TMC

Something I was thinking about......

I was reading this article:
http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nfl...ike&id=5023036

While reading it, I began to think about Colbert and something that I had a hunch about but really had not given any in depth thought about....but let me post an exert from that article before I get on to my thoughts....
Could the "Shonn Greene Effect" be a major factor in the New England Patriots' draft this year? It was a question to ponder after listening to Bill Belichick at the NFL owners meetings Tuesday.
Last year, one of the best draft decisions came when the New York Jets traded up to select Greene with the opening pick of the third round. A key factor was that the Jets weren't on the clock while making the trade, as the first two rounds had been completed, allowing them the overnight and early morning to formulate their plan to target Greene without the pressure of the moment bearing down on them.
"I think the emotion dies down and you sleep on it," Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said Tuesday at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. "We decided we'd make one call to Detroit because of the value he had on our board, and if the price was right, we would go ahead and do it."
If not for the overnight break and early-morning restacking of the draft board, Tannenbaum doubts the Jets would have made the trade for Greene, even though he was, by far, their highest-rated player at that point.It took an aggressive sales job from coach Rex Ryan and top personnel men Joey Clinkscales and Terry Bradway the next morning to convince Tannenbaum to make the move.
So how does the Jets' trade up for Greene -- the impressive running back who totaled 540 yards in the 2009 regular season -- apply to the Patriots this year?
Belichick made the point Tuesday that trades in the draft are often most active after an overnight break -- and this year's first break comes before the second round, a round in which the Patriots have three selections.


Now, we have witnessed a good bit of hit and miss from Colbert in the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the draft. I always felt he did okay in the 4th and then dropped off some again as it tailed down, but I never really gave much thought to it. Then, I read about teams re-stacking draft boards overnight, which really is not an epiphany on its own, but when you start to look at Colbert's picks in relation to the overnight break...I think it shows something. Before I list the picks, I think I need to state that Colbert has not drafted a pure bust in the first round. While some will argue Timmons or someone else, they all started at some point. They have all played at a level that would, at least, be average.

Now, I also need to point out that last year the draft was 2 rounds on the first day and the rest on the 2nd day. In previous seasons, it was 3 rounds on the first day and the rest on the 2nd. The guys Colbert drafted in the 3rd Round/1st pick AFTER the night off are: Kraig Urbik, Mike Wallace, Keenan Lewis, Tony Hills, Dan Sepulveda, Willie Colon, Ike Taylor, and Larry Foote.

Now, Wallace has already shown he was a find. Sepulveda is the starting punter. Colon, Taylor, and Foote were all starters on a Super Bowl winning team.

In fact, it could be argued that Colbert has drafted better with his first round and round directly after a break than he has in any other round of the NFL draft.

Why is this important? Because you now have 2 breaks, one after the first round and one after the third round.