With both teams originally set to select in the top 10 of the 2017 NFL Draft on Thursday night, the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills were in prime position to make their franchises better.
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Patriots traded this pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for defensive end Kony Ealy and a third round selection (No. 72 overall). Then coach/general manager Belichick traded up to No. 85 overall to draft the second player of the draft for them in offensive tackle Antonio Garcia. (Instead, they invest at the cheaper defensive tackle position.) Consequently, other than scantly used third-year pro Geneo Grissom, they have no true speedsters off the edge.
The Patriots’ first pick was the 83rd overall selection.
“[Derek] went to the best team in the NFL”, Dellovade said.
Lombardi called Belichick a “stock broker” and says he is “very analytical” when it comes to the draft. “He was like another father to me as far as when he came to Youngstown”, Rivers said.
It was quite a wait for anyone watching Friday night’s coverage of Rounds Two and Three of the 2017 NFL Draft, with fans in New England forced to wait a little longer after Bill Belichick did Belicick-like things on draft night.
He is the second-highest draft pick in school history behind the legendary Ron Jaworski who was picked 37th in 1973. Garcia is the 34 Troy player to be drafted.
“I’m not going to comment”, he said.
On Belichick, he said, “I love everything that he is and what he stands for and how he coaches, his demeanor”. He does a great job. The 6-foot-4, 233-pounder struggled last season for the Fighting Irish, but the Browns are intrigued with his size, arm and upside. The Patriots are the wild card in this week’s draft process.
The Patriots only have one pick which is their own.
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Garoppolo started the Patriots’ first two games of 2016 as Tom Brady served a four-game suspension as part of the Deflategate penalties. “I want to coach guys I want to be around and that’s it and I’m not going to coach anybody else'”.
