New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick Shocked Many People by Moving up in 2012 NFL Draft
When the New England Patriots traded up in last week’s NFL draft to pick Syracuse Orange defensive End Chandler Jones it was somewhat of a surprise move for the Patriots.
Four picks later when Bill Belichick and the Pats traded up to get Alabama inside linebacker Dont’a Hightower just about every fan and so-called draft expert raised their eyebrows.
The consensus amongst Patriot fans and draft analysts going into the draft was that the Pats would use one their first round picks at the most and then trade down into the second round. This was a fair perception to have considering New England’s track record of doing this in many of their previous drafts. The team likes to trade out of the first round to acquire more picks, while still having the option to obtain similarly valued players at the same time.
If I were a betting man (fortunately I’m not) I would have had some serious doubts about the Patriots moving up in the draft once never mind twice. Maybe trading up in the draft was Belichick’s strategy from the get go.
Whatever the case may have been, Belichick put his best poker face on during the draft and the days leading up to the event. The New England coach is legendary for playing Columbo when it comes to drafting players, game plans or just team strategies in general.
Whether or not Belichick was playing the field or if the right players just fell the Patriots way at the right time is up for debate. One thing that is for certain is that the Patriots are always unpredictable on during the draft.
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