2013 NFL Draft: Bill Belichick Thoughts on Collins, Dobson, Ryan & Harmon
New England Patriots coach and mastermind Bill Belichick expresses his perspective on the Patriots newest drafted players from last night’s draft. As usual, Belichick gives straight up answers, but as Patriots fans we should expect so, and perhaps, that’s all we need to know – (he is) “we are pleased with that, we were able to improved our team, and we got good value for our picks.”
Oct 26, 2012; London, UNITED KINGDOM; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick at press conference at the Grosvenor House hotel ballroom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
As Belichick “endured” the approximate 15 minutes of press conference, here is his thoughts on the new Patriots addition.
- Jamie Collins, Southern Miss, linebacker – versatility and explosiveness is probable the key word when considering Collins. A tall (6’3”) and lean (250 lbs) frame provides strength and speed, stacking up 20 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in his senior season.
“Jamie Collins is an interesting guy that came into college as a safety, played inside linebacker, played outside linebacker in a 3-4 and then played defensive end last year. He’s been a very productive player in the kicking game. He’s got a lot of versatility, solid player, hard worker, great kid.”
- Aaron Dobson, Marshall, wide receiver – production, smart and good hands sums up Dobson qualities and many Pats fans like him. Throughout his career, Dobson had 165 receptions for 2,398 yards 24 touchdowns and was named 2nd team All-Conference USA with an invitation of play in the Senior Bowl (never dropped a pass on 92 targets)
“He’s big, he’s fast, he’s got good hands, he’s a strong player; smart, very smart. He has some position flexibility and versatility. Catches the ball very well. We’ll see how it goes.”
- Logan Ryan, Rutgers, cornerback – physical and productive on the outside is the catch. Ryan finalized 170 tackles for his career, 11.5 for a loss, seven interception and two forced fumbles.
“He’s a good football player in a good program. He’s been very productive. He’s one of the most productive corners in the draft. Smart; been productive. He’s been in a very good system. He’s been well coached, knows his techniques well, he’s an instinctive player. He’s had a lot of production. He’s tough, he’s a good tackler.”
- Duron Harmon, Rudgers, safety – productive on the inside. Although Harmon was nto invited to the NFL combine, Belichick sure had stats on him and saw value in grabbing Harmon.
“And of course the two Rutgers DBs – that was a very good defensive unit that they had last year, over the past few years actually, but especially last year. Of course Logan [Ryan] had a very productive year outside and Duron [Harmon] inside. I know that whole group, but especially those guys, are close. They communicated well, played well. Both were very productive, both defensively and in the kicking game, solid guys. We’ve had a number of our players here comment on their personal characteristics, so I think we’re getting some high quality guys there as well as good football players.”
While addressing a question on the advantage of having two guys that were teammates at the same position in college, Belichick said, “I don’t know. I don’t know.”
In my perspective, this is a big acquisition and I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out to be like a Hernandez-Gronkowski tight end duo, but a Ryan-Harmon defensive back duo, which Belichick mentioned earlier that Ryan had a productive year on the outside and Harmon on the inside.
Plus, Belichick’s son, Steve Belichick is part of the coaching team and he did attend Rudgers in 2011 as a long snapper, so there’s clear something cooking because Belichick does like the Rudgers program and he can use his son’s inside knowledge as well.
If Belichick said there was value in the picks, then we better believe there is value.
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