick is hesitant to spend high draft picks on linebackers, believing that this is a position in need of seasoning before rookies are ready for the complexity at this spot. New England also isn’t certain whether to keep Adalius Thomas parked on the outside or move him back to the inside. Rosevelt Colvin has been getting trade rumors ever since the season ended so the Patriots will most certainly make a splash in the Draft to make sure the have enough talent at their all-important inside linebacker position.
2.) Cornerback
Asante Samuel is out of town after leading the league in total interceptions the last two season combined. Samuel demanded top dollar and the Patriots, as always, didn’t want to give it to him. Ellis Hobbs has been a bit enigmatic and has been more valuable as a kick returner than a cover man. The good new is that New England’s cover-2 scheme allows for decent athletes to turn into standout football players.
3.) Safety
Rodney Harrison is 35 years old and cannot be counted on to go a full season in a Patriots uniform. James Sanders is a fine player on the other side, but there’s not much else to get excited about with the safety position in New England. Brandon Mariweather was lousy as a rookie last year, proving both physically and mentally unprepared for this position in the NFL.
4.) Offensive Right Tackle
Nick Kaczur is a weak link on the Patriots’ offensive line. He’s average at best and the only non Pro Bowl caliber player up front. Kaczur is a decent run blocker, but can’t handle the speed rushers in the AFC when trying to block for Tom Brady in the passing game. The Patriots will take every precaution to ensure Brady’s safety in the pocket via 2008 NFL Draft.
5.) Running Back
Bill Belichick seems happy with Laurence Maroney at times, but frustrated at times as well. He shied away from giving him a substantial load in the middle of the season, but then rode Maroney through the playoffs as much as possible. Sammy Morris was having a breakout season before a Week Six injury doomed his season. It’s tough to see this 31-year-old having much of a future in the NFL. Kevin Faulk is the ideal third-down back, but he’s nothing more than a spot-duty player in New England. If the Patriots take a back early in the Draft, it will speak volumes of what they think of Maroney.
2008 NFL Draft Prospects to fit Offensive Scheme:
Tom Brady makes young offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ job much easier. The Patriots liberally throw the ball deep but have the jitterbug receivers to kill opponents in the short passing game. Nearly 75 percent of their offense is run out of the spread so the Patriots will be looking for players to fit this system in the 2008 NFL Draft. OL Branden Albert of Virginia and ORT Geoff Schwartz of Oregon are two guys to fit the mold of an offensive lineman in New England. RB Felix Jones of Arkansas, RB Mike Hart of Michigan and FB-RB Jacob Hester of LSU would be great in the Patriots backfield. WR Jordy Nelson is that jitterbug WR they are looking for.
2008 NFL Draft Prospects to fit Defensive Scheme:
No coach in the league does a better job of adapting his personnel and an opponent than Bill Belichick. He likes to run a base 3-4, but uses many sub packages to match-up with opposing offenses. The secondary plays mostly zone coverages and generally turns average athletes into standout football players. Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vraebel are two guys that aren’t your best athletes, but everyone knows them for their toughness in Belichick’s system. OLB Chris Long of Virginia and ILB Curtis Lofton of Oklahoma could be Bruschi-Vraebel like players. CB Brandon Flowers of Va Tech, CB Chevis Jackson of LSU, S D.J. Wolfe of Oklahoma and SS Cornelius Brown of Missouri fit the mold that Belichick is looking for in his secondary.
