The Baltimore Ravens selected Offensive Tackle Michael Oher from Ole Miss. The life story of Michael Oher was chronicled by Michael Lewis in “The Blind Side: The Evolution of a Game”. I was lent that book from a friend two years ago and it took me about two month to even open it up. I’m not an avid reader, but once I picked that book up, I went through all 299 pages in about three or four days. I couldn’t put it down, I stopped playing Madden, I stopped watching TV and I stopped going on the computer, I loved it. As I’ve said in the past, I’m a sucker for that feel good story. Michael Oher’s life is that feel good story. By the time I finished the book I felt like I knew Michael Oher.
Saturday’s NFL Draft had me prepared for the New England Patriots to pick up two great defensive players to fill some voids with their first two picks. I’m somehow not as upset that the New England Patriots traded the 23rd pick to see Michael Oher get drafted by an NFL team in our place. I was hoping he would have been drafted by Tennessee or an NFL team closer to his home, but I’m sure the Touhy family won’t be far from Maryland now. All the best Michael, you deserve it!
With the 34th Overall Pick…
The New England Patriots selected Patrick Chung, Safety from Oregon. Chung is a replacement and carbon copy of the most likely retiring Rodney Harrison. Chung is described as a hard hitting, run playing safety that doesn’t do that well with coverage. That’s not an issue to me. If he can learn the system, he won’t have to worry about how good he is in coverage. He hits hard,he plays to the whistle and he fits the mold of exactly what the Patriots want.
This weekend I went looking at apartments with the sportsfangirl and our Real Estate guy made a good point. Patrick said,
After winning a few Super Bowls, I’ve learned to just give the Patriots a pass. I’m sure they know what they’re doing. I mean, they make some moves that I’m not too sure about, but it always seems to work out. I’m sure this year won’t be any different.
This really got me thinking. Is Mike Vrabel’s playing career in the tank? Was Matt Cassel a fluke, a product of the system? Who knows for now. What I do know is that the increasing influx of young, cheap talent in New England assures me that even though we didn’t use our first two picks to select top notch linebackers, (My idea would have been to select both USC linebackers, Rey Maualuga 23rd and Clay Matthews 34th. Even if Matthews may have been gone at 34 since Maualuga went 26th, James Laurinitis would have been available at 34. Laurinitis, also a product of The Ohio State University would have been a carbon copy of Vrabel in his earlier seasons. But I’m not an NFL coach, so we’ll run with Patrick and give the Pats a pass on this one.) the picks we made were for a reason.
Hometown Heroes
The Patriots also selected B.J. Raji’s counterpart at Boston College, DT Ron Brace at #40 followed by UCONN Defensive Back, Darius Butler at #41. Staying with players close to home gives me that college recruiting feeling, but I’m definitely not one to be upset that our players are from the local areas.
Some other notables on and after draft day are that Defensive Back Ellis Hobbs is no longer a New England Patriot as well as Fullback Heath Evans. If Rodney Harrison in fact does retire, We could see Chung and Butler on the field a whole lot this season. For Bruce, we have a 1st Round defensive line, he’s going to be a career backup until someone retires.
The Aftermath
So what’s next? Without drafting a linebacker I know that the one move we’re all waiting for is still out there. After trading out of the first round and saving a ton of money like GEICO, welcome to New England, Julius Peppers, I can’t wait until the rumors about the deal come true!
