I do think they may still go safety because Sanders isn't a real enforcer like Rodney was, and I think they may want one of those on the roster (remember the John Lynch-Tank Williams efforts/experiments?) They may also be tempted to use Meriweather as a CB if they can get a big stud like Hamlin and kind of solve two riddles with one answer.

Yes, there are so many good TEs in this class, I can't see them not grabbing one, although it may be a tad later than that. I love James Casey or Kory Sperry in the 4-5th round area just as well. IF we do take a TE, it will be a seam stretcher now, what with Baker in hand.

I can see Barwin at #34, but I doubt he'd still be there. I'd love to have him, but we do have a bunch of OLBs and we really need a young ILB-capable guy like Brinkley.

Personally I would like the Patriots to draft Travis Beckum before his injury he was arguably the best TE in the class. He's a risk but if he gets back to 100% he could be a steal.

Do you think they would go after Roy Williams? I'm hearing the Cowboys are releasing him. I realize he lacks coverage skill but if you rotate Williams Sanders and Merriweather depending on the situation you have everything. Sanders is a solid all around safety. Merriweather is more of a ball hawk. Williams is an enforcer who could maybe make the shift to LB.

As far as OLB goes I think ideally the Patriots would like to have Adalius Thomas playing ILB where he played until Colvin got injured in the 16-0 season. So if we could grab a Barwin or English maybe they could start opposite Banta Cain/Crable/Woods combo pushing Thomas inside with Mayo. We could than draft a developmental ILB like a Antonio Appleby or Joshua Mauga. The only Day One ILB prospects I'm impressed with are Maualuga and Laurinaitis who could be available at 23 or 34 after both having bad combines(we'd be lucky to have Maualuga at 23 I don't see him slipping by the Lions at 20). I would like Brinkley as long as they are confident that he will recover 100%.

Beckum would be a nice seam stretcher IF he's fully recovered, no doubt about that, but they have never drafted a small TE before. There's always a first time though...

Roy Williams may very well be in their sites if they think they can generate a better pass rush next year, He certainly is OK when the QB has no time.

Thomas playing inside again is an option, though I don't think it's their best one. I think he is more effective and scary outside. I think an inside combo of Brinkley and Mayo would be downright nasty when teamed with Thomas and whichever of those other three guys emerges to start outside opposite Thomas. Could be the best LB corps in the NFL, especially when Brushi is still there to help keep them fresh and focused.

Let's not forget Vincent Redd either. The guy has a world of upside.

I still don't see Mauluga falling out of the top 10-12 picks, or Laurinaitis out of the top 20. I like Brinkley as well (or better), and he'd come cheaper.

I like Redd a lot he's just going to need a lot of time to develop like reigning defensive player of the year James Harrison.

I'm probably the worlds biggest Laurinaitis fan not just because his dad was my favorite wrestler but i just always liked him(i cried a little when he didn't enter the draft last year when we had a top 10 pick) I always thought the 40 is overrated but i can't see any team in the top 20 picking him after that unless he runs better at his pro day. If he's there at 23 and someone else's name is called im going to have to tell best buy when i opened my TV the remote control was already in the screen.

Looks like my paparazzi friend knows what he's talking about. This model is looking like a type who could break a good man.

http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/more_na...rady_and_g.html

Yep. This is my BIGGEST concern for the Patriots....SERIOUSLY...a woman like that can really mess a guy up. If Tom Brady doesn't return as a reasonable facsimile of his old self, we could be in some trouble.

Let's talk about Pat White again. Reports in the Globe say the Pats are bringing him in for a personal visit. They already worked him out at his pro day and interviewed him at the Combine. They appear very interested in him as a WR and to run the wildcat. Rumors are the Quarterbackless Jets are very interested too possibly as their starting QB seeing how we struggled so much with Miami's wildcat last year. The Jets might find that none of the top 3 QBs are left at 17 and could be targeting White with their 2nd round pick, #52. The Jets are likely hoping he's there in the 3rd so they can take him with their #76 pick. I currently have Patrick White ranked right at #76.

Pat White is now working out as a WR and appears willing to take on any roll. According to NFL Network, this moves White potentially up to the 2nd round. Obviously the Jets would prefer to spend pick #76 on White but if they think we are going to take him at #58 they need to move ahead. Now our interest could totally be a smoke screen designed to get the Jets to trade up ahead of our #58 or possibily even our #47 or it could be genuine interest.

For the Jets to trade ahead of our #47 they would have to give up #52 and #115 at a minimum they might possibly have to throw in 193 also. If they did this the Jets would only have #17, #46 to take White, #76 and their 7th round comp pick #228. So the Jets would really only have 3 picks in this draft.

For the Jets to package #76 to move ahead of our #58 the Jets would have to give up all their lower tradeable picks plus a future pick. This is what makes this so interesting to me. The Pats are great at these mind games.

If the Pats are genuinely interested in White I don't think he's there at #58 since the Jets are looking very likely to take him at #52. So, the Pats would have to take him at #47. While this appears like reaching we have to consider a couple of things. 1) We keep a dangerous weapon from the Jets making them now go after the 5th best QB, 2) We save a roster spot. With White we can cut both Guttierez and Sam Aiken.

The other option and this would be beautiful is to take not take White at #47 allowing the Jets to think they got him a 52. We then package 58/115/193 to move up to 51 and take him. How funny would that be?

Fascinating and well thought out piece. You really need to become a sports writer, bro!

I wouldn't mind them spending a second on White to do exactly as you said...to keep him from our competitors, and to save us a roster spot.

Thanks but seriously, we need another WR and could use an upgrade over Gutierrez who can no longer occupy a Practice Squad spot. Aiken has been a real disappointment. 2 of our top 4 WR are over 30 with one being 37!! Let's assume the Jets will take White at #52 but no higher and instead of using #47 on a WR which was possible we kill two birds with one stone and take him there. We could still do this.

#23 Ziggy Hood
#34 Connor Barwin or one of the other OLB edge rusher types
#47 Pat White
#58 Best safety on the board, Moore, Chung or Delmas if there. If not there best OT, OG available, Meredith, Wood, Robinson or Loadholt or possibly the best back, Greene, Brown. Or perhaps a TE, Coffman, Cassey.
#89 Assuming we didn't take a OL at #58 I'd be thrilled to get Cadogan here.
#97 If we didn't get a S at #58 perhaps Bruton or Vaughn here.

If we played our cards right we could come out of this draft with

#23 Ziggy Hood to replace Seymour or Wilfork depending which one we lose
#34 OLB, Barwin, English, Sintim, etc
#47 Pat White. We get real creative on offense with a threat to run, pass or catch with White. O'Connell becomes the 3rd string emergency QB and doesn't count against our 45 man game day roster.
#58 James Casey. This knocks Thomas to the curb and now we have a hedge against losing Watson after the season.
#89 Gerald Cadogan. We have 14 OL under contract but will only carry 10. Mankins, Neal and Kaczur are all set to become F/A after the season. Neal carries the biggest cap and is the oldest. We cut or trade Neal freeing up $2MM start Cadogan at RG and move him to RT after 2009.
#97 David Bruton. The old Charley Weiss connection. Very big, very fast FS. I'm wondering if he wouldn't be better suited as SS.

Faucet--I too agree that Bill Belichick will be targeting someone in this draft who can run the Wildcat offense. When you have a predictability about your offensive game plan, then teams can prepare accordingly to your tendencies (see Super Bowl versus the NY Giants). The Wildcat offense with Pat White at the helm would bring an unprecitability to them especially if he can play wide-out. My previous lack of enthusiasm for the Wildcat stems from the fact that the person put into the shotgun roll was a running back. It seemed that you could eventually devise a defensive scheme to stop this single back formation. BUT, with a former quarterback in the game who can also play wide receiver, the variations are a defensive nightmare. In addition to the JETS, the Cowboys have said they will also be looking to add the Wildcat to their offensive game plan. The Cowboys draft around pick #50 or #51 (I think) which means that pick #47 is a must landing spot for Pat White unless we are reading the tea leaves wrong. My second scenario concerning the draft is one which also tries to help the Patriots while hurting the JETS, and DOLPHINS as well as any other team deciding to use the 3-4 defense. The 3-4 defense has one position which is critical to it's success--nose tackle. Every team needs a space eater who is strong enough to handle the double teams and quick enough to move laterally and shed the blocks to make the tackle. Everybody knows that the premier nose tackle in this draft is BJ RAJI and I would think that his destination is probably with Mangini in Cleveland. BUT, there are only potentially four other nose tackles in this draft and this position is the heart and soul of the 3-4. They include Terrance Knighton from Temple and Chris Baker from Hampton (two nose tackles that I researched) as well as a nose tackle from Michigan (I think his name is Terrence Taylor). These three are late round picks--rounds 5, 6, or 7 but there is one more nose tackle who is a top 50 prospect. About 14 teams will be using the 3-4 defense next year with Green Bay, Denver, and Kansas City being added to New England, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, San Diego, Miami, NY JETS, Cleveland, Houston, Oakland, Dallas and San Franciso. Eleven (11) AFC teams and two within our own divivion. Some of these teams will need nose tackles immediately and others may not but if the Patriots can select a player that all other teams using a 3-4 need then they have added to their roster while playing keep away from their competition. In this scenario, I had predicted that the Patriots would select RON BRACE with the 34th pick in the draft. Two things have changed recently. Ron Brace is visiting or has visited both the Dolphins and JETS AND he is going to visit the COLTS who want to select him at the end of round #1. Even if we re-sign Vince Wilfork, Ron Brace is a body who could slide to defensive end in some sub packages but would also be in our 4-3 packages and could spell Wilfork without giving up anything at nt. If we do not re-sign Vince, then we have our Nose Tackle of the future with a year under his belt. He also will not show up on the Patriots visit schedule because they can have as many visits with locals without counting as part of the 30 visits allowed that they must report to the league. This is a slight reach but I am going to leave the 34th pick available for a potential Julius Peppers trade and have the Patriots go with RON BRACE at pick #23 just ahead of the Dolphins and Colts and the other 13 teams using the 3-4--maybe a reach but fits into our defensive scheme and plays keep away from the others--thanks for listening--rich from newport