More is better

I got in my car and turned on the radio just as the Pats were on the clock with the 29th pick in the first round of the draft last night. The guy on Sports Blab radio didn't sound happy. "The tweets are coming in fast and furious," he said. "People are not happy."

Then the phone calls started. "This is why the Pats don't win Super Bowls anymore," moaned one caller. "Belichick just doesn't know how to use the draft," offered another.

What had Belichick done, I wondered. Not another tight end? Please not another tight end.

Then the Sports Blab voice composed himself enough to recap what had happened. It turned out that Belichick had traded the priceless 29th pick to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the Vikings' second-round pick. And the Vikings' third-round pick. And their fourth-round pick. And their seventh-round pick.

Wait. What? The Patriots -- who the experts constantly reminded us were limited because they had only five picks in this draft -- had traded a late first rounder for four picks? So now the team had eight picks, with two in the second and two in the third. And the Twits were unhappy with that?

Sure, there were some good players available at 29. Safety Matt Elam was a guy I wanted. He went to the Ravens at 32. I would have been excited about wide receiver Justin Hunter who stands 6-4. But it's the NFL draft. Who knows what those guys will do? Nobody. Not even Mel Kiper.

The Patriots are not one player away from winning the Super Bowl. They already have the players they need to win it all. They've shown that the last two years. What they need more than anything is for those players to stay healthy and not make mistakes when it counts. A rookie safety won't change that.

But what the Patriots -- and every team -- needs is a handful of young potential. If you can turn one potential young talent into four potential young talents you have to do that. It's a no-brainer. I'm not even sure how Belichick got the Vikes to agree to it. More Jedi mind tricks from the hooded one. The Pats have the third youngest D in the league. Now Belichick can add to that. The players he gets in the next two days may not make in impact this year but they might in two, three, or five years. That's why the Pats are still one of the top teams in the league year after year. Belichick keeps one eye on the present and one eye on the future. It's what the best teams do.

Belichick obviously felt he wanted to have more picks ... thus getting more shots at the draft pinata. Like many things in life, when it comes to the NFL draft more is better.

Forward thinking

There's still a lot of looking back going on regarding the Pats' disappointing loss to the Ravens. Not here. As coach says, we're moving on. And looking ahead. I'm already anticipating the draft in late April.

It looks like -- other than the usual need for a pass rusher and a cornerback -- that the Pats are in need of a big, fast wide receiver. A quick look at some mock drafts online shows there are a few that would fit the bill and could be around when the Pats are on the clock in the first round. There's DeAndre Hopkins of Clemson, Keenan Allen of Cal, or Terrance Williams of Baylor. Any of them would look good catching passes from Tom Brady.

Belichick hasn't stocked up on picks as usual. The team only has five going into the draft. A first, a second, a third, and then two in the seventh. You have to think he will be dealing some of those five to either add some picks in the middle rounds or load up for the 2014 draft. I would love to see Belichick deal Welker (sadly, I think it's the smart thing to do) and the Pats' first-rounder (29th) to the Lions for the fifth pick in the draft and either their third or fourth round pick. The Pats could then go get Bama cornerback Dee Milliner and grab a wideout in the second round. But trying to predict what Belichick will do in the draft is an exercise in lunacy unless you predict he will pick at least one tight end.

But it's not the players yet to come that make looking ahead fun for Pats' fans. It's all the guys currently on the roster. Even though the Pats are led by a future hall of famer in his final few years (sob), he is surrounded by one of the youngest rosters in the league. More than half the players on the team are 25 or younger. Especially on defense. Jones. Hightower. McCourty. Dennard. Spikes. Deaderick. Francis. Wilson. There's a lot of young talent there. Mixed with the veteran core of Big Vince, Mayo, Love, and Ninko and the defense should keep moving in the right direction. A little better coaching might help, too. The defense doesn't have to be great. That's the offense's job. The defense just has to be good. It hasn't quite reached that point yet. But it's getting there.

Two of the biggest complaints about the Pats after their loss to the Ravens were that they weren't big and tough enough and that they didn't have enough explosive plays. The solutions to those problems may already be on the roster.

The first issue -- not big and tough enough -- is solved every time Gronk steps on the field. He's due to be healthy come playoff time ... for a change. And if he is, he might be joined by Jake Ballard. Remember him? He's the tight end Belichick stole from the Giants before last season who has spent the year rehabbing from a knee injury. Another young, big, talented tight end. If Gronk and Ballard can stay healthy they will be a force catching passes and blocking everything in sight. And that will allow Hernandez to stop wasting his time blocking and play the slot. On defense the toughness level may have been raised with the acquisition of D lineman Armond Armstead from the Canadian Football League. The CFL you ask? Yes. The CFL. Scouts have reportedly said signing him is like getting a high first-round pick. We'll see.

As for big plays... Olympic track speedster Will Demps should be ready to make an impact. A complaint heard each week at the tailgate was "Why did we waste a roster spot for Shiancoe when we could have saved it for Demps down the stretch?" We'll soon find out if Demps can provide the big play on special teams the Pats have been missing.

We'll soon find out something else, too ... If the Pats can put another disappointing home playoff loss behind them and make another run at Lombardi #4.

2013 would look pretty good on one of those banners.

Starting with defense

The Pats have just about finished their free agent shopping. The draft is now over. Except for a few undrafted free agents and training camp veteran signings the 2012 version of the New England Patriots is pretty much set. When you have gone 27-5 in the last two seasons there's not too many battles in camp.

The offense is loaded again and will threaten the records the team set in '07. The defense was where reinforcements were needed. Reinforcements have arrived.

I'm guessing the Pats will return to playing a 3-4 more this year since they now have four potentially very good linebackers. Here's what the starters in the 3-4 could look like if everyone stays healthy and the new guys reach their potential quickly:

DEFENSIVE LINE

          LEFT END                          NOSE TACKLE                              RIGHT END

     Jonathan Fanene                     Vince Wilfork                              Chandler Jones

LINEBACKERS

    LEFT OUTSIDE              MIDDLE                  MIDDLE                RIGHT OUTSIDE

   Dont'a Hightower         Brandon Spikes         Jerod Mayo              Rob Ninkovich

DEFENSIVE BACKS

  CORNERBACK              SAFETY                   SAFETY                   CORNERBACK
   Ras-I Dowling             Patrick Chung         Devin McCourty             Kyle Arrington          

I'm counting on a few things. Jonathan Fanene is this year's Andre Carter. Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower earn starting jobs and make impacts like McCourty and Mayo did in their rookie years. Ras-I-Dowling gets healthy and lives up to his draft position.

If those things happen then the transition from the Bruschi-Willie-Rodney-Vrabel-Law-Seymour years to the next championship-caliber defense is in the final stage. Big Vince is one of the dominant forces in the game. Brandon Spikes and Mayo came together at the end of last year to show just how good they can be as a duo in the middle of the field. Chung and a relocated McCourty could be one of the best young safety tandems in the game by mid-season.

It's a very athletic, young, and skilled group of starters with some serious playoff experience and confidence.  And as good as the starters look (on paper), the depth of the defense is just as good and experienced. I don't think this defense will be near the bottom in yards allowed next year. No way.

Jedi mind tricks

Bill Belichick was either at his most evil-genius on the second and third nights of the NFL Draft... or he's just been wearing his hood a little too tight around his head.

After grabbing two very likely starters on defense in Dont'a Hightower and Chandler Jones, the Patriots had only two more picks left in the final six rounds. Both of those picks had to be defensive backfield. The first pick was the 16th in the second round, 48th overall. There were still lots of solid defensive backs available. Casey Hayward of Vandy. Trumaine Johnson of Montana. Jamell Fleming of Oklahoma. All would have been good picks. Belichick went with safety Tavon Wilson of Illinois. I had been doing some pre-draft studying this year, something I rarely do. I couldn't remember Wilson. I went to NFL.com and clicked on his name. Each player up to that point had a profile discussing strengths and weakness. When I clicked on Wilson's name there was his photo ... and nothing else. NFL.com hadn't heard of him either. Turns out he is big and fast and never misses a snap. But at the 48th pick? At least it was another defensive guy.

The Pats' next pick was the 62nd overall. Belichick hadn't traded down yet. You knew he must have been getting itchy to start stockpiling picks all over the draft. And so he did. He sent the pick to Green Bay for a third and fifth-rounder. The Pats finished out the second day of the draft by using that third-rounder on Arkansas end Jake Bequette. Another 6-5 defender. He's a four-year starter and had 10 sacks last season. Four picks used on a linebacker, a safety, and two D linemen. So far so good.

Day three looked to be a very brief one for the Patriots, owning just a single pick in the fifth round. When the pick arrived it was announced that Belichick had traded it -- the 163rd pick -- to Green Bay (again) for three picks. A sixth-rounder and two in the seventh. Can any other GM turn one pick into three that late in the draft? It has to be a Jedi mind trick. "You do want the 163rd pick in the draft. You want it so bad that you will give me all your other picks. Move along."

So suddenly the Pats were going to be very busy in the final hours of the draft. A draft in which they were already one of the dominant stories. Belichick used the next two picks on ... defense. First he took Ohio St. defensive back Nate Ebner. Another guy NFL.com had never heard of. Seems he didn't play much defense. But he projects as a solid special teams guy. I think Belichick was just having fun with all the experts on ESPN and the NFL Network. There was more fun to come. With their first pick in the seventh and final round (#224), Belichick did it again. He took Nebraska corner Alfonzo Dennard. The same Alfonzo Dennard who was recently charged with assaulting a police officer. Dennard was projected as a possible second-rounder. Punching the man in the face will send your value plummeting. No team wanted to touch him. Not even the Bengals. So there was a talented defensive back with a slightly-troubled past sitting there in round seven. It's a no-brainer. And a possible coup.

The Pats started the draft with six picks and to me the only way to go was defense, defense, defense, defense, defense, and defense. After much wheeling and dealing the Pats had made six picks ... all on defense. Thanks.

But the Pats had added one more pick, the 235th. One more chance at a defender. Then the pick came in. Wide receiver Jeremy Ebert of Northwestern.

A wide receiver? My all-defense draft was spoiled. But wait. A wide receiver? Maybe he can play defensive back like Julian Edelman or Troy Brown.

Maybe it was another defensive pick.

Only the hooded one knows for sure.

Two for one

When you think Bill Belichick and the NFL Draft one word comes to mind... unpredictable.

The first round of the 2012 draft was no different. Pats fans always go into the night with dreams of linebackers dancing in their heads but braced for the coach/GM to trade away most of the picks for more picks the following year and the year after that and the year after that and the...

Turns out the year after that is 2012. The Pats traded up twice in the first round. That's right. Belichick and co. traded up to go get a player. Twice. I'm not sure if he did it to help me get over the Super Bowl loss, but I think the drafting of two defensive studs finally did the trick. I've moved on. (Although I'm still pissed at Brady).

So who did the Pats get? Two guys I had hoped for in my mockest of drafts. The Pats were sitting at #27 when the night started and I hoped Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower would slide his way down the board to them. I also wanted Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones but thought he would hang around till the second round. Apparently the Pats were interested in both players too, but had no interest in waiting around to see if they would be there when the team got its turn on the clock.

First Belichick traded the 27th pick and the team's third-round choice to Cincy to slide into the 21st spot and grab Jones. I think the Steelers were going to grab him two spots later and I think Belichick thought that too. Jones is a 6-5, 250 end out of Syracuse who can get after the quarterback. I thought he was a bit of a reach at the 62nd pick so it seems like a huge reach at 21. But Jones was one of the hotter names rising up the board leading up to draft day. Hot enough to get Belichick to move on him early. NFL Network's Mike Mayock said that in a few years Jones will be considered the best defensive player to come out of the draft.

The Pats were then sitting at #31 when they decided to make a move again ... this time for Alabama monster linebacker Dont'a Hightower. I thought it was worth moving down in front of the Jets at 16 to stop them from getting Hightower. Somewhat surprisingly the Jets passed on the 6-5 linebacker in favor of defensive end Quinton Coples of North Carolina. A Tar Heel lineman instead of a Nick Saban bred Crimson Tide linebacker? Rex is having quite an offseason so far. Hightower was sliding to the Pats but the Texans at #26 were not going to let him get past them. So, for a second time in the same night, Belichick traded up, this time costing the Pats a fourth-rounder to get Denver's #25 spot. Hello Dont'a. Meet Ninko, Mayo, and Spikes.

The Pats didn't get Harrison Smith, the safety from Notre Dame. He was the guy I wanted after Hightower. The secondary will have to be addressed in the remaining rounds. Jones and Hightower may finally solve what has been the team's biggest weakness for years. A mediocre pass rush.

The draft is only one round in and for the Pats it's already a success.

Are you mocking me?

Mock draft.

Those two words together only mean something to NFL fans. And at this time of the year (i.e. less than a week till the NFL Draft begins) some fans can't get enough of them. Go to NFL.com, any of the 52 ESPN sites, SI.com, or any other sports website and you will see more mock drafts than there are players available.

Most mock drafts stop after the first-round. Andrew Luck is going #1 in all of them. Many of the experts have the Pats trading away at least one of their two first-round picks (#27 and #31). That's a pretty safe guess. The Patriots have just six picks (as of noon on Monday) in this year's draft. A much lower number than in the past several years. But they have two in the first and two in the second. That's where it counts.

So who would I like to see the Pats select with those six picks? Let's pretend for a moment that Belichick actually uses all those picks (that's why it's called mock), I think they should all -- all -- be on the defensive side of the ball. The Pats are very deep at offensive line (even if Light really is retired), very very deep at wide receiver now that they have about a dozen signed, they drafted two running backs last year and there are plenty of free agent veterans out there (Ryan Grant), and of course they have the best quarterback and tight ends in the game. The offense is deep and talented.

The defense is not. But if they can add these guys it would sure help.

Round 1, Pick #27 overall
Dont'A Hightower, inside linebacker, Alabama
You can't go wrong taking a Crimson Tide linebacker. Especially one coached by Nick Saban. Hightower has been jumping all over the first round in mock drafts. A week ago one had him going as high as #13 to the Jets. Others having him going to Pittsburgh at #23 or to the Giants in the last pick of the first round. I'm hoping he slides to the Pats at #27. Hightower is 6-2 and is quite a passing obstacle with his arms raised, which is key in a league where knocking down passes continues to grow in importance. Add Hightower to a linebacker corps of Mayo, Spikes, and Ninko and the Pats could go back to the 3-4.

Round 1, Pick #31
Harrison Smith, safety, Notre Dame
Many mock drafts have targeted Smith for the Patriots. For good reason. Put him next to Chung and behind Mayo and Hightower and suddenly the middle of the Pats D looks a little nasty. Also 6-2, Smith is known as being equally tough against the run as he is against the pass. There hasn't been a lot of good things to see when watching the Irish the past few years, but Smith was one of them. He is a playmaker who scouts say has a great mind for the game. Belichick has to like the sound of that.

Round 2, Pick #48
Devon Still, defensive tackle, Penn St.
There's a reason most mock drafts end after one round. Who the heck knows who will be available at the #48 spot? But if Devon Still is still available he would be a great young D lineman to grab. He's 6-5 (yes, the  Pats D needs to heighten) and NFL.com says he is "the most NFL-ready interior lineman of this year's senior class." He's the type of player who can go head-to-head with NFL offensive linemen and actually knock them off the ball. Still would be a steal at this pick and give the team a young player at every level of the D.

Round 2, Pick #62
Chandler Jones, defensive end, Syracuse
More defense please. Where Still would be considered a safe pick, Jones would be considered more of a risk here. He's 6-5 but only 245. A little undersized, but maybe Big Vince can help him with that. He's the classic Belichick pick because he has a lot of talent but suffered a knee injury that slowed his progress and lowered his profile.

Round 3, Pick #93
Trevin Wade, cornerback, Arizona
I want the Pats to take three defensive backs, two defensive lineman, and a linebacker. So that means these last two picks should go safety or corner. Let's start with corner. Trevin Wade is 5-10 with speed. He was a hot prospect till his play dipped as a junior in the passing PAC-12. He's known as a solid cover corner when he is interested. Playing for the Pats might get him interested.

Round 4, Pick #126
Casey Hayward, cornerback, Vanderbilt
I think the Pats go corner here again instead of safety. Belichick has to be thinking that McCourty may end up playing a lot of safety as he did near the end of last season. That means you are going to need more options at corner. Hayward would definitely add to your options. Scouting reports say he has speed speed and more speed. NFL.com says "he can run with any receiver in the SEC." Those guys in the SEC are fast. Hayward also seems to have the savvy and confidence that are rare in young players.

Six picks. Use them all on defense and really hit on three of them and the Pats will be pretty tough to beat... even for little Manning and the Giants.

Of course, what will actually happen is that Belichick will trade one his first picks for a third and a first next year and then trade his other third -round pick this year for a fifth this year and a second next year and then he will trade ...

Pick six

Just a few more days till the NFL Draft. All eyes will be on first-round blue chippers Andrew Luck and RG3, but you never know what you will find in the later rounds.

Reading material

It's the final installment of reading material. If only all the stories I've read since last Sunday were about a historic fourth Pats' Super Bowl title, and the team winning it for Myra, and a parade -- instead of another last-second defeat. If only.

Despite the subject matter, there were several good columns. Some advised that I stop looking back at the car wreck. Others advised that I start looking ahead. Both good advice.

• ESPNBoston's Jackie MacMullan (still sounds weird) wrote a great piece asking for a big "calm down." I sometimes forget just how great a writer MacMullan is. 
• The Herald's Ron Borges (that still sounds fitting) is someone I make myself read every now and then. It's like taking medicine. Sometimes you have to fill that little cup and drink that vile red liquid no matter how much you don't want to. Borges is a great writer, as knowledgeable about football as any sportswriter .. it's just that his take on the Pats is so often slanted to the "I told you they wouldn't win again" angle that it's just not worth it. But it's worth reading a post-mortem from the Borges's persective.
• The Globe's Greg Bedard has the same view of the fateful Brady-to-Welker pass that I do. It was way more a bad pass than it was a missed catch.
• But that's enough about THAT game... On ESPN.com, Mel "The Hair" Kiper has updated his mock draft for the second of what will be 183 times. His 2.0 version has the Pats using both their first-round picks (I'll believe it when I see it) and taking outside linebacker Vinny Curry from Marshall and D lineman Kendell Reyes from UConn. I love the Curry pick. He is a versatile athlete who can get after the quarterback from anywhere on the field. With that second pick I'm hoping cornerback Janoris Jenkins slips down to them. If not him, then maybe safety Harrison Smith from Notre Dame. Secondary help is primary.
• On NFL.com, there are several mock drafts up already. Charlie Casserly -- who Belichick hates -- takes two shots at the GM for always trading out of the first round while projecting that the Pats might take Alabama safety Mark Barron and Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower (great name). Two Tide players courtesy of Nick Saban? Sounds good to me. Two of the other "experts" have the Pats taking LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers. He's 6-6, 300 pounds. He would look good next to Big Vince.

The draft begins with first-round picks on April 26, a Thursday night. The Patriots -- at the moment -- hold the 27th and 31st selections. The rich get richer. I may not be a card-carrying member of the one percent, but I enjoy rooting for a football team that is.

Looking forward

ASSOCIATED PRESS

I keep flipping around the TV channels today looking for Duck Boats. Then I remember that Welker didn't catch that ball.

Vegas has installed the Patriots as the favorite to win the Super Bowl next year. Ah, next year. After witnessing another last second loss to the Giants for the championship I thought it might take a while before I started looking forward to next year. It took less than 48 hours.

The Patriots should be at least among the favorites next year. The offense (other than Deion, Light, and Waters) is young and should be just as strong. The defense is even younger, and hopefully will play more like it did in the playoffs than most of the regular season. As Mr. Kraft said in his "Farewell My Sweetheart" address, "We have two 1s and two 2s in the draft." That's right, sir. We do. Last year the Pats added Nate Solder, Stevan Ridley, and Marcus Cannon in the draft. All three made contributions to a team that was 14-2 the year before. There's still potential in injured draft picks Ras I. Dowling and Shane Vereen. Pro Bowlers Andre Carter and Brian Waters were added through free agency. (Yes, and Ocho too). Four picks in the first two rounds of the draft can only help.

The Packers will be back. As will the Steelers and the Ravens. And maybe even the Jets. The Giants, Saints, Niners. and Cowboys will all be in the hunt. The Pats only play four teams that had winning records last year. The Niners, Texans, Ravens, and Titans. They play the not-so-tough NFC West and the other three teams in the AFC East are currently in tough shape. Another AFC East crown and first-round bye are more than possible.

What are the Pats' needs going into next year? A wide receiver who can go deep. Someone in the Victor Cruz/Julio Jones category. A young pass rushing D lineman who can take some of the heat off of Big Vince. Oh, and a whole lot of defensive backs. If Belichick can bring in some guys to go with a core of Brady, Welker, Gronk, Hernandez, Mankins, Koppen, Vollmer, Solder, Waters, Bennie, Woody, Vince, Chung, Spike, Mayo, McCourty, Carter, and Anderson then the Pats could be there again come next February.

I don't how many more last-second Super Bowl losses I can take, but I'm willing to risk it if the Pats can get back there again. Free agency starts on March 13. The start of a new season and almost the start of spring. Looking forward to it.

Feeling the draft

After feeling a little chilly from the Pats' selections in the NFL Draft in rounds two and three, things warmed up a little bit with the team's final four picks.

Finally, a potential pass rusher.

I was scanning the list of players still left for the picking and one guy stood out: defensive end Markell Carter of Central Arkansas. I had never heard of him. I'm not a draft geek. He stood out because of these numbers -- 6-5, 252 pounds, with a 35-inch vertical leap. That caught my attention. Apparently it got the attention of those in the Pats war room because he was taken with the team's sixth round pick. He will most likely switch to outside linebacker. Scouting reports have him as very athletic and with lots of football smarts. I like the sound of that.

The Pats also added another defensive back, TCU's Malcolm Williams, and yet another tight end, Marshall’s Lee Smith. I have made my position on drafting tight ends (Tighten up) clear in the past. The team is already loaded at tight end with Gronkowski, Hernandez, and old man Crumpler. Maybe some day I'll understand the Hooded One's obsession with tight ends. Maybe some day. Word is Williams could be a good special teams player and Smith is a solid long-snapper, good attributes for late round draft picks.

CANNON: Feel-good story.

The other player the Pats took on the final day is a great story. And hopefully it will stay a great story. TCU's offensive lineman Marcus Cannon was the Pats fifth round pick. A lineman taken in the fifth round is usually not very noteworthy. But this one is.

Cannon was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma leading up to the draft, causing his stock to fall. The 6-5, 350 pound wall was seen as a potential second-round pick. But his illness scared teams away. So far his prognosis is good and he said after being selected “I feel awesome. I haven’t had any symptoms of my treatment that I’m supposed to have. Everything’s been feeling good.''

A scouting report on the National Football Report says he could dominate at right guard in the NFL. What a steal he could be. What a great story he already is.

The 2011 draft has come and gone. It was an interesting one for the Patriots. They passed on some high-profile pass rushers and, as usual, traded away several of their picks. And they made what turned out to be the most talked about pick of the draft in QB Ryan Mallett.

It was also an interesting one for the league since it was conducted in the shadow of the lockout. All the drafted players are now proud new members of NFL teams, but they aren't allowed to talk to their coaches or learn the playbook or even be fitted for a helmet. Maybe it's for the best the Pats didn't draft too many guys who they will need to make an immediate impact after all.

Second (and third) helpings

OUR FUTURE QB: Sadly, it's not Snoop.

Hey Bill, I'm not getting any younger. And neither is your franchise QB. Enough with the dumping picks this year for picks the next year. Year after year. How about using all your picks now to add some much needed playmakers on defense. Enough with this saving-picks-for-the-future stuff. Live a little!

Of all the puzzling drafts the Pats GM/coach/czar/D coordinator/head of building services/ticket-taker has overseen, this is by far the most puzzling. So far. There are still a few rounds left. But Ron Borges is going to have a field day with this one. As will sports blab radio for weeks to come. Belichick just made their merry month of May. Pile on guys and gals. Pile on.

The Pats still have four picks in the last four rounds Saturday so Belichick isn't done. He can trade those away too. Or maybe, maybe, he'll take a defensive end or outside linebacker who can rush the passer. Last I heard that's still a big part of football in the NFL.

I usually take a wait-and-see attitude about draft picks. Really, even the scouts and coaches who make the picks have very little idea how well they will work out. Who knew that cornerback out of Rutgers was going to be a rookie of the year contender? You just never know. But the results of the second and third rounds, widely acknowledged as the rounds where you can get the most bang for your drafting buck, were very disappointing and frustrating.

A cornerback? Two running backs? And a quarterback? Puzzling indeed.

Cornerback was certainly not an area of great need. As was running back. (Even if it was, only one guy can carry the ball at a time so why draft two so high?). And quarterback probably isn't a weakness at the moment. That Brady guy still seems pretty good.

Disappointment and frustration aside, the Pats do have four new players to add to offensive lineman Solder from round one. None of them were on my very uninformed list of players, but apparently they were on Belichick's.

Ras-I Dowling, CB: I was sure the Pats would open the day by drafting Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers. Nope. Instead the Pats picked Virginia cornerback Ras-I Dowling. (How was he not on my list of great football names to draft?) Dowling is 6-1 and almost 200 pounds. Reports are that he would have been a high first-rounder if he wasn't injured last season. He's supposed to be healthy. Like I said last year when the Pats took McCourty, in this pass happy league you can never have enough young, talented corners. I assumed Belichick either felt that he couldn't pass on such talent or that he just wanted to say ''Ras-I'' at team meetings. I also assumed my pass rushers would be next on the draft list.

Shane Vereen, RB and Stevan Ridley, RB: This is when Belichick started to lose me. The Pats could have taken Mark Ingram with the 28th pick in the first round. A potential great running back. But since BenJarvis and Woody had a very good year last year another RB was a very low priority so I wasn't too surprised when the team passed on Ingram, letting the Saints grab him. I got that logic. Then how do you explain making back-to-back running back selections? Did running back suddenly become a need overnight? Did something happen to Bennie and Woody? The two backs the Pats took seem like solid players with potential. Especially Vereen. They might make good replacements for Kevin Faulk and Sammy Morris. They just won't help the team's sack total.

Ryan Mallet, QB: Here's what CBS Sports draft analyst Rob Rang says about the possible heir to the Brady throne... ''Combine Mallett's off-field issues with the unappealing way he carries himself and poor athleticism for the position, and you have a plummeting quarterback prospect.'' Hmmmm. This pick really had me wondering if Belichick had jumped the shark. The texts from my nephew Pete and my friend Mark can be summed up in three letters ... WTF?

That pretty much sums up my reaction to day two of the draft. A day that saw the Pats enter with five picks and lots of pass rushing potential still on the big board. The day ended with the Pats having added more picks for next year and four players that, at the moment, don't look like they will have much of an impact. The Pats finished 14-2 last year and Brady, one of the three or four best QBs to ever play the game, had one of his best years. It's a good idea to draft some guys for the future. But it's also a good idea to find two or three who can help right away. So far the Pats drafted one guy who fits that bill. Oh, and those 2012 draft picks will look fine on Draft Day 2012. They just won't be much help chasing Ben Roethlisberger around the field in the fall.

There were lots of videos on future QB Ryan Mallett... But any video with Gruden is the best.

Man the line

As the first round of the NFL Draft unfolded last night, Mark repeatedly texted me "This is breaking our way."

Well, sort of.

Mark wanted DE Cameron Jordan from Cal to finally give the Pats a pass rush and make life miserable for opposing QBs. When the Pats came up to bat for the first of two picks on the night, the man who could be the next Willie McGinnest was right there for the taking. Belichick, stop me if you've heard this before, went in another direction.

SOLDER: Think you can get by him?

The Pats drafted offensive tackle Nate Solder out of Colorado. He won't help the pass rush, but he'll do something that's actually much more important. Keep the opposing pass rush from killing the league's MVP. That really was the biggest need Belichick had to address. At 6-foot-8 and 319 pounds, Solder sure fills that biggest need and then some.

Solder can step in for Matt Light protecting Brady's blindside. Light, one of the all-time great Patriot linemen, is a free agent. Hopefully he stays with the team and maybe moves next to the center and provides veteran leadership. The offensive line, a strength almost every year, was in serious transition with the retirement of Stephen Neal and the uncertainty of Light, Mankins, and Kaczur. By adding Solder (and probably another rookie over the next few days) to Vollmer, Koppen, and Connolly, the offensive line should continue to keep Brady healthy. And after all, isn't that the most important thing you can do?

Cameron Jordan went off the board to the Saints at the 24th pick. (So close to a perfect night!) The Pats came back up with the 28th pick a little after 11 p.m. Do they take 'Bama running back Mark Ingram? Pass rusher Da'Quan Bowers of Clemson?

I texted Mark "Who do you want here?" Then added "Or are we going to trade this one because it's physically impossible for Belichick to use two first-round picks on the same day?" Before Mark could respond Chris "Boomer" Berman bellowed ... "The Patriots have traded away their pick to the Saints who will most likely pick Mark Ingram. A great move by the Saints." In exchange for the pick the Saints sent the Pats their second rounder tomorrow (giving the Pats three second rounders and two thirds) and their first round pick next year. The Pats have two first-round picks. Again.

Two first-round picks in one night. I knew it was a long shot. Ingram would look good putting up 1,500 yards in a Pats uniform. The Saints came away with the two guys Mark and I (and Pete and Shep and ...) wanted. Jordan and Ingram. A good night for the Saints.

But a good night for the Pats, too. They fortified the wall around Tom Brady and now have five -- five! -- picks tomorrow. Night two (second and third rounds) starts at 6 p.m. Friday. Don't be late turning on the TV, the Pats have the first pick. I think Belichick will use it. Maybe on a pass rusher.

Name that player

MOSI'S MOOSES: Best name ever.

Me and my fellow tailgaters (Mark, Shep, Matt) exchanged e-mails all day about who we want the Pats to take in tonight's NFL Draft. (We need pass rushers!) Mark brought a little comic relief by adding a few names to his list that were just that... names.

The Pats have had some great football names over the years. Mosi Tatupu. Sam Gash. Daryl Stingley. Randy Vataha. Lawyer Milloy. And Tedy Bruuuuuu-schi! They currently have some great names in BenJarvis Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead, and of course, Zoltan Mesko.

Mark sent out his list of "Cool-sounding names the Patriots should take":

Taiwan Jones, RB. Eastern Washington.
Titus Young, WR, Boise St..
Buster Skrine, CB, UT-Chattanooga.
Tyler Sash, S, Iowa.

Matt added one more... Cecil Shorts III, WR. Mount Union College.

Brady to Shorts! I like the sound of that.

Wish list

The NFL Draft-a-palooza gets underway Thursday night. The Patriots will be on the clock around-the-clock for most of the weekend, having nine picks over the seven rounds. Unless, as is his wont, Belichick trades away most of those picks.

If the Patriots do make some selections, there are a few areas of definite need. The Globe's Shalise Manza Young gave her excellent "State of the Patriots" report this week (if you want to see it as it is meant to be seen, go to page C10 of Wednesday's sports section) and from reading that it is clear where the Pats are strong, and where they need more help.

Positions of strength: Quarterback, tight end, special teams, and cornerback. Oh, and coach.

Positions in need of help: D line, O line, safety, wide receiver, running back, linebackers.

The Patriots have nine picks this weekend. I figure, at best, the most Belichick will use is seven of those picks. Here's what I expect the positional breakdown to be:

2 defensive linemen

2 offensive linemen

1 defensive back (probably a safety)
1 wide receiver
1 running back

CAMERON #2

CAMERON #1

So that leaves one issue to be addressed. Who should fill those spots?

The Globe has the Pats taking California DE Cameron Jordan with the 17th pick. Mark and I favor the other Cameron... Cameron Heyward from Ohio St. My friend Mark's a Buckeye so he's biased, and I think it's good to get a guy who played for a coach who knows how to cheat better than anyone else. Other defensive line candidates include JJ Watt from Wisconsin, Da'Quan Bowers of Clemson, and Adrian Clayborn of Iowa. Any one of those guys would look good next to Big Vince on the line.

On the offensive side, the best lineman that could slide to #17 is Mike Pouncey from the Pats' Florida farm team. Pouncey would be an impact starter on an offensive line suddenly in transition. He would be a steal at #17. Other O line guys that would fit the Pats is Stefan Wisniewski of Penn St. and Nate Solder of Colorado.

As for running back, a position that was surprisingly strong with BenJarvis and Woodhead making a good one-two punch... well, you can always use more running backs. Especially if that back is Alabama's Mark Ingram. The stud back keeps on sliding down in mock drafts... hopefully right into Belichick's hands with the team's second pick at #28.

I would love to see the Pats package their two picks and move up to grab wide receiver A.J. Green of Georgia. I know, wide receivers in the first round are often disasters (Hart Lee Dykes anyone?). But Green would be a monster, not a disaster. Put him with Brady and the rest of the offense for the rest of #12s career and stand back and watch Rex Ryan try to stop that. Randall Cobb of Kentucky would be a good receiver to grab later in the draft.

But as we all know, it's best to never get too attached to potential draft picks with Belichick making the call. He'll either pull a cornerback from Rutgers out of his draft bag or he'll just keep the bag shut and send the picks off to another team and live to draft another day,

As Mark messaged me today.. "Why do I keep thinking that tomorrow we will begin another year of looking forward to having two first-round picks in the next draft?"

With the 17th pick in the draft...

With all the excitement of the playoffs I completely forgot to check on where the Raiders finished in the draft order. A quick check of NFL.com shows they own pick #17. Check that. The New England Patriots own pick #17.

The Raiders sent the pick to the Pats before last season for Pro Bowler Richard Seymour. The veteran had fallen out of favor with the coaches. Not sure why. He was a good player although I always felt he was a little overrated. Either way, he was gone. And the Pats had the Raiders' top pick in the 2011 draft two years later. When the trade was made the Raiders were a mess. The prospects of the pick being in the top 10 seemed good.

It didn't quite work out that way. The Raiders, behind coach Tom Cable, were expected to win four or five games. The silver and black got off to a 1-3 start and the Pats' pick seemed in good hands with Cable. But then something strange started happening. The Raiders started winning. at one point winning three in a row. It was very annoying to watch, kind of like the stock market. The Raiders finished the season a respectable and surprising 8-8. As a reward Raider patriarch Al Davis fired Cable. Maybe he was worried that the Patriots would no longer trade with him because they were mad that the pick wasn't in the top 10. Don't worry Al. Belichick will still take your calls offering draft picks and star wide receivers any time.

According to NFL draft guru Mel "The Hair" Kyper, if the Pats want to go offense with the 17th pick they might have a shot at two Alabama players: running back Mark Ingram or wide receiver Julio Jones. On the defensive side, players like D linemen Adrian Clayborn of Iowa or Cameron Heyward of Ohio St. Of course that all depends on Belichick actually using the pick. Which is a 50-50 deal at best.

When the Pats go on the clock with the 17th pick, they will have six of the next 80 selections. If they hit on half of those, added to the great drafts of the last two years, the team will be stocked for seasons to come.

And if the Pats can find a guy even half as good as the guy in the video below... well that will be a hell of a player.

New kids on the block

Day three of the NFL Draft (rounds 4-7) saw the Patriots add seven more players to their roster of rookies. Another tight end (now Belichick is just messing with me), two offensive lineman, two defensive lineman, a quarterback, and a punter. It's that last one that I'm kind of excited about. Zoltan Mesko. 6'-4'' punter from Michigan via Romania. That's right, the Patriots new punter is from Romania. Here, in its entirety, is the NFL.com scouting report:

"Mesko is a four-year starter that had his best season punting the football in 2009. He averaged 44.5 yards in 52 attempts with 0 blocked. Mesko is excellent at dropping the ball inside the twenty yard line to pin opponents deep into their own territory. Mesko has good size and athleticism for the position with above average leg strength. Mesko has been effective in tough weather conditions and shows poise under pressure. He has been solid with his hang time and distance but isn’t an elite punter in this years draft. Mesko is a solid prospect that will likely get his named called late in the draft."

OK, I'm not sure why, after describing the guy as a punting god, you would then say he isn't an elite punter in this years draft, but whatever. If Zoltan -- and let's just agree we are all calling him Zoltan and not Mesko -- can be to punting what Gostkowski has been to kick-offs and field goals then the Patriots will be set in the kicking game for many years to come. Don't underestimate the importance of that. The Pats lost several close games last year (Denver, Indy, Miami) that a well placed punt might have made a difference in. Oh, and he was a captain for the Wolverines, The first special teams player in school history to be so honored. Look at him. He looks more like a linebacker. Maybe he can catch passes like Vrabel. I've got high hopes for Zoltan.

The other players taken in day three provide depth where it is always needed -- on the offensive and defensive lines. Ted Larsen, Tom Welch, Brandon Deaderick, and Kade Weston are likely deep bench or practice squad guys. Belichick, although he has stumbled several times in the early rounds of the draft, has always seemed to find a lineman late in the draft who surprises so we may see one of these names making an impact someday. The team also grabbed Oklahoma St. quarterback Zach Robinson with one of its compensatory picks. This is the guy who was making the passes to Dez Bryant so he must have been doing something right. Is he the young QB who will eventually replace Brady? Seems fitting that a seventh-rounder would one day replace the greatest sixth-rounder ever chosen. But that's getting a little ahead of things.

The Patriots added twelve young players to their roster. Some of them could -- should -- have an immediate impact in 2010. That's what makes the NFL draft so much fun. It's like going on a shopping spree. I'll take one of those, one of those ... each selection an opportunity to find the next Tedy Bruschi, Asante Samuel, or Tom Brady. Even the next Ben Coates.

No you didn't!

I had a nightmare last night that the Patriots used their first pick in the second round to take yet another tight end. Actually, in my dream, the Pats traded up in order to draft a tight end. The Pats almost never trade up. Whew. I'm glad it was only a dream.

OK, it wasn't a dream. Belichick did it again. He drafted a tight end with the 10th pick of the second round. So many good players available who play all the other positions. And he drafted another tight end. A guy named Rob Gronkowski from the University of Arizona. I felt like Harrison Ford in the scene from "Indiana Jones" when he looks down to the floor of the newly-unearthed temple and sees it covered by the thing he hates most -- snakes. He rolls over and says with a mix of exasperation and depression ... "Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes."

A tight end. Why did it have to be a tight end.

Belichick and his never-ending quest for the giant guy who can block, catch, run, and solve the world's financial crisis. He just never gives up. Will Gronkowski be another Graham or Watson? A high draft pick who doesn't quite live up to expectations that come along with being chosen that high. We'll see. The scouting reports on him are glowing.

"The big, athletic tight end has exceptional tools, and is one of the few complete players at the position available in the draft," says NFL.com. OK. That sounds promising. Many other reviews had him as a player capable of making an impact as a starter right away. Maybe I've been too rash about this whole tight end thing. The next line from NFL.com... "He has been a standout tight end..." (good, good) ..."when he has been healthy enough to stay on the field. Unfortunately he has missed a total of 16 games over the past two years due to injuries or illness." Uh oh. And this from Patriots.com... "The only possible negative with the pick is his history of back problems. He missed all of 2009 after undergoing microdisectomy surgery of his lower back." Microdisectomy surgery? Yes, I can see that being a possible negative. Word is Gronkowski is completely healed. We'll see. These things never seem to work out.

Tight end pick aside, the Patriots had what appears to be a great second day of the draft. They followed the Gronkowski pick with back-to-back linebacker selections. One inside. One outside. That improved my mood greatly. Jermain Cunningham of Florida is a defensive end but could very well shift to outside linebacker. Reports say the 6'-3'' 260-pounder is quick at the snap and can get into the backfield. A few picks later the Pats made their third choice of the second round and went with Cunningham's Gator teammate, inside linebacker Brandon Spikes. He's described as an old-school middle linebacker. After watching some video of him bringing guys down I would say that's a good description. He also missed a game last year. But it wasn't because of a bad back. It was because of "an on the field incident." I can't wait to see this guy line up in the middle next to Mayo.

The Pats had one pick in the third round, acquired in the first day dealing, and added wide receiver Taylor Price from Ohio. The team passed on guys like Dez Bryant, Golden Tate, and Damian Williams -- players I thought could have been key contributors and made a great tandem with Randy Moss in the way Moss did when he was a young player with Chris Carter in Minnesota. Price certainly has good size at 6'-0'' and reports say he has great hands and all the physical skills to make it. Here's hoping Randy takes him under his wing and teaches him all he needs to know. While he's at it he can teach that tight end a few things too.

Duck, duck, draft

Being a New England Patriots fan watching the NFL Draft is like being a four-year-old with an older brother who has one of your toys and is holding it just out of your reach. Just when you think he is going to give it to you... he quickly pulls it away. Ha ha!

The Pats are on the clock with the 22nd pick in the draft... Not so fast... They traded back two spots. Now they have the 24th pick in the draft. Maybe they'll pick ... Wait. They've traded down again and now have the 27th pick. Come on! Give me that toy! Er, I mean draft pick! Mom!

So the Pats traded with the Broncos, then the Cowboys, moving down five spots but acquiring Dallas' third-round pick in the end. That's what Belichick does. He collects picks like I used to collect Wacky Packs. I'm in favor of his approach. The more young bodies you can get the better. The key is who the team picks when they actually use one of their selections.

The team's first-round pick, whenever it turned out to be, needed to address either the serious lack of pass rushers or the need to add some youth at one of the offensive skill positions. At the 22nd and then the 24th pick I exchanged texts with Mark, Jim, and Steve and we were all thinking that 6'-2'' wide receiver Dez Bryant would be a great choice. But the Cowboys took him at 24 after trading with the Pats. OK, back to the pass rusher. Jared Odrick, a DT from Penn St., and Sergio Kindle, a DE from Texas, were both available at 27. Either guy would fill the void left by Richard Seymour and Jarvis Green. Of course Belichick and the Pats had other thoughts. They always do. (No, thank goodness, not a tight end).

The Pats went cornerback with their first pick. 5'-11'' Devin McCourty from Rutgers is the newest Patriot. A cornerback? Certainly not what I was expecting. But in the pass happy NFL you can never have enough quality players in the defensive backfield. McCourty was listed as a top three cornerback in most of the scouting reports I had read before the draft, with most expecting him to go in the second round. He's considered a well-rounded player but not a shut-down corner. That doesn't seem like the ideal description of a player you want to take in the first round.

I felt a little better after McCourty's high school coach was quoted as saying he thinks he can be as good as the Jets' Darrelle Revis. OK, the coach seemed a little old -- and maybe a little senile -- but if McCourty has the potential to be anything close to Revis then this might turn out to be a solid pick. At the very least, with young players like Wheatley, Butler, Whilhite, and now McCourty, the Pats have a stable of young, athletic cornerbacks. That's never a bad thing. There doesn't seem to be a Chris Canty in the group.

Day one of the NFL Draft came to a close shortly after the Pats pick. It was the first prime-time draft, with just the first found being featured. (The draft resumes this evening with rounds two and three). Another great idea by the league. If the Patriots wind up with a top five pick next year thanks to the Raiders then I plan on making a trip to Manhattan to get a first-hand view of the first round. Now if I could only be sure Belichick will actually use the pick.

Happy returns

The Patriots have remained on the inactive list in the first week of the free agent season. Some big names (with even bigger price tags) have been signed, sealed, and delivered to places like Chicago, New York, and Seattle. So far there are no new names for the back of your Pats jersey. But that doesn't mean this hasn't been a very significant week for the team. It has.

First the Pats re-signed their best pass rusher from last year, Tully Banta-Cain. It would be ideal if he was the team's second or third best pass rusher, but that's a different topic. Offensive lineman Stephen Neal is also coming back. He has been a key part of one of the Pats' constant strengths over the past several years. They followed that by wrapping up team leader and All-Pro defensive lineman Vince Wilfork to a much-awaited long-term contract. That had to happen or the franchise could stop pretending they were still trying to really win Super Bowls.



Today the Pats closed out a successful week of retaining their most valuable pieces. First they reportedly signed cornerback Leigh Bodden to a four-year deal. Bodden had interest from several teams and was the type of player (see Deion Branch) who ran the risk of getting an unreasonably big contract offer thrown his way to lure him from the Pats. Bodden, an NFL veteran who had one of his best seasons in his first with the Patriots, would have been a tough guy to replace. The Pats are not deep in the secondary. Bodden, with his five picks and physical play, proved to be a playmaker and the team was in dire need of playmakers in the defensive backfield.

The Pats also announced that jack-of-all-trades RB Kevin Faulk is returning for his 12th year as the team's unsung hero. Again, not a cannonball into the free agent pool that many fans might have been hoping for, but anyone who follows the team knows that Faulk is a large part of the core of this team. He still has many clutch plays left in him. I know I was relieved to see Faulk back. My guess is Tom Brady had the same reaction.

The Patriots have accomplished what seemed to me to be their biggest pre-draft priority: re-signing their most valuable free agents (sorry Jarvis and Ben). That's a good start to ... wait, did someone mention the draft? Just more than a month to go.