Patriots fans’ replies to Dalton Keene birthday tweet are brutal
By Jerry Trotta
With the 2022 NFL Draft two weeks away, New England Patriots fans are hoping the team replicates its showing from last year’s edition when they netted two cornerstones in Mac Jones and Christian Barmore.
Who knows? If Rhamondre Stevenson eventually supplants Damien Harris as the starting running back, he can be included with Jones and Barmore.
Nevertheless, the key for the Patriots is to ensure they don’t have a repeat of their disaster 2020 draft. While second-round pick Kyle Dugger and sixth-round gem Michael Onwenu have proven to be great finds by the front office, the other eight (!) selections have been colossal disappointments.
You don’t even have to look beyond the third round to make that judgment. Of New England’s three third-round picks — Anfernee Jennings, Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene — none of them have panned out how the Pats have hoped.
Some fans (not all!) have turned on these players, and Keene experienced this in the replies to his birthday tweet sent out by the Patriots.
Happy birthday, @DaltonKeene18! pic.twitter.com/mwQhCNX9TT
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) April 14, 2022
Some Patriots fans let Dalton Keene hear it after the team gave him a birthday shoutout on Twitter.
Rather than wish Keene a happy 23rd birthday, one fan decided to rip Bill Belichick for his questionable drafting/free agent strategy.
Of course, Belichick traded up to draft Josh Uche, Asiasi, Kenne and Onwenu during the 2020 draft. After Keene and Asiasi were non-existent as rookies, Belichick doled up a whopping $56.25 million in guaranteed money to Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry the following offseason.
Ahh yes another example of bills genius trading up for two tight ends then getting literally nothing out of both and going out and guaranteed 30 million to a bust TE and making hunter henry one of the highest paid at the position. All while refusing to sign a legitimate WR1
— kyrieariver (@kyrieariver) April 14, 2022
That’s a fair criticism, but Keene was bound to catch a stray at some point. Given the Virginia Tech product has just three catches for 16 yards over his career and has played a total of six games and 140 offensive snaps — all of which came during his rookie year in 2020 — one fan uncorked a pretty corny joke.
That’s the best you got?
If you’re going to bash a guy on his birthday, which is already classless to begin with, you have to come up with something more creative than that.
That guy still on the team?
— Wagner 🇩🇴 (@wagsM617) April 14, 2022
Judging by the amount of likes on this reply (zero), this fan would be better off studying the Patriots’ roster.
Keene missed the entire 2021 season after he underwent knee surgery right before the start of the preseason, so yes, he’s still very much on the team.
This is a joke right?
— Ken Michelle (@KenMichelle2) April 14, 2022
Why would the Patriots joke about a player’s birthday? Just because his name isn’t Mac Jones, Christian Barmore, Matt Judon, Devin McCourty or some other important player means he doesn’t deserve a birthday shoutout?
We love when folks show their true colors.
Another wasted draft pick smh, I completely forgot this dude is even on the team
— mizzo (@MizzyMiz88) April 14, 2022
Is Keene a wasted draft pick? It’s certainly trending in that direction, but maybe pick another day to air your grievances with the front office? Still just 23 years old, there’s plenty of time for the former Hokie to turn his career around.
We can’t bear reading another one of these brutal replies.
For those “fans” that decided to crack wise about Keene disappointing as a former third-round pick, just be better. And to the fans that actually wished him a happy birthday, we see you and we appreciate you for doing the right thing.
