New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

1. A quick shout out to one of the most important people in the history of the New England Patriots, owner Robert Kraft.  Kraft was awarded the Carnegie Hall’s Medal of Excellence the other day. The Medal of Excellence is awarded for outstanding leadership in business and philanthropy.  This is on the heels of him being the first NFL owner to ever receive the George Halas Award from the Pro Football Writers of America for overcoming adversity to succeed.

Without Bob Kraft stepping up and purchasing first Foxboro Stadium and then the Patriots, it is likely this franchise would have been gone by the early 1990s (likely to have landed in St. Louis).  Instead, Kraft stepped up and with the passion of a season ticket holder (which he was for many years prior) he set about making the team a competitor and no longer the laughing stock of the NFL.

Of course, the big story out of the ceremony is Kraft telling the full story of how Russian President Vladimir Putin ended up with Kraft’s personally engraved Super Bowl ring at a 2005 meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia. Per Kraft, Putin literally took it and walked out when Kraft showed it to him. Kraft also relayed how the Bush Administration leaned on him to indicate it was a gift to Putin in the best interests of US-Soviet relations. What a story!

The important note is that before Belichick, before the Super Bowls, before all the glory, there was one man who put his money on the line and believed in New England.  He built the team (not without some missteps, but far more correct moves than wrong) into the model NFL franchise, if not model sports franchise. Congratulations to Patriots owner Robert Kraft for a well-deserved accolade and recognition.

2. Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola is in a tough situation: the slightest injury will set-off the fanbase and media about his durability, and lack of success on the field has Patriots Nation crying for recently departed Wes Welker, and any success he has will be greeted with skepticism and brushed off as “following what Wes Welker did” and “a product of the system”.  Despite that, all eyes were on the newest wide receiver plucked from the scrap heap.  Multiple media reports from the practice field (remember, no one is in pads and this is going through the motions) seem to express surprise at the rapport of quarterback Tom Brady and his newest weapon. With tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez sidelined, it is a great time for Amendola to catch his quarterback’s eye and put in the work that can translate onto the field in September (when it finally counts).

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

3. Speaking of the Patriots tight ends, ESPN is reporting that Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will have back surgery on Tuesday.  The big question with the surgery is the timetable for return.  A report at ESPN stated that 12 weeks is the expected recovery time which would be week two of the NFL season.  Of course, until Doctor Robert Watkins actually performs the surgery (termed “preventative maintenance” by Gronkowski’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus) and determines and fixes the cause of the back pain Gronkowski had last season, there is no concrete ways to determine what steps the team needs to make regarding his roster spot.

The Patriots have the option to put Gronkowski on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list which would sideline him for the first six games of the season before he can return.  With the forearm and back possibly ready by the season kick-off or first few weeks, the team has to determine if they go with an aggressive recovery to maximize one of the best tight ends in football during the season or take a long-term approach and be conservative and put him on the PUP and risk having him healthy and unable to contribute.  After Tuesday, the team will have a better idea on when their dynamic tight end will be able to return to the field. .

4. The Wall Street Journal checked in with the Patriots this week (Did you guess why? Correct: Tim Tebow.) in the guise of the long-defunct “Border Wars” between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets from the late 1990s. The article notes that since 2000 (Belichick to the Patriots) that the Patriots have acquired 21 former Jets to the Jets 10 former Patriots.  While Tim Tebow is unlikely to replicate the success of former Jets running back Danny Woodhead (now in San Diego), it is entirely unknown since Bill Belichick is (predictably) not releasing any details of Tebow’s role.  Is he simply a third quarterback? Is he going to play H-back or tight end? Is he a special teams player? Back-up linebacker? Wild-cat package quarterback? No one know right now.

tight end Kellen Winslow (82)

5. Former Patriots depth tight end Kellen Winslow signed a deal with the New York Jets. While hardly the “Border War” that claimed coach Bill Parcells and running back Curtis Martin, the signing of Winslow helps fill a gaping opening in New York.  With tight end Dustin Keller fleeing  the sinking ship of New Jersey and taking his talents to South Beach (on a one year deal), the Jets needed a warm body to fill the position with only unproven, injury-prone Jeff Cumberland and…well, flotsam and jetsam. Winslow is at least a name who fans may recognize.

Winslow, of course, was expected to be a depth tight end on the roster, and fill in for the injured Aaron Hernandez early last season. Instead, he inexplicably quit after nine days in New England and one game.  While the Patriots were mum about the release, reports afterwards (profootballtalk.com) indicated that Winslow wanted no part of the “Patriot Way” and was upset (after one game) that he did not get the ball thrown his way enough. That certainly makes his mutual release that much more understandable.  Of course, not producing and whining about not enough passes being thrown his way seemingly makes Winslow a perfect fit for the Rex Ryan New York Jets.

6. The Miami Dolphins have officially replaced the 2012 Buffalo Bills and 2011 Philadelphia Eagles as the media darlings of the off-season as they have been crowned AFC East champions and dethroners of the Patriot Reign a month before training camp kicks off.  While the Dolphins have accumulated a number of free agents on both sides of the ball, the team still has a long way to go before printing Super Bowl tickets.

The Dolphins left a terrible taste in their fans mouths last year by not showing up in Foxboro, MA during week 17 of the 2012 season on December 30th and getting rolled by the Patriots 28-0.  With a chance to finish the season at .500 and notch a win against their division rival the Dolphins fell behind 21-0 and mailed in another disappointing season. Sure, some pieces were changed out, but this this is still the same front office, same coach, same quarterback, and many of the same pieces that are beating their chests now and being pumped up as Super Bowl contenders without putting on their pads yet.

The Dolphins should be better, if only because they should be 4-0 against the Jets and Bills. The Bills are rebuilding behind a young quarterback and will need a lot of improvement in a hurry to think about the playoffs. The Jets are likely to finish with a top-five draft pick and clear out the big windbag, Rex Ryan. The Dolphins then just need to go 4-8 against the rest of the league and break their four year run of finishing below .500.

Miami should be improved, but their second year quarterback Ryan Tannehill has a lot of pressure on him to continue to take strides forward quickly. With his best offensive player from last season (Reggie Bush) and best offensive lineman (Jake Long) departed in free agency, the team has to get a lot of diverse parts working together this season.  Improved, yes. Knocking off the Patriots? Not likely.

Jun 11, 2013; Foxborough, MA, USA; The media surround New England Patriots quarterback Tim Tebow following Minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

1. With all the Tebow-mania and hysteria over the past 24 hours with the signing of controversial quarterback Tim Tebow by the New England Patriots, two important questions that come to  mind are “Does he have practice squad eligibility?” and “Is there any guaranteed money (salary cap hit) with his contract?”

Unfortunately, based upon games played and time on active roster per the NFL rules, the Patriots do not have the option of stashing quarterback Tim Tebow on the practice squad. This is unfortunate for the Patriots and Tebow, as that would be the best spot for him at this time.  The Patriots would have to carry him on the 53 man roster in order to keep him around and work with Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Reports from the Associated Press seen this morning indicate that the two-year deal Tebow inked with the Patriots is for the veteran’s minimum with incentives, but no bonus money.  In essence, he is a risk-free signing in terms of salary cap impact.  The Patriots can release him at any time and suffer no adverse effects to their cap.  The risk then, becomes the resultant media circus, but Tebow must be motivated to fall in line and limit self-promotion, and no one shuts down the locker room like coach Bill Belichick.

2. It was a good idea by the New England Patriots working out former Colts wide receiver Austin Collie. When he was healthy in Indianapolis, he put up excellent numbers and seemed to fit well with former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who demands intelligence and defense recognition just like quarterback Tom Brady in New England.  It costs nothing to sign a veteran at this time of the years and bring him in to compete. If he’s cut, no loss; at worst, the team has another slot receiver to add to their collection of Wes Welker clones.

Jan 13, 2013; Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes (55) reacts during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

3. Linebacker Brandon Spikes arrived in Foxboro as the last member of the squad to report, as he sat out “Voluntary” OTAs.  Spikes has the right to skip any voluntary OTAs, and coach Bill Belichick has always been a supporter of Spikes.  The former Gator is likely to remain a starter this season, and the extra time in OTAs for reserve Dane Fletcher (returning from injury) is not all bad.  That said, it sends a big message when one player stands alone outside the team.  While the Patriots have had holdouts in the past, at least this situation seems less acrimonious.  Expect the Patriots to welcome Spikes back on the field where he brings energy and enthusiasm, but continue to wait until the off-season to decide what his price tag is to be in 2014 and where–if anywhere–he fits on the team in the future.

4. James Walker, the ESPN.com AFC East Blogger–had an interesting take on his site (click here) regarding the Patriots and Tim Tebow.  With the disclaimer that Walker lives in Miami but usually tries to be fair in his analysis of the other three teams in the AFC East, it seems puzzling that a team bringing in a third string quarterback counts as “desperation”.  Last March he seemed to think it was a good fit for Tebow in New York, so it seems odd that the Patriots, where there is less circus and more business, would be see Tebow as Walker puts it “an unexpected sign of desperation for a New England offense searching for answers.”  He later adds that “New England simply is not good enough to win a Super Bowl this year.”

Walker’s piece seems to veer onto the sensational side, as the Patriots are hardly replacing Tom Brady behind center with Tim Tebow in 2013.  The Patriots have overhauled their wide receiver corps, just as they have done in the past with moves that have worked (Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Dante Stallworth) and not worked (Doug Gabriel, Reche Caldwell, and Chad Jackson).  While it is far too early to state “This is yet another sign that New England’s run of Super Bowl appearances and NFL dominance is coming to an end”, as Walker did in the piece, it is definitely a transition season at wide receiver.

Sep 29, 2012; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd wide receiver Aaron Dobson (3) makes a one handed catch. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

5. What the Patriots have to do to maintain their NFL best offense is follow the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver transition plan: The Steelers turned over star trio Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward and Antwan Randle-El and over two years brought in Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, and Antonio Brown without missing a beat, and upgraded the passing game into arguably a younger, faster, and more explosive group for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Remember, in 2007 the Patriots were lambasted for bringing in the whining troublemaker (Randy Moss) and the no-name punt returner (Wes Welker) and ended up with an historic, record-shattering offense. While no one would say rookies Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce are going to have record-breaking seasons,  the team desperately needed an influx of youth, speed, and athleticism at the position. While the media has put down the signing of Danny Amendola and allowing Wes Welker to leave, until the regular season starts, no one knows what the Patriots are going to get out of their new group of receivers…and that’s what makes the new season so exciting.

6. One move lost in the Tim Tebow hoopla was the release of rookie free agent Dewayne Cherrington.  Cherrington was an undrafted free agent signing who played his college ball at Mississippi State.  Expected to compete for a last spot or practice squad role with fellow undrafted rookie defensive tackles Cory Grissom and Joe Vellano, Cherrington was the least likely to make the squad due to being very raw after having been a juco transfer at Mississippi State. Grissom is the most polished of the bunch, and was slowed due to injuries which caused his stock to drop.  Vellano, from Maryland, seems to be an undersized tackle (only 285 lbs) but known for his non-stop energy and enthusiasm, which translates well with coach Bill Belichick. Vellano has drawn comparison to former defensive lineman Mike Wright.

With Cherrington freeing up another spot on the 90 man roster, there could be a spot for another veteran defensive tackle to replace departed Kyle Love and Brandon Deaderick behind starters Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly.  Armond Armstead, formerly of the Canadian Football League via USC and last year’s surprise undrafted free agent Marcus Fortson seem to be in line as top backups, but a veteran could be brought in to push them or as injury insurance.  Remember, New England worked out veteran defensive tackles Spencer Ellis and Sedrick Ellis recently.

Dec 10, 2012; Foxborough, MA USA; New England Patriots guard Logan Mankins (70) shoves Houston Texans linebacker Bradie James (53) during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

This is the sixth installment of a multi-part review and grading of the previous drafts of the New England Patriots under coach and uber-executive Bill Belichick.  As the Patriots are in the midst of their “voluntary” organized team activities along with their other NFL counterparts, this period of preparing for the 2013 season prior to the official training camp in July is often the only slow time in the NFL calendar when the non-stop NFL news is at its minimum. Thus, it is an ideal time to look back to the previous drafts of the New England Patriots while under the leadership of Bill Belichick and re-grade them with the perspective of a few years having passed.

As a note, these draft grades take into account the player’s impact while in New England weighed against the other players who were available in the draft at that time, as well as the the strength of the draft as a whole that season.  In addition, the position of the player taken in the draft is compared to the team’s need at that time, and it also takes into consideration how the player contributes to the team’s winning, whatever their role ended up being in New England. Below is the revisit and re-grading of the Bill Belichick draft that followed the second consecutive Super Bowl championship in New England: the 2005 NFL Draft.

The Patriots ended the 2004 season as repeat world champions, the last time that has happened in the NFL. That off-season the defense was in turmoil, as star linebacker and heart-and-soul of the team, Tedy Bruschi, suffered a stroke after the Pro Bowl (only two weeks after the Super Bowl victory). Bruschi originally planned to sit out the entire season, but returned to the team in October to provide a much-needed boost to the team which was mired at .500 and looked lost on defense, especially with safety Rodney Harrison lost for the season due to injury during their week 3 win against Pittsburgh. Further casting a pall over the off-season, the Patriots parted ways with long-time cornerback Ty Law, and linebacker Ted Johnson retired prior to training camp.

The Patriots brought in linebackers Chad Brown and Monty Beisel, who both disappointed and their move to the bench coincided with the improvement on defense.  The team brought in cornerback Duane Starks for their 3rd and 5th round picks in the 2005 draft, and Starks went on injured reserve after six games in 2005. Defensive lineman Richard Seymour had his first contentious contract holdout that summer as well, laying the groundwork for his eventual departure from New England.

On offense, quarterback Tom Brady signed a six year, $60 million contract for far less than his contemporary with fewer Super Bowl rings, the not yet omnipresent in every television commercial Peyton Manning, was receiving on his record deal averaging almost $14 million per year. Offensive guard Joe Andruzzi and wide receiver David Patten left in free agency. The Patriots tried to off-set these moves in free agency by bringing in wide receivers Andre Davis and David Terrell and back-up quarterback and local legend Doug Flutie.

The Patriots lost both coordinators, as Charlie Weis took his creative offensive game plans and bombastic personality to Notre Dame. Meanwhile, Romeo Crennel joined the Cleveland Browns as head coach.  With all the turnover in New England, there was a need to improve the team with an infusion of youth, energy, and talent: the draft.

Aug 11, 2011; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots guard Logan Mankins (70) stretches prior to a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

1st Round #32: Logan Mankins, Guard:

At the time of the pick, the media was aghast that the world champion Patriots were picking a lowly guard in the 1st round. All Mankins has done is establish himself as one of the best offensive linemen in all of the NFL and earn a place with quarterback Tom Brady and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork as the upper-class of the Patriots salary cap.  Mankins was the last pick of the first round, but he arguably outperformed the top ten picks.  A quick rundown of those picks: Alex Smith, QB; Ronnie Brown, RB; Braylon Edwards, WR; Cedric Benson, RB; Cadillac Williams, RB; Adam “Pacman” Jones, CB; Troy Williamson, WR; Antrel Rolle, CB; Carlos Rogers, CB; Mike WIlliams, WR.  Dallas got DE DeMarcus Ware at #11, Green Bay stole QB Aaron Rodgers at #24, Pittsburgh drafted TE Heath Miller at #30, and New England grabbed Mankins at #32 to be the top four picks of the draft.

Should Have Drafted: Wide receiver Vincent Jackson went #61, running back Frank Gore went #65 overall, and the Giants got defensive end Justin Tuck at #74, but Mankins was too good a pick there to make anyone cry for kicker Mike Nugent (who the Jets took at #47 overall).

Grade: A

2nd Round #64: Traded

The Patriots traded this pick to Baltimore for #84 (3rd round pick) and  #195 (6th round pick) and 2006 3rd round pick. The 2006 pick was used to trade up in that draft (more about that pick in the next article) and the 6th round pick was packaged with their #246 (7th round pick) for a 6th round pick (#175). That 6th round pick was then traded to the Raiders for a 7th round pick (#230) [more on that pick below] and 2006 5th round pick.

Should Have Drafted: Again, running back Frank Gore went #65 overall, and the Giants got defensive end Justin Tuck at #74

Grade: B-

3rd Round #84: Ellis Hobbs, Cornerback:

The Patriots, after some wheeling and dealing, drafted cornerback Ellis Hobbs from Iowa State.  Hobbs contributed at cornerback and on special teams returning kicks for the Patriots through 2008.  Hobbs ended up starting in the second half of his rookie season and started for the following three years until he was traded away to Philadelphia during the 2009 draft and his career derailed not long after due to injuries.  The Patriots got four solid seasons from Hobbs, which is decent value for a late 3rd round pick.

Should Have Drafted: The Jets took a big run-stuffing tackle, Sione Pouha, at #88.  Of course, 4 of the next 8 picks in draft never played a game in the regular season of the NFL, as Seattle at #85 (Quarterback David Greene), Carolina at #89 (Defensive Tackle Atiyyah Ellison), Tampa at #91 (Tackle Chris Colmer) and Indianapolis (Defensive End Vincent Burns) got nothing at all for their late 3rd round picks.

Grade: B

3rd Round #100: Nick Kaczur, Tackle:

The Patriots received a compensatory pick at #100 at the end of the third round and took Ontario Canada native Nick Kaczur, a tackle.  Kaczur was a first round pick in the Canadian Football League in 2005 after finishing his college career at Toledo. Interesting about Kaczur was he was older than most draftees, at 26, after not attending college and working construction initially after high school.  That experience and maturity paid off immediately, as he was thrust into the starting left tackle position after an injury to Matt Light and Kazcur started the last 13 games of the season.  Kaczur struggled with injuries the next to seasons, but bounced back in 2008 before injuries derailed his career at the end of the 2009 season.  He missed all of 2010 with a back injury and was released in 2011. When healthy, Kaczur was a very good right tackle and could fill in at left tackle. Before injuries drove him to retirement, the Patriots had thought enough of Kaczur to re-sign him at 4 years and $16 million.

Should Have Drafted: Definitely not the next compensatory pick and last pick of round 3, Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett, who Denver wasted that pick on.  The Bears got quarterback Kyle Orton at #106 and running backs Brandon Jacobs (#110) went to the Giants and Darren Sproles (#130) went to San Diego. Also, safety Kerry Rhodes was available at #123 for the Jets. That said, Cleveland took defensive back Antonio Perkins at #103, who lasted all of 6 games in the NFL; Miami took running back Ciatrick Faison at #112; and Kansas City took wide receiver Craphonso Thorpe at #116: none of these players made any impact, let alone started as a rookie for a playoff team.

Grade: B

Dec. 23, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA: Arizona Cardinals safety James Sanders (39) celebrates a play against the Chicago Bears at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Bears defeated the Cardinals 28-13. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

4th Round #133: James Sanders, Safety:

James Sanders joined the Patriots from Fresno State, joining teammate Logan Mankins as part of the Fresno State-Patriots connection (like with Rutgers in the 2013 NFL Draft).  Sanders made his mark in New England as a smart, prepared, tough leader.  Not blessed with top end speed, strength, size or athleticism, Sanders worked his way into playing time by contributing on special teams, and stepping up ready to play when injuries took down safeties Rodney Harrison and then Eugene Wilson. Although signed through 2012, Sanders was a surprise cut-down at the end of training camp in 2011.  He subsequently signed with Atlanta, starting 6 games, and then spent 2012 in Arizona.  A solid argument could be made that releasing Sanders hurt the team immensely in 2011 and 2012 as his solid safety play, knowledge of the playbook, and ability to keep deep receivers in front of him could have made a difference in a number of games.

Should Have Drafted: An argument could be made that New England would have found better value with defensive back Gerald Sensabaugh (#157) or defensive end Trent Cole (#146); however, the end of the 4th and 5th round was littered with players who made little to no impact in the NFL (for example: guard Claude Terrell to St. Louis at #134; wide receiver Airese Currie to Chicago at #140; running back Damien Nash to Tennessee at #142; tight end Jerome Collins to St. Louis at #144; defensive back Alphonso Hodge to Kansas City at #147; defensive end Jonathan Welsh to Indianapolis at #148 and many more in that round).

Grade: B+

5th Round #170: Ryan Claridge, Linebacker:

Speaking of late round picks that never contributed in the NFL, Claridge joined the Patriots and was stashed on the practice squad for the entire season before being cut prior to training camp in 2006 when the Patriots re-signed linebacker Chad Brown.  He was an outside linebacker in college and was to be converted to inside linebacker in the Patriots’ scheme, but it never worked out. He also had to deal with his older brother, Travis Claridge, who was a 2nd round pick for Atlanta in 2000, passing away at the age of 27 prior to training camp in 2006.

Should Have Drafted: As indicated earlier, the late rounds of the 2005 draft was a little short on talent.  Dallas got defensive end Jay Ratliff at #224, and Kevin Vickerson was a decent rotation defensive tackle for Tennessee and Denver after being drafted and released by Miami at #216.  Tackle Joe Berger never played for Carolina who picked him at #207, but stuck as a back-up for a number of years. Tight end Joel Dreessen was drafted by the Jets at #198, and eventually developed into a decent 2nd tight end in Houston.

Grade: D

November 12, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel (7) passes the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 16-13 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

7th Round #230: Matt Cassell, Quarterback:

Even as a 7th round pick, the choice of Cassell befuddled the draft experts and media at the time.  Cassell was a backup his entire career at USC, albeit backing up Heisman trophy winning QB Carson Palmer and losing out on the starting job to future Heisman trophy winner and first round pick Matt Leinart.  His only start at USC was for one game as an H-back.  He only threw 33 passes in his college career. Quarterbacks ahead of Cassell on the draft board of the draft experts were 2003 Heisman winner Jason White out of Oklahoma and Hawaii quarterback and NCAA passing records setter Timmy Chang.

Cassell made the team as a back-up quarterback beating out both Rohan Davey and Chris Redman to serve as the #3 quarterback behind Tom Brady and Doug Flutie.  When Flutie retired, Cassell moved up the depth chart to #2 behind Brady. Eventually, after Tom Brady’s torn ACL in the season opener against Kansas City, Cassell stepped in for Brady in 2008 and started the next 15 games for the rest of the season and led the Patriots to double-digit wins in 2010, narrowly missing the playoffs.  Cassell, dealing with the death of his father, led the Patriots to 4 consecutive wins and fortunately for the rest of the AFC, the Patriots missed the playoffs based upon conference record tie-breakers with Miami (AFC East division title) and Baltimore (wild card). Pittsburgh was gifted a trip to the Super Bowl against an inferior Arizona team after watching San Diego knock off Peyton Manning and the Colts and Baltmore upset 31 seed Tennessee. With the way the Patriots ended 2008 under Cassell, it would have made an epic match-up with Pittsburgh in the playoffs that season.

That off-season, the Patriots used the franchise tag on Cassell and traded him (along with an aging linebacker Mike Vrabel) to Kansas City for a high 2nd round pick. An 11 win season when called upon and the #34 pick in the draft is an epic return for a 7th round pick.

Should Have Drafted: No one in their right mind is going to say the Patriots should have taken quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (#250 to St. Louis) over Cassell. The only other draft pick of any significant value after Cassell was defensive end Jonathan Fanene (#233 to Cincinnati), but Fanene was not leading the 2008 Patriots to 11 wins.

Grade: A

7th Round #255: Andy Stokes, Tight End:

Andy Stokes was the last pick of the draft in 2005 out of William Penn and earned the title of “Mr. Irrelevant” that season. He was cut in training camp and never played in the NFL.

Should Have Drafted: Kick returner/running back Joshua Cribbs was undrafted that season, as was running back Ryan Grant.  Either would have been a fine draft pick.

Grade: C-

The Patriots 2005 draft was ridiculed by the experts, most notably by ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr who opined that 1st round pick Logan Mankins “was a reach in the first round” and that 3rd round pick tackle Nick Kaczur “came off the board a little early”.  Pete Prisco at CBS considered 3rd pick Ellis Hobbs as a questionable move, but at least was one of the few “experts” who like the pick of Mankins. Peter King of SI.com summed it up best at the time: “I have no idea who Logan Mankins is, but I have a feeling the Patriots do. I don’t know how you criticize their drafting right now. Sounds like the next Joe Andruzzi for now at least.” A pinch better than Andruzzi, for sure. It’s hard to discount the Patriots for a draft that added an all-pro starter on the offensive line for almost ten years now, a solid tackle, a starting cornerback, and a very good back-up quarterback. In addition, they added ammunition for 2006 with their wheeling and dealing.  The grade goes up just by looking at Jacksonville, Baltimore, and Oakland picking #21, #22, and #23: College quarterback converted to tight end Matt Jones; wide receiver Mark Clayton, and cornerback Fabian Washington. Forget passing up Mankins, these teams passed on quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Or how about this combination of picks by Houston, Cincinnati, and Minnesota picking #16, #17, and #18: defensive tackle Travis Johnson; defensive end David Pollack; and defensive end Erasmus James.  This draft was full of swings and misses, and the Patriots were very solid this year picking players who contributed to a top-level team.

Overall grade: A-