NFL Draft Day 2 (4/25/04)

Remember the fourth round pick in 2004 the Patriots got from the Tebucky Jones trade last year? The Patriots used that selection to draft North Carolina safety Dexter Reid. Reid was a back to back All-ACC selection his junior and senior years nearly setting the school record for tackles. So why did he fall so far? North Carolina sucked this past season, going 2-10 and 1-7 in the ACC. Obviously its not all his fault but bad teams rarely get any press. If nothing else, going from the last place Tar Heels to the Superbowl champs is quite a jump. Hopefully he translates to the pro game but he's got a lot of competition at safety with Rodney Harrison, Eugene Wilson and now Guss Scott in the way.

                                                              113th overall - Dexter Reid

With their own fourth round pick, the Patriots selected Arkansas running back Cedric Cobbs. Cobbs was All-SEC for the Razorbacks that went 9-4 and victorious over Missouri in the Independence Bowl. He rushed for 1,320 yards and 10 touchdowns during the season including 27 carries for 141 yards and a touchdown in the Bowl game. Also, before a devastating injury in 2000, he was Cotton Bowl MVP after his freshman season in 1999. Cobbs definitely has talent but that injury in 2000 most likely prevented him from being a top pick in last year's draft. Still, he's got big game experience in multiple Bowl games so let's see how he fares with the defending Superbowl champs.

                                                   128th overall - Cedric Cobbs

With their fifth round pick, the Patriots added more depth at receiver with Florida State wide receiver PK Sam. Sam played sparingly his first two years at Florida State before making a game winning catch against Florida his junior year on national television. That propelled him to leave FSU early and declare for the draft. Because he's unpolished, he dropped all the way to the fifth round but the Patriots are taking a flyer on him. If it works out, they picked up yet another quality receiver with a later round pick, if it doesn't...just another wasted 5th round pick in a sea full of them.

                                                       164th overall - PK Sam

The Patriots had no sixth round pick due to signing Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Rodney Bailey off the restricted list. The Steelers picked Stanford center Drew Caylor 197th overall. If Caylor doesn't develop, this could be a heist considering Bailey's reputation and upside.

                                                   197th overall - ......Rodney Bailey??

With their final pick in the seventh round, the Patriots took Illinois cornerback Christian Morton. Morton was a special teams ace with Illinois in 2000 and 2001, especially in the return game as the Fighting Illini went 10-2 and lost to the LSU Tigers in the Sugar Bowl. His junior and senior years he switched to cornerback on two teams that went 6-18. Obviously teams with losing record are frowned upon in the NFL Draft so watching Morton get burned time and time again dropped his stock. Still, special teams are a place where Morton can make his name so let's see how he does come training camp.

                                                     233rd overall - Christian Morton

That concludes the second day of the draft for the Patriots. The first day of the draft was very successful finding studs so hopefully this draft was full of depth. Reid, Cobbs, Sam and Morton will be there for training camp and giving up a sixth rounder for Rodney Bailey could be a steal. The departures of guys on both sides of the ball open spots for competition. Come training camp, we'll find out who goes where.

Patriots Take WIlfork & Watson, Trade for Corey Dillon (4/24/04)

The 2004 NFL Draft kicked off with a mirror of the 1983 Draft when 1st overall pick Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning refused to play for the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers traded his rights to the New York Giants for North Carolina State quarterback Phillip Rivers. If Manning becomes a stud for the Giants and Rivers flames out in San Diego, this really would be a mirror of the Baltimore Colts/Denver Broncos dynamic. Remember last year when the Patriots traded their other first round pick to Baltimore for the Ravens' first round pick this year? That pick turned out to be 21st overall and the Patriots used it to take massive Miami University noseguard Vince Wilfork. Pundits were stunned Wilfork dropped this low as he was part of the defensive line rotation for the 2001 National Champion Hurricanes and the 2002 runner ups. This past season he was the starting noseguard for the Canes that won the Orange Bowl against Florida State after going 11-2 on the season. In three years as part of the defense, the Hurricanes went 35-3 with Wilfork in the middle of it. A lot of his teammates went before him such as safety Sean Taylor (5th overall to Washington) tight end Kellen Winslow Jr (6th overall to Cleveland), linebackers Jonathan Vilma (12th overall to the New York Jets) and DJ Williams (17th overall to Denver) and offensive tackle Vernon Carey (19th overall by Miami). This might be a real steal because the Patriots signed huge noseguard Keith Traylor to replace Ted Washington but Wilfork could replace the 34 year old Traylor if he's good enough. Keep your eye on this pick, it might be generational.

                                                          21st overall - Vince Wilfork

With their own first round pick, the Patriots might have scored big time again when they selected Georgia tight end Benjamin Watson. Watson originally was recruited to Duke but transferred to Georgia after the 1999 season. In three years for the Bulldogs he had 65 receptions for 852 yards and 6 touchdowns. He was projected to go in the second round as the third ranked tight end in draft. The Patriots relied on Daniel Graham and Christian Fauria but they needed a future stud if and when Fauria leaves. If Graham is more of a blocker, Watson is definitely the "go get the ball" with his speed and hands. Hopefully this pick works out.

                                                          32nd overall - Benjamin Watson

Remember the second round pick they got from the Miami Dolphins? Well they didn't have it anymore thanks to trading it to the Cincinnati Bengals for all-pro running back Corey Dillon last week. With the 56th overall pick in the draft, the Bengals took safety Madieu Williams from Maryland University. If he goes on to suck, let the record show THAT's who the Bengals traded Corey Dillon for.

                                                 56th overall - ......Corey Dillon??

With their own second round pick, the Patriots selected LSU defensive end Marquise Hill 63rd overall. Hill was an anchor on the defensive line for Belichick's good buddy Nick Saban's LSU Tigers that went 13-1 and captured the national championship with their Sugar Bowl victory over Oklahoma. Belichick always takes the words of his ex-coaches much like Red Auerbach used to get tips from ex-players of his. Saban must have ranted and raved about Hill's ability. If he's as good as advertised, as they say the rich get richer. The departures of Bobby Hamilton, Ted Washington and Anthony Pleasant meant the Patriots had to reload on the defensive line.....they just did.

                                                    63rd overall - Marquise Hill

With their third round pick, the Patriots selected Florida University safety Guss Scott. He was second team All-SEC in 2002 and 2003 and led the SEC with forced fumbles last year. The Patriots could definitely use safety depth behind Eugene Wilson and Rodney Harrison and having a guy like Scott knock the ball out of opposing players' hands would be nice. How did he drop so low? Florida didn't have a great season under Ron Zook going just 8-5 with the Gators last year. Still, one guy can't play every position so hopefully Guss finds success in New England that he didn't in Florida.

                                                95th overall - Guss Scott

In the span of a week the best team in football theoretically got even better. Getting Corey Dillon in a trade then drafting two studs in Watson and Wilfork was exactly what they needed to do. Replacing Bobby Hamilton and Antwan Harris with Marquise Hill and Guss Scott might have also contributed to a Superbowl run next season. Tomorrow's picks are mostly for depth but the Patriots just might have drafted starters for the next ten years. Time will tell.

Patriots Trade 2nd Round Pick for Corey Dillon (4/19/04)

Somehow the Superbowl Champion New England Patriots just got even stronger as they made a monumental trade with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Patriots sent their second round pick in this Saturday's NFL Draft to the Bengals in exchange for pro-bowl running back Corey Dillon.

                                                   Week 1 2001, Dillon runs over New England

What the heck happened on this one? Well we all know the Bengals have been a complete mess since the late 80's but Dillon was one of their bright spots from 1997-02. Last year he battled injuries and was limited to just 541 yards on the ground. Between his complaining of the losing, being on the wrong side of 30, and wear and tear on his body, the Bengals cut their losses and got a second rounder out of New England for him.

                                      "I've had it up to HERE with Dillon" - Marvin Lewis

Now you can look at this move two ways. Now the hater's stance would be the Patriots just wasted a second round pick for a washed up, declining malcontent that may not even survive training camp while the Bengals got rid of someone who doesn't want to be there. They also could simply draft his replacement since Dillon himself went in the second round back in 97. Now the positive stance is the Patriots traded just a second round pick to get an all-pro running back that might have some gas left in the tank. The Patriots one weakness coming off their Superbowl victory over the Carolina Panthers was the running game since Mike Cloud didn't work out, Antowain Smith was physically declining and Kevin Faulk is best used as a third down pass catching back. Fully healthy Dillon might have been the missing piece on a 14-2 team that has already won the Superbowl. The Patriots also have two first round picks so the rich might have gotten richer as they say.

                                   "Guess who just won a title AND got Corey Dillon?" - BB

Either way, the Patriots second round pick might or might not become a stud but they know they're getting one in Dillon. His injuries should have healed by this coming training camp and he's no longer on a bad team. This might have been the heist of the century, we'll see come training camp and beyond.