The Big Story – NFL Draft: It comes your way on ESPN and The NFL Network starting Thursday at 8 p.m. and goes through Saturday. Picking fourth and having four in the first 77 and nine picks overall, the Patriots have major skin in the game to make it a fun weekend for Patriot Nation.
Sports 101: Name the only team since 1960 (NFL and AFL teams) to draft a QB in both the first and second rounds in the same draft.
News Item – NBA Playoffs: Nothing started off weird in the first weekend. The C’s got off nicely with an easy 103-86 Game 1 win over Orlando; OK City became the sixth team to beat an opponent by more than 50 points in a playoff game, and Golden State used its experience to frustrate upstart Houston. Only the T-Wolves thumping the Lakers was surprising in the weekend.
News Item – NFL Draft: Here are a few interesting facts, rumors and pre-draft scuttlebutt.
It was interesting to see that in a pre-draft Big Board on ESPN its author Jeff Legwold ranked presumed No. 1 pick Cam Ward as only the 20th best player in the draft.
With just four, the Vikings have the fewest picks this weekend, while the 49ers and Ravens have the most with 11 each.
One team that could move up to prevent the expected Shedeur Sanders slide is New Orleans, whose QB Derek Carr could be out for all of 2025.
Can an arm that’s 1/16 inch shorter than desired for an offensive tackle be worth all the hullabaloo we’ve heard about LSU’s Will Campbell? Seems like paralysis by over-analysis. If it were me, I’d just look at his tape.
With Matthew Judon still out there in free agency, Eliot Wolf got it right by not giving him the contract extension he demanded last summer. Instead he’ll use the 77th pick he got for Atlanta for him on Friday night.
The Numbers:
4 – errors by Gold Glover Alex Bregman, who by taking over at third base was supposed to solve the Red Sox’ defensive issues of 2024.
11 – earned runs allowed in 2.1 innings in a 16-1 loss to Tampa Bay by Tanner Houck to make it the worst start in Red Sox history, which ballooned his ERA from 4.41 to 9.16.
… Of the Week Awards
Thumbs Up – Joe Mazzulla: For donating his entire $3.2 million bonus to local charities. This incredibly generous act is made even more impressive because he hasn’t been collecting the big dough for very long.
Inning of the Week – the eighth in Chicago: The D-Backs scored 10 in the top half of the eighth and then the Cubs roared back to score six in the bottom half to take a 15-11 lead that became the final.
Astonishingly Incompetent Draft Note of the Week: Boston Globe columnist Chris Gasper reported last week that aside from Julian Edelman, who was a college QB, none of the 10 receivers the Patriots drafted between 2003 and 2024 had more than 58 career receptions or 750 career yards and four touchdowns. An amazing track record of abject failure.
Random Thoughts:
With victory margins of 25, 19, 16 and 5 not a lot of drama in the NBA’s boring play-in games to grab seventh and eighth seed in each division.
Sports 101 Answer: The 1965 NY Jets drafted Joe Namath second overall in the 1965 AFL draft and then took Heisman Trophy winner Notre Dame’s John Huarte in Round 2.
A Little History – John Huarte: Came out of nowhere to win the 1964 Heisman while leading Notre Dame to a shocking 9-0-1 season and a national title. But the pro career was a different story. He lasted just two seasons in NY and six overall where he completed just 39.1% of his 58 passes for one TD.
Final Thought – What Should The Pats Do?
I know they need a left tackle and a lead receiver going into the future. But after what Mike Vrabel and company did in free agency, unless a receiver they can get is the next Randy Moss, I’m willing to pass on both needs to do what I have to do to get Penn State edge rusher Abdul Jabar Carter. Adding a premier pass rusher to a team with three other passing threats and two very good corners gives them a chance to have a top 5 defense or maybe higher. And I’d rather have one dominating unit to always count on and a middling offense than have a 15th-ranked O and 10th-ranked D, because the latter seems to be a formula for 9-8. Then I’d add what’s needed with the 37th pick to move into the first round to get the tackle they need and hope an impact receiver will surface at the mid-year trade deadline.
Prediction – they take LSU’s Campbell in Round 1. Unless N.O. trades up with NY at 3 to get Sanders. Then it’s who’s left between Heisman winner Travis Hunter and my pick, Carter.
Email Dave Long at [email protected].