New England Patriots: Why Bill Belichick Deserves Draft Criticism

All self-respecting New England Patriots fans should go and buy a copy of The Blueprint by Christopher Price. It's an indulgent yet understated read which neatly recounts the transformation of the Patriots franchise from laughingstock in the 70s to the well-run, consistently successful organization of today.

Lionizing the work of ex-personnel manager Scott Pioli and head coach Bill Belichick, Price explains that the duo's clever management of both the salary cap and the draft process have rendered the Patriots almost immune to the cycles of victory and defeat suffered by most other teams in the era of collective bargaining and equality.

Other teams also deserve credit for creating stability and success for the long term—the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts immediately spring to mind, and arguments can be made for other franchises too. But Belichick has received more than his fair share of praise for building a winner through the draft, and there can be no argument that some of his initially eyebrow-raising selections—like Richard Seymour in 2001 and Logan Mankins in 2005—have gone on to form the bedrock of the dynasty years in New England.

The reputation of Belichick as a draft guru and a defensive mastermind came to mind as I started to pick over the bones of last Sunday's 34-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He is currently facing one of the greatest coaching challenges of his career: The Patriots rank dead last in total yards allowed on defense, and key rookie contributors from last season have gone backwards in their development (Devin McCourty, Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Spikes).

An analysis of the five drafts from 2006-2010 is revealing (let's ignore 2011, as it would be unreasonable to draw conclusions this early), as the Patriots have missed on many key selections on both sides of the ball. To borrow a phrase from Bill Parcells, if Belichick is allowed to shop for the groceries, then he should take the criticism if the meal he cooks with them disappoints. Let's take a look at each draft in turn.

2006

In a season where Tom Brady was desperately short on receiving options following the offseason losses of Deion Branch and David Givens, the second round selection of wideout Chad Jackson promised much and delivered nothing. For all his tangible athleticism, he struggled with the playbook and never featured prominently in his two seasons in New England. He now plays in the UFL for the Omaha Nighthawks.

Only fourth round kicker Stephen Gostowski remains on the current roster, and he has excelled as Adam Vinatieri's replacement. Undrafted rookie Pierre Woods spent five years in New England predominately as a special-teams contributor, and third-rounder David Thomas made a limited number of plays at the tight end spot before being traded in 2009 to the New Orleans Saints for a seventh round pick.

By far, the biggest disappointment of the 2006 draft was top selection Laurence Maroney, picked 21st overall. Maroney frustrated fans with his hesitancy in the backfield, attempting to dance his way to the end zone on every carry rather than lowering the pads and hitting the hole. A glimmer of hope was offered during the 2007 playoffs, when he ran with real purpose and racked up back-to-back 100 yard rushing games en route to the Super Bowl.

Such promise was short-lived, however, and in a career plagued with injury niggles, he flattered to deceive. Traded to the Denver Broncos in 2010, Maroney has made a poor impression with his new team on and off the field, where mediocre play and an arrest for weapons charges only confirms his bust status. Given that Belichick and Pioli could have selected DeAngelo Williams or Maurice Jones-Drew in the first round, the Maroney selection goes down as a big mistake.

Verdict: a poor draft, one of the worst of the Belichick era

2007

I'll start with a couple of caveats. First, the shallow pool of talent available in the 2007 draft meant that many teams came away from Radio City Music Hall in New York with a number of disappointing picks, even if a handful of gems could be found in the mid-to-late rounds.

Secondly, perhaps influenced by the scarcity of available talent, the Patriots dealt away second, fourth and seventh-round picks in trades for wide receivers Wes Welker and Randy Moss. The former is still with the team and is playing the best football of his career, while the latter rubber-stamped his future Hall of Fame entry with a record-breaking 2007 season, catching 23 touchdown passes from Tom Brady.

Of the team's draft-day selections, only first round pick Brandon Meriweather made the 53-man roster that year, who the Patriots recently cut ties with, having grown increasingly frustrated with his freelancing tendencies in the secondary. In many ways, the former Miami Hurricanes product resembles a similar story to that of Maroney, where natural athleticism failed to overcome a lack of technique for the basics of football.

Given that the two-time All-Pro linebacker Jon Beason was available and selected with the following pick in the draft by the Carolina Panthers, Belichick has to take the responsibility for poor decision-making.

Verdict: Free-agency acquisitions save this from being Belichick's worst-ever draft

2008

I'll leave it to the thousands of other blogs and articles out there to nail the Patriots for their actions leading to the Spygate scandal, but the price they paid in forfeiting their first round pick meant that selections such as DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles) or Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens) were never an option.

Due to their maneuvers elsewhere, the Patriots were able to salvage an otherwise terrible draft, selecting Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo 10th overall thanks to a previous deal to snag the San Francisco 49ers' first round pick. Mayo has been an ever-present in the middle of the defense from day one, whose lead-by-example style earned him team captain honors in 2010. Mayo is a solid defender with a deep understanding of the playbook, but has yet to consistently produce the big-play contributions expected of high draft picks such as Patrick Willis, as a comparison.

Terence Wheatley, a second round cornerback selection out of Colorado, was a disappointment who showed flashes of ability but struggled to stay healthy, Kevin O'Connell didn't pan out as the heir apparent to Tom Brady in the third round and fourth-rounder Jonathan Wilhite was released this offseason after struggling in his role as the nickel corner on a porous secondary.

As a contrast, two undrafted rookie free agents were selected in 2008 and are still on the team today. BenJarvus Green-Ellis is a hard-running tailback who rushed for 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, and inside linebacker Gary Guyton has seen plenty of action in sub-packages alongside Mayo.

Verdict: a mixed bag

2009

Patriots fans looking for an impact pass-rusher or a touted high draft pick were left feeling deflated by the 2009 draft, as Belichick traded further and further down the order, accumulating additional selections along the way. Passing on players such as Clay Matthews, Hakeem Nicks and Ziggy Hood, Belichick waited until the 34th selection before pulling the trigger on safety Patrick Chung from Oregon. Three more second-rounders followed in quick succession: defensive tackle Ron Brace, cornerback Darius Butler and previously unheard of offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer.

Chung and Vollmer have been starters for a good portion of their careers in New England and have largely impressed. Brace has struggled with injuries and has developed slowly; concerns that he struggles with technique are a worry, and he has been buried at the bottom of the defensive line rotation.

Butler, on the other hand, left college with a reputation for his athleticism from his days as a returner at UConn, but made mistakes in zone coverage and missed several assignments on the Patriots defensive play-calls before being cut after training camp this summer.

Elsewhere, sixth round defensive tackle Myron Pryor has excelled in a limited role when healthy, and Julian Edelman remains with the team at wide receiver despite limited opportunities to impress.

Verdict: average draft, with some contributions yet to fully mature

2010

With three second-round picks, the Patriots' draft ethos in recent times has resulted in the accumulation of multiple high picks, which cynics might argue has been essential given the hit-and-miss results of the selections made by the front office.

In 2010, Belichick struck gold with his first two picks. Cornerback Devin McCourty (Rutgers) went to the Pro Bowl and was named a second-team All-Pro, having made seven interceptions, one sack and two forced fumbles. Meanwhile, tight end Rob Gronkowski increasingly looks like the steal of the draft in the second round, a first-round talent who fell due to concerns over a back injury sustained in college.

In the fourth round, Aaron Hernandez is an explosive receiving option at tight end, and hopes are high for wideout Taylor Price, who has yet to contribute significantly but has been learning the system behind the scenes.

Back on defense, Florida Gators rookies Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Spikes were both heavily involved throughout the regular season, but have been disappointing considering their second round draft status. Solid, if unspectacular.

Verdict: Too early to conclude strongly, but this is shaping up to be one of the better drafts of the Belichick era. A sign of improvement? Is the influence of Floyd Reese beginning to make its mark?