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Pats Day Two Review.
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Pats Day Two Review.
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Day TwoBelichick Conference Call Day Two- Patriots.comThe depth of the Draft really ended in the Third Round. The Pats really showed this by trading up in the 5th Round for a Special Teams Prospect. Jonathon Wilhite is strictly a Nickel Corner prospect. Because of his size he is limited in the Starter realm. If everything goes right for Wilhite he will be a Nickel CB in the NFL for 10-12 years, like Ray Mickens. Matt Slater is an interesting player with a lot of versatility, but to think he has more then Special Teams value is silly. The same goes for Ruud, he will make this team as a Special Teams player only, thinking he could play Inside Linebacker for this defense next season is silly. "Well, I think his (Slater's) forte is in the kicking game and we will see how that develops." Belichick said at his Post Draft Press Conference. "But he does have flexibility; he has played on both sides of the ball so we will have to see how that goes. We listed him as a wide receiver but that may or may not end up being the way it is. We just have to see how it is. Again he is a smart kid. He’s fast. He’s tough. He handles the ball pretty well, as we’ve seen on kick returns, and tackles well, as he’s done on the coverage team, so we’ll see how it goes. Maybe a little bit of both. I don’t know." Gee Bill what position does he play? "I don't know". The whole Draft really fell off a cliff sometime during the 4th Round. The thing I like most about what the Pats did was that they drafted player who could make the transition to the NFL quicker then most other prospects. Crable is best friends with Pierre Woods, so he already has a place to crash near Foxboro, and someone to drag him into off season workouts. Both Slater and Ruud have fathers who played in the NFL, so they grew up around he NFL and understand what happens around an NFL more then most other players. "Well, I’m sure it’s helpful." Belichick responded when asked about Slater and Ruud's fathers. "Chris Long is another guy that has been through that. I think it’s helpful and there is certainly a lot more that haven’t had that than did. Having grown up in kind of a football family, a coach’s family, in my situation there are certainly things that you kind of learn and understand. Some of it is by osmosis." Ruud also has a brother in the NFL. So getting players who look like they can transition faster into the NFL was the number one priority on Day Two.
Unfortunately, they got the wrong Ruud. His brother was drafted in the Second Round a couple years ago, and I had the Pats taking Barrett in my Mock. There farther also played Linebacker at Nebraska, and in the NFL, so you know he has the genes. Bo had career 216 which puts him between his father 216, and his brother 432. This pick is a strict Special Teams pick, like Cory Alexander. He is and intelligent competitive player, Like Alexander. He works hard and has all the desire you want in a player, but he is limited athletically, like Alexander. He was good but not great college player, like Alexander. If he can work his way onto a team with exceptional Special Teams play, he has a chance to play a little in the base defense, like Alexander. He does have good instincts in the open field, and is a solid tackler. Not a good blitzer, but he looks fluid when he drops back into coverage. Can stay with Tight End in coverage, but doesn't have deep speed, so he will struggle against smaller faster guys. Suffered a knee injury and broke his arm late in the season, which may explain his drop down into the 6th Round. Of course in the end my opinion is meaningless. So lets find out what Belichick thinks, "And lastly, (Bo Ruud) we saw quite a bit of him through the years at [Nebraska], whether it was back when they had [Adam] Carriker and the two safeties, in watching [Zach] Bowman there this year, [or] last year the outside linebacker, Stewart [Bradley]. So they’ve had a lot of good defensive football players there at Nebraska and this is kind of a senior group and we’ve seen him for a couple of years. But he’s another guy that’s good-sized, runs well, and he’s a real competitive kid, smart kid and I think he has a little bit of position flexibility for us in the inside positions as well." Ruud's Conference call, Patriots.com: What
kind of contact did you have with the Patriots before the draft? Did you
get an inclination that they were interested? Did
you have face-to-face meeting with anyone from the Patriots? I know they
are big on doing black board stuff and testing defensive guys and that is
one of your strengths. Did they do any of that? How
do you think your skills translate into a 3-4 defense? You
mentioned earlier you have had conversations with the Patriots. What was
that like for you and whom did you get to talk to? How
big of a fan are you of watching film? Do
you think that is a byproduct of coming from a football family? Giving
your film study and preparation what do you think your skills bring to a
defense? Did
you have expectations this weekend of getting drafted? Not getting
drafted? What round you might go in? Courtesy: NU Media Relations Release: 07/03/2007: First-Team All-Big 12 (Coaches, 2006) Three-Time Honorable-Mention All-Big 12 (AP, 2005, 2006; Coaches, 2007) Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (vs. Missouri, 2006; vs. Maine, 2005) Nebraska LB Record for Tackles for Loss in a Game (5 vs. KSU) Nebraska Guy Chamberlin Trophy (2007) Two-Time Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2004, 2007) Two-Time Big 12 Commissioner’s Spring Academic Honor Roll (2004, 2006) Two-Time Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall Academic Honor Roll (2003, 2006) Table from NFL.COM:
I have been saying from day one, the Pats will not take a WR or a RB in this Draft. There is jus no room for them on the Roster, period. Slater was not drafted as a WR. He was drafted as a utility player. He was drafted as David Givens. Slater was a Special Teams maven at UCLA, like Givens. He was switched around from Safety to Wide Receiver, and was never able to make either his own, like Givens. He will make this team strictly as a Special Teams guy initially, if he makes it at all, just like David Givens. Plus, both Givens and Slater were expert Gunners in college, and played well in all Kicking situations. However, Givens was strictly a Safety at Notre Dame, and Slater played some CB at UCLA. Plus, Slater is an excellent Kick Returner (averaged 29 YPR) something Givens never did. Plus, he return 3 Kick-Offs for TDs, a school record, and though he didn't score, he also had 85 yard return against Washington and an 89 yard return against Arizona State. Slater understands he was drafted as a Special Team Maven, and not a WR, "For me, I’m willing to do whatever coach Belichick and his staff and the organization want me to do," Slater said during his conference call.." I’m just excited to have an opportunity to keep playing football. I don’t have a preference where I play; I just want to be able to help that football team out in whatever way possible. For me, it’s doing whatever it takes. Obviously, I look forward to contributing on special teams. That’s kind of where I made my mark at UCLA, so I know that will be probably my primary focus right away. Wherever they want to use me, I’m flexible, I don’t mind, I’m just ready to work hard for this organization and continue to the great reputation they have around the league for being one of the best teams in the league." This is a guy who could become a fan favorite very quickly. His effort and love of the game is something the Pats look for in players, and Slater certainly has that, "For me, the mindset is relentless effort," Slater said. "You go out there and it’s a fight; it’s a battle every play down there. But you have to have the desire to get down there, the “want-to” to get down there and make a play. For me, it just comes from the love of the game I have that’s been passed on from my dad. I’m just trying to get down there and I want to be the guy to make the tackle every time. I want to be right on the ball, out there having fun with my teammates, and realizing that that’s a very important part of the game. That’s a part of the game that often goes overlooked at the high school and college level, but it can really help you win and lose ball games, so I take this very seriously." Okay, I'm glad he taking this seriously, because he is going to need to. Just ask Belichick, "We picked up [Matthew] Slater. That was the fifth round where I think we moved up to get Slater, traded up for him. He’s been a very productive special teams player. High-quality, great character kid, comes from, obviously, a good family." Well that's nice Bill, but where are you going to play him? "Well, I think his forte is in the kicking game and we will see how that develops. But he does have flexibility; he has played on both sides of the ball so we will have to see how that goes. We listed him as a wide receiver but that may or may not end up being the way it is. We just have to see how it is. Again he is a smart kid. He’s fast. He’s tough. He handles the ball pretty well, as we’ve seen on kick returns, and tackles well, as he’s done on the coverage team, so we’ll see how it goes. Maybe a little bit of both. I don’t know?" Table from NFL.COM:
Wilhite started at Auburn as a JuCo transfer. He played his Freshman year at Butler Community College, where he Garnered 33 Tackles and 3 INTs. He was a National Junior College All-American team, and a J.C. Grid Wire Honorable Mention. He was considered to be the top JUCO Cornerback when he transferred to Auburn as a Sophomore. In 2005, he played in all 12 games, and started 7. He had 5 PBU in the last seven games of the season, all of which he started. He garnered 47 Tackles, 7PBU, 1 INT. Was named Coaches' Defensive Player of the Week against Kentucky. Started in 10 of 13 games. He garnered 24 Tackles, 5 PBU, 1 FF. Last season, he really struggled with a Hamstring pull, yet still started 6 of 12 Games. He Garnered 30 Tackles, 2 PBU, 2 INTs, 1 Sack, and 1 FR. Wilhite was an excellent player in college, who suffered from bad hands and some injuries. Played a lot in the Slot as a Nickel-Back. Has great short area quickness, which he really uses to his advantage in the slot. He is small, but tough. Has fluid hips and can really twist in transition and not loss a step, on the NFL.com Video you can really see him twist his hip and turn and run in the Backpedal Drill. He plays the ball well in the air, but can't catch. He had only 3 INTs at Auburn. He comes with some risk, hands, size, and injuries. But he has the hips, quickness, and ball skills to develop into an excellent Nickel-Corner. Belichick certainly scouted him hard. "[Jonathan] Wilhite is a kid we saw at Auburn in the spring. Actually, Nick [Caserio], Scott [Pioli], and I, Dean [Pees], we were all there. The guy has had good production in the kicking game, good production defensively. [He was] really a three-year starter down there, other than a few games he missed here and there, but he’s been a pretty durable, productive kid. It goes with [Terrence] Wheatley; I think there are similarities between those two players." He holds a lot of value on Special Teams, but unlike Ruud and Slater, he was not drafted as a Special Teams player. He was drafted to cover in the slot. Table from NFL.COM:
Interview before the Draft, from NFL.COM: Growing up, who was your favorite NFL player and why? Deion Sanders because of his ball hawking skills. In college, what player hit you the hardest? Who was the recipient of your best hit? Joseph Addai What TV-show marathon will keep you on the couch all day? The First 48, Sanford and Son, Run's House What are the five most-played songs in your iPod? What's the one song you hope nobody ever finds out is in your iPod? Lil Foxx; Boosie; Webbie; 50 Cent; Kanye West What are the five most-played songs in your iPod? What's the one song you hope nobody ever finds out is in your iPod? Lil Foxx; Boosie; Webbie; 50 Cent; Kanye West; I hope no one finds Phil Collins What are the five most-played songs in your iPod? What's the one song you hope nobody ever finds out is in your iPod? Lil Foxx; What are the five most-played songs in your iPod? What's the one song you hope nobody ever finds out is in your iPod? Lil Foxx; Boosie; Webbie; 50 Cent; Kanye West; I hope no one finds Phil Collins What are the five most-played songs in your iPod? What's the one song you hope nobody ever finds out is in your iPod? Lil Foxx; Boosie; Webbie; 50 Cent; Kanye West; I hope no one finds Phil Collins What celebrity would play you in the movie version of your life and why? Omar Epps because there are lots of struggles, ups and downs. What is one thing your teammates don't know about you? That I know the Bible well. What's your proudest moment in football? Proudest moment off the field? My first interception; My first start LSU. What's your proudest moment in football? Proudest moment off the field? My first interception; My first start LSU. When you play Madden, what team do you use? Do you put yourself on the team? I play with them all. I usually pick an underdog. Who has been the biggest influence on your football career and how? My oldest brother.
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