Value: The one word Bill Belichick uses to justify trading back in the draft nearly every season to stockpile his draft picks so he can select more players in later rounds. The Pats will take on the Minnesota Vikings this weekend, making many experts debate the trade that the Vikings and Patriots made in the 2013 NFL Draft. New England traded the 29th pick to the Vikings for a second, third, fourth and seventh round selection. The Vikings took the explosive Cordarrelle Patterson and, for now, it seems to be a fair trade.
But all this talk about the Patriots trading down made me look into some other times the Patriots traded down and left great prospects on the table. The most interesting is the 2010 NFL Draft when the Patriots took Devin McCourty, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. They certainly grabbed some difference-makers, but what else could the Patriots have gotten out of this draft? Two of the most dynamic receivers in the game today.
The Patriots actually held the 22nd pick in the first round that year. That would be until the Denver Broncos called and offered the Patriots their first round pick, 24th overall, and a fourth rounder for the Patriots pick. Belichick made the deal. The Patriots would take Hernandez with that fourth-round pick. On the other hand, the Broncos took a wide receiver from Georgia Tech named Demaryius Thomas. Thomas has turned into an elite NFL receiver and made two Pro Bowls. And for Hernandez? He won’t be taking an NFL field anytime soon.
The story doesn’t end there. The Patriots were then sitting with the 24th pick in the first round when the Dallas Cowboys called and offered their first round pick, 27th overall, and a third round pick for Pick 24. The Patriots would again trade down. Dallas would take Dez Bryant with the pick. Although he has been a headache at times off the field, he has been a beast on it. Through his first four seasons he has over 4,000 yards, 40 touchdowns and was voted to the Pro Bowl last season.
The Patriots took Devin McCourty with the 27th pick and wide receiver Taylor Price with the third-round pick. While Price never amounted to much for the team and was waived by the Patriots in 2011, McCourty has turned into a productive player. The free safety has become one of the better defensive backs the Patriots have drafted in awhile. But is he better than Thomas or Bryant? I would have to give the edge to either of the two wide receivers.
The Patriots could have pulled a boatload of offensive talent in the 2010 draft. Imagine what a receiving core of Thomas and Bryant with Rob Gronkowski would look like catching passes from Tom Brady? But, Belichick is all about the value. It’s just one of the many cases where Patriot fans will have to just imagine what could have been. In Belichick we trust… right?