New England Patriots Rundown: Tank Carradine, Darrelle Revis, Markus Wheaton
This New England Patriots Rundown is filled with 2013 NFL Draft content, as well as some quick-hit thoughts on trade rumors regarding two AFC East teams.
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1. Florida State Seminoles defensive end Cornelius “Tank” Carradine would have been one of the top ten draft prospects this year had it not been for an ACL tear he sustained last season, because he has a great blend of speed and strength and had plenty of production before going down with the injury. Carradine visited the Patriots, and he has been mocked a number of times to New England at 29. However, it looks like Carradine has rehabbed himself out of the Patriots range.
Carradine ran a 4.75 forty at his pro day.
2. Tony Pauline reports that there is a 75% chance- citing a source- that the New York Jets trade star cornerback Darrelle Revis to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week, and it’s pretty much a guarantee that Revis is gone. The Bucs and Jets are getting closer to agreeing on the draft picks to be sent to the Jets, and Revis and the Buccaneers already have the financial details down. The highest I would go for Revis is a first-round pick and a conditional draft pick in the later rounds. Now with the Jets netting the 13th pick in the draft, who should they get? Leave your say in the comments.
3. The Kansas City Chiefs gave the Miami Dolphins permission to talk to left tackle Branden Albert, and Mike Jurecki reported yesterday that the Dolphins and Albert were negotiating a contract. In a trade, the Dolphins would send two second-rounders to the Chiefs, and then they would have their new starting left tackle to replace Jake Long. As far as the financial numbers go, expect Albert to get something around what William Beatty received from the New York Giants. Adding Albert would obviously change the Dolphins draft strategy, and I would think that they would try and trade down from the 12th pick instead of trading up for Lane Johnson.
4. Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Markus Wheaton is an ideal pick for the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, because he would give the Patriots a much-needed vertical threat. Wheaton is the best vertical threat in this draft class with his speed and ability to make defenses pay after the catch, and Luke Hughes of NESN provides a good take on Wheaton.
5. Let’s take a look at some 2013 NFL Mock Drafts. NE Patriots Draft is my favorite site for checking out mocks, and this is a link to their most recent mock. In this one, the New England Patriots select Clemson Tigers standout wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and it’s a pick that I am in agreement with. Hopkins can readily produce, and he has No. 1 potential.
6. Now this is great, because it touches on all the draft prospects talked about in this “Rundown” piece. MassLive.com’s excellent beat writer Nick Underhill released his 2013 NFL Mock draft, and he has the Houston Texans taking Hopkins, the Denver Broncos taking Carradine, and then the Patriots snatching Datone Jones off the board. The UCLA Bruins defensive lineman has become a popular pick in mock drafts for the Patriots, and Underhill writes, “New England has a bigger need at wide receiver, but Jones, who can play both on the inside and outside, may be too good to pass.” That’s why Jones is such a popular pick for the Patriots; he can excel as a pass rusher on the edge or on the interior.
7. The Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe has been writing excellent draft breakdowns these days, and he actually broke down Datone Jones yesterday. This piece is well-worth the read, and he talks about how Jones’s interior presence will stamp out a need for the Patriots.
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