Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
A loooooooooooooong afternoon finally ticks toward the moment we've all been waiting for. Here's how it unfolded for the local gridiron gang:
4:32pm NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell steps to the podium and announces; “With the 23rd pick in the first round, the Kansas City Chiefs select Dwayne Bowe, Wide Receiver, LSU.” And with that, the New England Patriots are on the clock.
The Brady Quinn saga has dominated the draft up to this point, but the Pats, the only team with two first rounders, take center stage now with two of the next five selections. As stated earlier, I’ll keel over in shock if they keep both.
4:35pm The ESPN crew begins what will soon become an intolerable discussion on what the Patriots need/want/should do. Don’t get me wrong. I love the draft. But this thing seems to get longer every year…no reason on god’s green earth why the first round should take so long.
4:38pm Conversation switches to Browns GM Phil Savage. Romeo Crennel’s boss had a good day today, snaring a stud O-Lineman at #3 and still getting Quinn at #22. Yes, they gave up a lot to the Cowboys, but they also saved a ton of money on what the Notre Dame QB would have cost them at the top of the draft. Still waiting for some serious discussion on names the Pats should consider at this point.
4:45pm Finally, a list of names to consider. So why do I get the feeling none of them is on the Belichick/Pioli board? Either that or I vote for the Miami TE.
4:47pm P.S. Jets fans booed the Commish as he walked to the podium to announce the Pats pick. Don’t hate on us folks. You know you want to be like us!
Brandon Meriweather, Safety, Miami: the fourth safety selected so far today. (Meriweather's profile on NFL.com)
The position is no surprise. The player perhaps is. To the non-draftknicks, Meriweather is best remembered for his role in the famous Miami-East Carolina brawl. He also has a gun issue in his background (oh no, not another Sebastian Telfair), though that had something to do with firing at a guy who killed his roommate.
I like Chris Mortenson’s point that the Bengals couldn’t have gotten away with that selection, but the Patriots could. That’s what happens when a strong leader builds a great environment. You can take a chance on a talent that’s slipped a bit in the draft because your veterans can probably keep him in line.
5:16pm Almost forgot the Sox-Yankees game is going on. Too lazy to change the channel, so a quick glance at StatTracker shows me a scoreless game in the 4th. My fantasy team, on the other hand, has a 7-3 advantage. Did I mention I love the internet?
5:21pm The Saints make their choice at #27, putting New England back on the clock. In the interim, I noticed Posada just homered. 2-0 Yanks. Did I mention how much I hate the internet? LOL!
5:30pm Restaurant is getting busy a bit earlier than usual. Either that, or this damn draft is really dragging. Gonna have to say buh-bye as soon as the Pats pick. Anyone expecting detailed analysis of what they do should tune elsewhere. Then again, they probably already have.
5:32pm There’s a shock! A trade. San Francisco gets the pick. Just as I (and everyone else) suspected, New England will not draft twice in the first round.
Pats get Niners first rounder in 2008, plus a 4th rounder this year. I think San Fran is on the right track, but I’m willing to bet next year’s pick will be better than #28, so it’s an apparent improvement for the locals, whose own pick next year could very well be #32. For you slow pokes out there, that’s the pick the Super Bowl winner is awarded.
Have a good night!
What are your thoughts on what the Patriots have done so far? Can Meriweather be kept under control? Was there a different player out there you'd rather have seen them grab? Should they have kept the second pick and grabbed more immediate help?