Rivals rise to nab big arms
KC, Houston seek their TB12
Maybe some of the Patriots’ closest challengers in the AFC were thinking since the defending Super Bowl champs were sitting out the first two rounds of the draft, they could make up some ground.
Perhaps they could inch a little closer, because the gap widened during the offseason.
On paper at least, Bill Be li chick replenished, reloaded and recharged the Patriots for 2017 with some terrific moves in free agency (Stephon Gilmore, Mike Gillislee) and also via trade (Brandin Cooks, Dwayne Allen, Kony Ealy).
Even with a fifth championship in the books, Belichick studied the postseason tapes very carefully and added on accordingly, making his offense even more potent, particularly against man coverage. He also made his defense sturdier.
So what have the AFC contenders done to try and counter? What shook out in the first round last night?
For starters, we saw two playoff teams losing their minds to move up the board in order to chase a pair of quarterbacks who aren’t considered “franchise” material. The Texans and Chiefs went bonkers to land Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes, respectively.
The Raiders? They really needed a cornerback to help their defense. They took a chance on a highlyrated defensive back but one who was recently accused of rape.
Ohio State’s Gareon Conley hasn’t been arrested or charged as of yet and the Raiders were convinced enough of his innocence to make the selection at No. 24. It could prove to be a good move if Conley stays out of jail.
Guess that’s how it goes for teams chasing the Patriots.
The Texans, one of the teams that gave the Pats some trouble with their defense in the playoffs, have been desperate for a quarterback. Coach Bill O’Brien, who finally rid himself of Brock Osweiler, wanted someone who could give him a chance against Tom Brady.
Well, he now has Clemson’s Watson.
The Texans surrendered a first-round pick next year to the Browns and the 25th overall pick, to move up the board 13 spots for Watson, who was the third quarterback chosen.
He was third because this move came after the Chiefs handed over a first-round pick next year, along with the 27th overall pick and a third-round pick to the Bills to move up 17 spots to grab Texas Tech gunslinger Mahomes in the No. 10 spot. North Carolina’s Mitchell Trubisky was the first QB chosen, second overall by the Bears.
So the Texans and Chiefs both made dramatic, bordering on desperate, moves — that’s how much quarterbacks matter to teams who don’t have anyone to compete with Brady.
Will Watson be a difference-maker for the Texans? Is he any better than Tom Savage? Watson’s a winner, to be sure. He’s confident and seems to have that “it” factor. But he’s going to take time. He’ll probably start, but O’Brien can’t develop him fast enough to truly contend with the Patriots. Not yet anyway.
As for the Chiefs, while Alex Smith certainly didn’t have much of a chance beating Brady, does Mahomes?
He has a strong arm for sure, the best of all the quarterbacks in the draft, but he’s also going to take awhile to develop. He’s not an instant fix or upgrade over Smith. So while it was gutsy and bold, it’s not the kind of move that will impact their quest to take down the Patriots. Not in the immediate future anyway. As for other conference contenders, the Broncos plugged in a much-needed tackle for their offensive line (Utah’s Garett Bolles), the Dolphins added a pass rusher (Missouri’s Charles Harris), and the Steelers grabbed J.J. Watt’s brother T.J, a Wisconsin linebacker.
Looking at the big picture, the best move any of the AFC iron made probably came prior to the draft, when the Raiders lured Marshawn Lynch out of retirement.
Adding Lynch, even if he hasn’t played in more than a year, gets the Raiders a little closer. If Lynch returns to Beast Mode, the Raiders offense is better than it was last year, and that was pretty good.