PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

Pats Posits: All In – Do the Patriots Finally Want to Win the Super Bowl Now?

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With the draft now in our rearview mirror, we’re quickly approaching The Void, aka the deadest time of the NFL offseason where everyone goes on vacation and it’s all quiet on the football front. Before that though the Patriots will have a number of organized team activities that will give us a brief glimpse at the rookies and new guys, as well as some brief relief for our football obsession.

Here’s the list of OTAs coming up in the next couple months before everything goes dark in the lead up to training camp:

  • 5/22 — Patriots Organized Team Activity (closed to the public and media).
  • 5/23 — Patriots Organized Team Activity (closed to the public and media).
  • 5/25 — Patriots Organized Team Activity (closed to public, open to media).
  • 5/31 — Patriots Organized Team Activity (closed to the public and media)
  • 6/1 — Patriots Organized Team Activity (closed to the public and media).
  • 6/6 – 6/8 — Patriots Mini Camp (closed to public, open to media only).
  • 6/12 — Patriots Organized Team Activity (closed to public, open to media).
  • 6/13 — Patriots Organized Team Activity (closed to the public and media).
  • 6/15 — Patriots Organized Team Activity (closed to the public and media).

Let’s dive into some thoughts on the Pats draft and the state of the team as it looks like most of the 2017 roster is now in place.

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Quick Hits on Patriots Undrafted Free Agent Signees

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Every year, no matter how stacked the Patriots seem to be, an undrafted rookie makes the team and finds a way to contribute. None have been more famous than Malcolm Butler, who was making plays on the ball from his earliest days in training camp, and ended the season making then biggest play on the ball in Patriots history.

Who will be this year’s Malcolm Butler? With the Pats selecting just four players in the draft, there’s more opportunity than ever for an unknown to fill a significant role.

Here are a bunch of quick hits on the undrafted rookies the Patriots have reportedly signed so far.

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Patriots Draft OT Conor McDermott

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n5oVsSBiYY

After taking offensive tackle Antonio Garcia 85th overall, the Patriots took another athletic blind sider in Conor McDermott at 211th overall.

Like Nate Solder before him, McDermott is a former tight end who’s also 6′ 8″. He’s athletic but “thin-legged” and scouts worry about him being able to hold up to NFL power.

He’ll work with Dante Scarnecchia for at least a year, but it’s good to know that with the retirement of Sebastian Vollmer and Solder entering the final year of his year there’s two good athletic prospects in the pipeline.

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Patriots Draft DE Dietrich Wise 131st Overall

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The Patriots double dipped for the front seven with their third pick in the 2017 NFL draft, taking defensive end Dietrich Wise from Arkansas.

While Derek Rivers seems more in the Jamie Collins mold, Wise feels a little more like Chandler Jones. Not quite as athletic as Jones, but perhaps more stout via his uncommonly long 35 inch arms.

There’s some question as to how exactly he’ll fit in the New England defense, but he’s demonstrated some versatility and should be an asset. I’m curious to see him inside on passing downs instead of say, Malcom Brown.

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Patriots Draft OT Antonio Garcia

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The Patriots traded back up into the third round on Friday to select offensive tackle Antonio Garcia from Troy.

Garcia was someone I had on my Top-50 Patriots board and it would appear he’ll be groomed in 2017 to (potentially) take over for Nate Solder in 2018. The team made a similar move with Solder and Matt Light in 2011, but even then Solder was thrust into action early in replacement of Sebastian Vollmer and was solid.

Two words that come up in every Garcia scouting report? Athletic and nasty. That’s perfect Patriots pudding for an offensive linemen. The infusion of depth now that Vollmer has retired was much-needed and now it would appear that losing Solder to injury won’t necessary be the death sentence it was in 2015.

What’s most impressive about Garcia is how he played against the big schools, shutting down NFL-calibre pass rushers from Clemson (2016), Ohio State (2016), NC State (2015) and Wisconsin (2015).

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Patriots Draft DE Derek Rivers

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After a never-ending wait, the Patriots finally made their first selection of the 2017 NFL Draft taking Derek Rivers, a DE/OLB out of Youngstown State 83rd overall.

This fills what I considered their biggest need of draft — replacing Jamie Collins. Rivers isn’t quite the combine freak Collins was, but he’s not far behind. He played mostly as a hand-down left defensive end in college, but has the athleticism that he should be able to play in space a bit for the Pats.

And oh yeah, he’s a PASS RUSHER and who doesn’t love those? The front seven needed a bit of an athletic boost and that’s just what they’re getting from Rivers after some time to develop.

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