Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Apparently, Ricky Gervais isn’t the only one running around Massachusetts telling lies. However, unlike the British actor/director, Patriots coach Bill Belichick isn’t trying to score beautiful movie starlets. He’s trying to keep gridiron stars from scoring on him.

In case you missed it, when asked if the Pats specifically targeted defense in the 2008 NFL draft, here’s the whopper New England’s football fabricator told the media masses:

“No, we went into it open minded. We really did. We certainly wanted to get younger and faster on defense, but I have been saying that for the six years. This has been really since the 2001 season. We just had some opportunities here the way things fell that there were players that fell into that category. Whether it be linebackers or defensive backs.”

Sure coach. The check’s in the mail, too, right?

Belichick asking us to believe he drafted defense strictly by chance is like a film director telling us the movie ending wasn’t known until it evolved naturally from the actors’ dialogue. We’re supposed to believe the man who leaves nothing to chance on the gridiron went into this past weekend without an ending in mind? Puh-lease. The Patriots draft plan was more scripted than a presidential candidate during a televised debate.

In desperate need of youth and speed at linebacker and cornerback, the Pats traded down and took Linebacker Jerod Mayo in the first round and Cornerback Terrence Wheatley in the second. New England’s final draft tally reads 3-LB’s and 2-CB’s out of seven selections. As if that isn’t enough proof, they actually traded UP in the third round to nab Michigan linebacker Shawn Crable.

Nah, no conscious effort to draft defense at all. Purely coincidental that every one of them was the best available player on the board at the time.

Hey, I may have been born at night, but it wasn’t last night. I’ve seen Belichick and Scott Pioli grab the best available player in the past, even when that player happens to play a position there doesn’t appear to be a need at. Anybody remember April of 2004? That’s when New England’s two first round picks were used on defensive lineman Vince Wilfork and tight end Ben Watson, despite defensive lineman Ty Warren being the first round selection in 2003 and tight end Daniel Graham in 2002.

Sorry coach, what you did this year wasn’t coincidence. It was strategy. Good strategy (at least I think so), but strategy nonetheless.

Which brings up my second point: I hope Belichick was more truthful with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell when asked to come clean about his videotaping exploits. Because if Matt Walsh produces any film whatsoever of the St. Louis Rams in New Orleans circa February 2002, there might be a new guy coaching those new draft choices.

Mind you, I ‘m not sure such a tape exists. Perhaps its wishful thinking or naiveté, but if Walsh had taped the Rams pre-Super Bowl walkthrough, my hunch is we’d have seen a clip by now.

What I do know for sure is that if such a tape exists and the Patriots claim their former video assistant did the filming without authorization from above (which is what they appear to be setting up with this whole Walsh secretly taped conversations with Pioli thing), there isn’t a person outside New England who’s going to believe them.

Not even Jennifer Garner or any other residents in the mythical movie town where nobody lies.

What are your thoughts on the Patriots draft or what will come of Matt Walsh’s meeting with the commissioner?