|
It amazes me how people discredit a team at the beginning of the season because they don't have a ton of great players. If one takes a look back at the 2003 NFL draft, the Patriots took a slew of players that have been huge parts of this season:
1st round:
Ty Warren, DL. Played in 13 games and helped solidify the defensive line, taking pressure off of Richard Seymour. 20 solo and 13 assisted tackles.
2nd round:
Eugene Wilson, CB. Played in all 16 games. 49 solo tackles and 4 INT.
3rd round:
Bethel Johnson, WR. Played in 15 games and ranked second in the entire NFL with a 28.2 kick return average.
4th round:
Dan Klecko, DT. Came off the bench and recorded 12 solo tackles.
The Patriots are proving, just like the Raiders in the opposite way, that good coaching and good scouting will beat a bunch of head cases, any day.
How often does a team get contributions the season following a draft with players from all four rounds? Not very often and that's what makes the Patriots a special team.
|