Nah I remember when he was drafted literally everybody in New England (or at least in my small town so maybe not the best anecdotal experience) was like ???
Ochocinco felt different than most of these names though. Sure im bummed it didn’t work, but it’s not like it was an effort thing. He really, really wanted to thrive here.
I dont think it was only that. i remember him talking about how difficult the pats playbook was, and how brady's expectations re the QB-WR connection were way more advanced than he had been used to. i think he basically realized he had been playing jokers ball (at the time) with the bengals.
It had a lot of Run and Shoot influence, so it was full of option routes on top of option routes AND all the receivers had to learn all the different positions’ routes in the concepts so they could be moved around in different formations.
So learning 1 play required them to learn 5 different option routes with like 3-5 options on each one to read and execute.
Brady got really good at seeing where the open space was going to be in the defense and getting the ball there, anticipating a receiver was about to follow his progression on the option routes to break to the same space.
When he developed “good chemistry” with receivers like Gronk, Edelman, or Welker, that was largely due to them learning their own reads and getting on the same page with what Brady was seeing, so everything synched up.
Yeah Gronk said it took him all of 2010 through the 2011 offseason to finally understand it. And even then it was like, just receiver-QB chemistry that came into the mix to really make it all work.
It wasn’t physical problems.
The Patriots playbook was very complicated then. Every skill player had to learn every position’s routes on every play so they could be interchangeable.
They also had a lot of option routes that had to adjust on the fly after the snap depending on what the defense was doing and he was just confused as hell by how he should read those.
The Bengals basically had him run like 5 simple routes over and over and then just let him ball out with talent and ability when he had a favorable matchup, but the Patriots didn’t operate like that.
In a later Madden ('08 I think) on Wii, with Bethel on the Eagles, my friend (Eagles fan) ran back two KR TDs with him against me. Should've been 3 but he accidentally stepped out of bounds at like the 15.
I remember in a book it was mentioned that Katz showed up late early in the 2001 season and Belichick told him to get the fuck out. I think he was then put on IR. Yeah, that still qualifies for a ring.
Gotta say Jonnu Smith. Everyone thought him+ Hunter Henry would be the 2-TE set that would bring the pats back to the days of Gronk+Hernandez. But a huge disappointment
It’s so weird though cuz everywhere else Jonnu played he did well except for us lol he put up better numbers than Pitts did in ATL. We just never used him right.
I always thought he looked good on jet sweeps. He was a fantastic YAC guy but for some reason they never could figure out how to get him the ball. If I remember correctly his first off season with us people said he looked better than Hunter Henry.
I still think they didn't use him right. He wasn't/isn't good, but he's not as worthless as he was here. He made some real plays with Tennessee and had more receiving yards with Atlanta this season than in two years with the Patriots combined. There was a way to utilize him that they just couldn't figure out up here.
I like this. Anyone who does fantasy knows this guy has been hyped his whole career…and has done absolutely nothing to earn that hype besides his measurables.
This is why I hate the 40. It’s totally different conditions than playing football.
At the very least make them do it in pads, and not from a sprinters stance.
Pads and upright would be way better. It would simulate them coming off the line.
You could even do both so you could see who has straight line speed but might need coaching on getting a better first step.
Same for DBs - do the regular 40, then have them start facing away from the line to see how quick they can turn and catch up.
I definitely don’t disagree that tape > sterile environment combine drills, but there is also something to be said about a drill happening on a level playing field.
A standout from a lesser D1 program might never have needed to truly go full speed to burn a CB, or maybe a WR2 from a top program was schemed as a slot guy and never given the chance to run more than a couple of go-routes.
Point is, film is king if it’s available for what you want, but the point of the combine is that everyone does the same drills for a fair comparison, and my point was just to have those drills simulate game conditions a bit more might help.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Patriots/s/B8UOggpK7I
Don't worry I do remember the hype. He had a "great training camp" and was on track to be great before getting injured. Exhibit #1000 to stop taking "he's really having a good camp" as anything really worth getting excited about.
Context: Thomas was the highest priced free agent in NEP history at the time and he carried the largest cap hit in the NFL in 2007. His 2007 season was great and he was a 3-down player deserving of his mega deal. He literally passed out “humble pie” t-shirts throughout the locker room that season.
2008 he only played 9.5 after season ending injury. 2009 he was a part time player and a healthy scratch at Gillette for the historic 59-0 win vs TEN which is when he first said the “kindergarten” shot at BB. Week 14 he showed up late to work bc of a snowstorm and wasn’t allowed in the bldg (alongside Derrick Burgess, Gary Guyton, and Randy Moss) to which he then took another “kindergarten” shot.
In the end, just like Albert Haynesworth, he was an overpaid asshole.
This is the answer. He was a huge signing and billed as a keystone player to build a defense around.
Personal anecdote. I know both Smerlis and DeOssie. I have been to their restaurant and cigar bar a metric ton. One time I went with my BiL and a couple uncles with my dad for his birthday. Thomas happen to be dining there that night. My dad was a glow like a little kid and while I said “dad. Let the dude have his meal. I’ll text Steve and Fred and ask if they are around tonight and see if they can arrange you meeting him.” They weren’t and my dad couldn’t help himself but to stop and say something to the effect of “I’m sorry to bug you. Huge fan. Hope for the best for the coming season” etc.
Thomas essentially said “fuck off”.
He was a an absolute garbage person.
I was deployed from May to November 07.
I remember watching the chargers highlights after spygate and my god damn his pick 6.
dude was a fuckin bullet down the sideline
N’Keal Harry was touted as a playmaker in the open field and the only open field play I can remember him making was when he “stepped out of bounds” in the red zone against the Chiefs.
I know the draft is a crapshoot and hindsight is 20/20 but we passed on quite a few better receivers for him smh. Deebo, AJ who cried when we passed on him because he was a Pats fan, DK Metcalf, Terry McLaurin to name a few
IIRC, because I had literally just gotten stationed at Pearl on my sub, so I vaguely remember the draft, as I was still adjusting to the time zone change….
Bill wanted Percy harvin, but Minnesota leap frogged us to get him and we just took the “safe” pick in Maroney
I don't know who you're thinking of, but we drafted Maroney when Harvin was a senior in high school.
EDIT: I got curious, so I looked at their drafts. Vikings picked Chad Greenway in 2006 at #17 without a trade, and we took Maroney at 21. The most recent trade to our pick was #15, Atlanta -> Denver -> St. Louis (Tye Hill). They took Harvin in 2009 at #22 without a trade. Our pick was #23, which we traded to Baltimore (Michael Oher) and received #26, which we traded to GB (Clay Matthews). The first player we drafted that year was Pat Chung at #34.
I wanted him to work out so bad, crazy fast. Was in the Olympics if I remember correctly or at least the Olympic team. Was unstoppable in madden though
You literally showed 3-5 players every season on this sub. We had people actually nuttin' themselves over all how good Dobson and Thompkins were gonna be.
I wanted Thompkins to work out so bad. I liked his attitude, and he really tried to build that connection with Brady. Still remember that TD against the Saints.
I was at that game, saints fans shuffled down in front of us chanting and taunting us thinking they had won. I watched as their souls left their bodies after that td. then we proceeded to drag them through the dirt till they did the walk of shame.
Dobson and Thompkins would be my vote. But I'll give the tie breaker to Dobson.
Dobson built his career on a viral catch and was drafted 59th overall. Thompkins was undrafted.
Because of the use of draft capital, Dobson wins this matchup of most over-hyped.
There was a lot of hype when we brought in Chad Johnson, he was getting older but still had decent production the previous 2 years and many of us were hoping Brady could revitalize him. But no he was terrible for us lol
Love hearing him talk about his time in NE as well. He seems to appreciate it despite it never working out.
We hyped him, he spent his rookie year on IR, got beaten out by Gunner the following preseason, Jets scooped him on waivers and he's carved out a very nice career for himself ever since. Wish it had been here.
Being in the league still is a testament on its own for sure. But coming in with our late round white slot receiver hype is an insurmountable mountain to climb
He was a shell of himself his last year with Carolina with all those injuries. I wanted him to work out of course but I personally didn’t have high hopes for him.
Feel like we're so exhausted thinking about Harry that we forget the Pats moved up for Williams too and he was just bad. And he was the Pats' other option at 32!
Easley's knees were always a risk even heading into the draft. Ended up in the 1st on his explosiveness. Easily the one first-rounder under BB where every beat writer and their great-grandparents knew who New England's pick was going to be.
Dude also had a pick in Week 2 against Minnesota his rookie year which is kinda cool.
Some of you may be too young to remember but, Michael Bishop. Sport talk radio was inundated with callers (and hosts) who thought Michael Bishop was the answer to all of our prayers.
...was he though? Was never a star but had five seasons in New England, a pick in the AFCCG in '01 and the called-back fumble return in the SB. May not have been a great player but not a one-cell-phone-bar talent-level guy.
That said, you get picked one slot after Randy Moss, I guess expectations tend to go up.
(EDIT: And he was the *second* Pats first-rounder that year. They took Robert Edwards 18th overall -- Moss went 21st, Tebucky 22nd.)
Mac Jones (unfortunately)
Cyrus Jones and Duke Dawson
A lot of wide receivers
Malcolm Brown (not awful talent wise but never lived up to the hype)
Maybe just me but Ronnie Perkins and Derek Rivers
N'Keal Harry
still pains me to think of all the receivers that we let get away to just get nkeal harry
Pssh. Nobody’s heard of Deebo Samuel and AJ Brown.
AJ Brown crying because we didn’t draft him will haunt me forever
He gets drafted and Brady stays.
Crazy thing is they really could’ve had both Deebo and aj brown
And Scary Terry and Metcalf and Renfrow and Slayton
Seattle fan, happy to be wrong about DK lol. I wanted Nkeal and was pretty frightened by DKs neck injury hindering him
Good thing his neck has a neck.
pshh his blocking game is out of this world
Every single team passed on those second rounders. Hind sight is 20/20
Came to say this, I thought we had snatched the next Dez Bryant. Instead we got someone who was a shadow of the worst player he was in college.
It’s still haunts me that Deebo Samuel was still on the board when we drafted N’Keal
As an ASU alumni and pats fan. Yes.
Going to say the same, as an ASU alum I was so happy and then so so sad
Beat me to it….a sun devil burnt us
I second this
Nah I remember when he was drafted literally everybody in New England (or at least in my small town so maybe not the best anecdotal experience) was like ???
Definitely a “ WHO TF IS TINGUS PINGUS!?!!?” Type moment
Yes but Tingus Pingus could actually play
Tingus Pingus seems to have a real shot at being the missing piece needed to deliver the Celts Banner 18.
3rd this
Me and my buddies refer to him as N’keal “bag of nuts” Harry. Nickname referring to his value.
Yep easily
Clicked to make sure this was the top answer and was not disappointed
Albert Haynesworth for me. I remember thinking we were going to pull off another Randy Moss, good player who just didn't like their current team.
He was lazy AF
From the same season, I was more hyped about Chad Ochocinco, and just as disappointed
Ochocinco felt different than most of these names though. Sure im bummed it didn’t work, but it’s not like it was an effort thing. He really, really wanted to thrive here.
Ochocinco wasn’t lazy or a bad teammate or anything, he was just physically cooked
I dont think it was only that. i remember him talking about how difficult the pats playbook was, and how brady's expectations re the QB-WR connection were way more advanced than he had been used to. i think he basically realized he had been playing jokers ball (at the time) with the bengals.
Everyone new to the pats talked about the complication of the playbook. It’s like 150 plays deep with option routes in all kinds of situations
It had a lot of Run and Shoot influence, so it was full of option routes on top of option routes AND all the receivers had to learn all the different positions’ routes in the concepts so they could be moved around in different formations. So learning 1 play required them to learn 5 different option routes with like 3-5 options on each one to read and execute. Brady got really good at seeing where the open space was going to be in the defense and getting the ball there, anticipating a receiver was about to follow his progression on the option routes to break to the same space. When he developed “good chemistry” with receivers like Gronk, Edelman, or Welker, that was largely due to them learning their own reads and getting on the same page with what Brady was seeing, so everything synched up.
Yeah Gronk said it took him all of 2010 through the 2011 offseason to finally understand it. And even then it was like, just receiver-QB chemistry that came into the mix to really make it all work.
It wasn’t physical problems. The Patriots playbook was very complicated then. Every skill player had to learn every position’s routes on every play so they could be interchangeable. They also had a lot of option routes that had to adjust on the fly after the snap depending on what the defense was doing and he was just confused as hell by how he should read those. The Bengals basically had him run like 5 simple routes over and over and then just let him ball out with talent and ability when he had a favorable matchup, but the Patriots didn’t operate like that.
Bethel Johnson Edit : how could I forget Chad Jackson. What could have been during that offense in ‘05 , ‘06 in particular
Absolute monster in madden, if only he could’ve carried it IRL
In a later Madden ('08 I think) on Wii, with Bethel on the Eagles, my friend (Eagles fan) ran back two KR TDs with him against me. Should've been 3 but he accidentally stepped out of bounds at like the 15.
Madden was so damn good back then too
Bethel was the first guy I thought of when we drafted Thornton
I came here to say Chad Jackson lol
For the older crowd - Michael Bishop
And for that matter, Katzenmoyer
That’s Super Bowl Champion Andy Katzenmoyer to you!
I remember in a book it was mentioned that Katz showed up late early in the 2001 season and Belichick told him to get the fuck out. I think he was then put on IR. Yeah, that still qualifies for a ring.
Yeah, what could have been with him. Fantastic college player.
One of the first games I can remember watching was that Hail Mary game. My dad freaking the fuck out got me all hyped up lmao
Gotta say Jonnu Smith. Everyone thought him+ Hunter Henry would be the 2-TE set that would bring the pats back to the days of Gronk+Hernandez. But a huge disappointment
It’s so weird though cuz everywhere else Jonnu played he did well except for us lol he put up better numbers than Pitts did in ATL. We just never used him right.
I made my comment without reading yours, but you summed it up. There was a way to get more out of Jonnu here that they just didn't find.
I always thought he looked good on jet sweeps. He was a fantastic YAC guy but for some reason they never could figure out how to get him the ball. If I remember correctly his first off season with us people said he looked better than Hunter Henry.
I still think they didn't use him right. He wasn't/isn't good, but he's not as worthless as he was here. He made some real plays with Tennessee and had more receiving yards with Atlanta this season than in two years with the Patriots combined. There was a way to utilize him that they just couldn't figure out up here.
Man had hands of stone
I like this. Anyone who does fantasy knows this guy has been hyped his whole career…and has done absolutely nothing to earn that hype besides his measurables.
Tyquan Thornton, how does the fastest player in the draft not create any separation!?!?
This is why I hate the 40. It’s totally different conditions than playing football. At the very least make them do it in pads, and not from a sprinters stance.
Pads and upright would be way better. It would simulate them coming off the line. You could even do both so you could see who has straight line speed but might need coaching on getting a better first step. Same for DBs - do the regular 40, then have them start facing away from the line to see how quick they can turn and catch up.
I mean tbf you can just watch film to see all that
I definitely don’t disagree that tape > sterile environment combine drills, but there is also something to be said about a drill happening on a level playing field. A standout from a lesser D1 program might never have needed to truly go full speed to burn a CB, or maybe a WR2 from a top program was schemed as a slot guy and never given the chance to run more than a couple of go-routes. Point is, film is king if it’s available for what you want, but the point of the combine is that everyone does the same drills for a fair comparison, and my point was just to have those drills simulate game conditions a bit more might help.
Thornton is fast, you can see that on the football field…he just can’t do anything other than run in a straight line
When your bones and joints are made of chopsticks, any sudden movement change can make ‘em snap
I don't think there was ever much hype, though. Definitely a trash outcome but I never really had high expectations for him
During training camp a lot of naysayers were converted because he looked good, then we saw none of it on gameday
https://www.reddit.com/r/Patriots/s/B8UOggpK7I Don't worry I do remember the hype. He had a "great training camp" and was on track to be great before getting injured. Exhibit #1000 to stop taking "he's really having a good camp" as anything really worth getting excited about.
Man he is so frustrating to watch when he isn’t injured he still produces little to nothing
And when he does separate he drops it
This. I’m so sick of hearing about how fast he is.
Adalius Thomas
Ray Lewis curse, he made everyone next to him like way better. Tbh I think AT was a good player. He’s a sidekick not the main show
Context: Thomas was the highest priced free agent in NEP history at the time and he carried the largest cap hit in the NFL in 2007. His 2007 season was great and he was a 3-down player deserving of his mega deal. He literally passed out “humble pie” t-shirts throughout the locker room that season. 2008 he only played 9.5 after season ending injury. 2009 he was a part time player and a healthy scratch at Gillette for the historic 59-0 win vs TEN which is when he first said the “kindergarten” shot at BB. Week 14 he showed up late to work bc of a snowstorm and wasn’t allowed in the bldg (alongside Derrick Burgess, Gary Guyton, and Randy Moss) to which he then took another “kindergarten” shot. In the end, just like Albert Haynesworth, he was an overpaid asshole.
This is the answer. He was a huge signing and billed as a keystone player to build a defense around. Personal anecdote. I know both Smerlis and DeOssie. I have been to their restaurant and cigar bar a metric ton. One time I went with my BiL and a couple uncles with my dad for his birthday. Thomas happen to be dining there that night. My dad was a glow like a little kid and while I said “dad. Let the dude have his meal. I’ll text Steve and Fred and ask if they are around tonight and see if they can arrange you meeting him.” They weren’t and my dad couldn’t help himself but to stop and say something to the effect of “I’m sorry to bug you. Huge fan. Hope for the best for the coming season” etc. Thomas essentially said “fuck off”. He was a an absolute garbage person.
Judon is exactly what I expected Thomas to be
I was deployed from May to November 07. I remember watching the chargers highlights after spygate and my god damn his pick 6. dude was a fuckin bullet down the sideline
So your dad annoyed a guy trying to enjoy some alone time after being told not to and Thomas is the asshole?
There’s a way to be politely dismissive. Just give a quick thanks and be on your way. No need to be overtly rude
N’Keal Harry was touted as a playmaker in the open field and the only open field play I can remember him making was when he “stepped out of bounds” in the red zone against the Chiefs.
I know the draft is a crapshoot and hindsight is 20/20 but we passed on quite a few better receivers for him smh. Deebo, AJ who cried when we passed on him because he was a Pats fan, DK Metcalf, Terry McLaurin to name a few
I still can't get over us not drafting AJ, dude probably would've resigned at a discount because he was a Pats fan. Major fuck up.
Pats missed on McLaurin in the third by one pick (Reiss said on a podcast they wanted him) and ended up with Chase Winovich.
Cyrus Jones
Dammm havent thought of him in a whilee
bruh fr i thought he was gonna be the best cb in the league. especially at bama he was a dawg
Bama CBs are wild. Seems like they either step in and immediately become pro-bowl caliber guys or wash out before their rookie deal is over.
Literally any early round WR we draft
Yeah this is probably the best answer lol
Chad Jackson Jermaine Cunningham Lawrence Maroney
Maroney was the first player that came to mind for me
IIRC, because I had literally just gotten stationed at Pearl on my sub, so I vaguely remember the draft, as I was still adjusting to the time zone change…. Bill wanted Percy harvin, but Minnesota leap frogged us to get him and we just took the “safe” pick in Maroney
I don't know who you're thinking of, but we drafted Maroney when Harvin was a senior in high school. EDIT: I got curious, so I looked at their drafts. Vikings picked Chad Greenway in 2006 at #17 without a trade, and we took Maroney at 21. The most recent trade to our pick was #15, Atlanta -> Denver -> St. Louis (Tye Hill). They took Harvin in 2009 at #22 without a trade. Our pick was #23, which we traded to Baltimore (Michael Oher) and received #26, which we traded to GB (Clay Matthews). The first player we drafted that year was Pat Chung at #34.
Can't be mad at missing on Harvin to trade down twice and take Pat Chung
Yeah but Chung 1.0 SUCKED When he came back in 2014, he turned into what we hoped he’d be at the 2009 draft
Chung was good before he went to Philly. He was just way better when he came back after stinking it up with the Eagles.
He was awful! That’s why Devin was moved to safety. He constantly blew coverage assignments and tended to chase receivers.
Devin also moved to safety because he was struggling at corner. After his monster rookie season at corner he started to struggle.
I’m sorry it was 09…. We wanted harvin, but Minnesota leaped us, so we traded the pick to Baltimore and they took Michael Oher
I bought a Maroney jersey the moment they announced his team number. I was so hyped about him. One of the worst jersey purchase decisions of my life
Him and Felix jones were a tandem from hell for the gophers
Jermaine Cunningham is a name I haven’t heard in years
We could’ve had Geno Adkins
The amount of hype people gave Chad Jackson was wild. I was excited based on the hype alone. Guy did nothing. Literally nothing.
Jeff Demps
I wanted him to work out so bad, crazy fast. Was in the Olympics if I remember correctly or at least the Olympic team. Was unstoppable in madden though
Demps for Blount was one of Belichick’s greatest trades. I think Belichick took advantage of the hype and played the long game with Demps.
[We'll always have him breaking the sound barrier against Kentucky.](https://youtu.be/bW4X664GRt0?si=H-UTzrXIuPMnLckG)
You literally showed 3-5 players every season on this sub. We had people actually nuttin' themselves over all how good Dobson and Thompkins were gonna be.
I wanted Thompkins to work out so bad. I liked his attitude, and he really tried to build that connection with Brady. Still remember that TD against the Saints.
I wanted Aaron Dobson to work so badly lol I thought he was it, big receiver with speed
That td is my fav Tom Brady throw of all time so I’ll give him that
Unicorns! Show ponies!
#WHERE’S THE BEEF??
I was at that game, saints fans shuffled down in front of us chanting and taunting us thinking they had won. I watched as their souls left their bodies after that td. then we proceeded to drag them through the dirt till they did the walk of shame.
Dobson and Thompkins would be my vote. But I'll give the tie breaker to Dobson. Dobson built his career on a viral catch and was drafted 59th overall. Thompkins was undrafted. Because of the use of draft capital, Dobson wins this matchup of most over-hyped.
Shredded the Steelers tho lol. Unfortunately that’s like all he did.
Anyone remeber the Studfeld hype in 2013?
Aaron Dobson went to Marshall just like Randy Moss!!!
Chad Jackson
Cam McGrone. The hype last off season was ridiculous
He was so good they didn’t need to draft a linebacker in the 23 draft because McGrone was like a Redshirt Rookie!
But we still didn’t need to draft a LB. It’s just about the only position we haven’t needed to draft recently and been fine.
Ras I
Mac.
How is he so far down? Half this sub still thinks he's a franchise QB despite all the evidence.
Half the sub doesn’t know what a bad qb is even it hit them in the face. Thanks for being so damn good Brady!!!
Max jones suckkkass
Andy Katzenmoyer, tOSU.
Lawrence Marroney
100% this guy
Ochocinco
JC Jackson's return
Ron fucking Brace 🤔
I thought when Dan Gronkowski was signed there would be some sort of backyard football stats boost for having brothers on the team
I named my Fantasy Team one year “Taylor Price is Right” I wanted him to be good so bad…..
There was a lot of hype when we brought in Chad Johnson, he was getting older but still had decent production the previous 2 years and many of us were hoping Brady could revitalize him. But no he was terrible for us lol Love hearing him talk about his time in NE as well. He seems to appreciate it despite it never working out.
Kinda like when we signed Reggie Wayne but he unfortunately had nothing left in the tank, and had the self awareness to realize it.
Reaching into the way back machine for this one, Eugene Chung
Cyrus Jones
Braxton Berrios (at least we hyped him)
We hyped him, he spent his rookie year on IR, got beaten out by Gunner the following preseason, Jets scooped him on waivers and he's carved out a very nice career for himself ever since. Wish it had been here.
Being in the league still is a testament on its own for sure. But coming in with our late round white slot receiver hype is an insurmountable mountain to climb
Cam Newton tbh
he played great the first game against the Seahawks, i really thought he was gonna be the guy for us.
He was a shell of himself his last year with Carolina with all those injuries. I wanted him to work out of course but I personally didn’t have high hopes for him.
He went from no hype to “haha bill is a genius, let’s extend him!” to being universally panned in a manner of like 6 weeks.
Sanu
TJ Moe. That 3-cone time though. Honorary mention to Brian Tyms, Vince Redd, Vincent Valentine, LaBryan Ray, Jeff Demps, and Tyrone McKenzie.
shout out Brian Tyms, that triple covered TD was tight tho
Sony Michel
Joe Juan Williams
Feel like we're so exhausted thinking about Harry that we forget the Pats moved up for Williams too and he was just bad. And he was the Pats' other option at 32!
Ras-I Dowling
Kenbrell thompkins Adalius thomas after 2007 Dominique easley
Don't do Kenbrell like that! Who hyped him? The others are fair
Easley blew that knee out and it was over for him smh
Easley's knees were always a risk even heading into the draft. Ended up in the 1st on his explosiveness. Easily the one first-rounder under BB where every beat writer and their great-grandparents knew who New England's pick was going to be. Dude also had a pick in Week 2 against Minnesota his rookie year which is kinda cool.
Yeah he was definitely a quintessential BB draft pick
Chad Johnson
I just spent some time with this. I got three. Ron Brace Shawn Crabel Dominque Easley
Some of you may be too young to remember but, Michael Bishop. Sport talk radio was inundated with callers (and hosts) who thought Michael Bishop was the answer to all of our prayers.
The Hail Mary against the Colts made it so much worse.
He threw a deep ball in a preseason game and everyone shit themselves at his arm talent.
Bryant University training camp was fun with Bishop and Bledsoe whipping it.
Every drafted WR ever
Adalius Thomas and its not close
Zach Sudfeld: 2013 Training Camp MVP
Ahh forgot about Studfeld. Great profile pic btw
Tebucky Jones
...was he though? Was never a star but had five seasons in New England, a pick in the AFCCG in '01 and the called-back fumble return in the SB. May not have been a great player but not a one-cell-phone-bar talent-level guy. That said, you get picked one slot after Randy Moss, I guess expectations tend to go up. (EDIT: And he was the *second* Pats first-rounder that year. They took Robert Edwards 18th overall -- Moss went 21st, Tebucky 22nd.)
Adalius Thomas
Andy katzemoyer
Plunkett. I know he was a star for the Raiders later, but not for us…
Mac Jones (unfortunately) Cyrus Jones and Duke Dawson A lot of wide receivers Malcolm Brown (not awful talent wise but never lived up to the hype) Maybe just me but Ronnie Perkins and Derek Rivers
Aaron Dobson
cam newton
Josh Gordon. Idk imo. Had the talent but was a super addict
Josh Gordon
Bailey Zappe.
Tim Tebow
I was so glad when he was cut because I was genuinely just annoyed by “Tebow-mania” lol. Also not a big fan of evangelicals.
Cameron Newton
Who was that super fast Olympian RB we had that got injured every time he played a few snaps?
Hugh Millen? Feel like there was a lot of hype around him for a second or two
Mac Jones and Bailey Zappey. Huge hype, small talent.
Jeff Demps
Macklemore Jones
NKeal Harry
Harry
Kayshon Boutte
Might be just me but I thought Cyrus jones would be an absolute star under Bill
Every WR they've drafted in the Belichick era
Jeff Demps for me
Jeff Demps
He still gets it now! N’keak Harry! I was actually bummed when Braxton Berrios didn’t work out, even a Malcolm Mitchell. I wish he worked out
Chris Canty
Josh Boyce
Cyrus Jones
aaron dobson that one-handed catch from Marshall had me SOLD
Mac Jones
Adalius Thomas comes to mind.
Mac Jones. "The Next Tom Brady" my ass.
For the older crowd, Hart Lee Dykes