BLAST from the PAST
Like 2007, Patriots loading up but not through the draft
The Patriots’ high-octane offseason has been strikingly similar to their preparations for the 2007 season.
A full decade later, they’ve worked to amass a roster that could find even more success than the prior incarnation’s historically disappointing chase for perfection. The Pats have used an abundance of assets, whether it was a chunk of draft capital or their $65 million in salary cap space, to add star power, fill key roles with veterans and re-sign integral leaders.
And like 2007, the perceived success of this year’s draft for the Pats will primarily be linked to the performance of their trade acquisitions. Hit the rewind button, and it shows that a decade ago, the Patriots whiffed on all eight picks from the fourth to seventh round, while first-round safety Brandon Meriweather offered minimal returns in his own right.
However, they acquired slot receiver Wes Welker from the Dolphins for second- and seventhround picks and secured wide receiver Randy Moss from the Raiders for a fourth-rounder. So while the 2007 rookie class was a disaster, coach Bill Belichick still made good use of his draft assets.
The present-day Patriots are currently stocked with six picks this weekend, unless of course they trade cornerback Malcolm Butler or quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. That’s because they traded a first- and third-rounder for Saints speed receiver Brandin Cooks (and a fourth-rounder), a second-rounder for Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy and a fourth-rounder for Colts tight end Dwayne Allen (and a sixth-rounder). They surrendered a fifthrounder to the Bills when Buffalo declined to match the offer sheet on running back Mike Gillislee yesterday. The Pats also wheeled three of their 2017 picks in prior seasons for tight end Michael Williams, defensive end Barkevious Mingo and linebacker Kyle Van Noy.
The parallels between 2007 and 2017 don’t end there as it relates to the way the Patriots opted for veteran acquisitions to construct their roster. Ten years ago, they signed linebacker Adalius Thomas to a five-year, $35 million contract that caused Belichick to make a crack about a Brink’s truck. And last month, the Pats landed cornerback Stephon Gilmore with a five-year, $65 million deal that is the most lucrative pact they’ve ever handed to a defensive player.
In 2007, the Patriots also solidified the receiving corps with Donte Stallworth. This offseason, they’ve shored up areas of the depth chart with outside additions like defensive lineman Lawrence Guy and running back Rex Burkhead. The past squad then made moves to retain key vets such as wideout Troy Brown, defensive lineman Ty Warren and cornerbacks Asante Samuel and Randall Gay.
That mirrors the way they’ve recently worked to keep linebacker Dont’a Hightower, safety Duron Harmon, defensive tackle Alan Branch and slot receiver Danny Amendola. (And in another bizarre and completely unrelated similarity, assistant coach Brian Daboll departed in the 2007 offseason just like he did a couple months ago.)
The Patriots had ample cap space in both offseasons but drew different forms of motivation to load up. The 2006 Pats were coming off a collapse in the AFC Championship Game against the Colts and sorely needed to restock their wide receivers. Of course, the 2016 Patriots won Super Bowl LI, and they’ve now got a chance to win a third title in four years for the second time. Heck, maybe they even run the table to make up for the most brutal loss in franchise
history a decade earlier.
Aside from the receivers, the Patriots added Thomas to a stacked group of linebackers, but Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel were aging so they hoped Thomas would usher in a new generation. It’s not unlike the Cooks trade. The Pats didn’t necessarily need another wide receiver, but the 23-year-old could ultimately take the torch from Julian Edelman (turns 31 next month) and Amendola (will turn 32 in November).
The Patriots have already assembled a loaded lineup, but there’s no question they need to have a better performance in the draft than they did in 2007. A poor performance this weekend wouldn’t hurt them in 2017, but a stretch of unproductive rookie classes from 2006-08 caused a relative dip in the on-field product in 2009 and 2010.
Regardless, this is an offseason that will forever be remembered for the Patriots’ veteran acquisitions. That recipe has been fruitful another time before.