Off-season issues for the World Champs
2004 NFL Draft Mailbag
May 30, 2004
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com
Reader feedback is always welcomed here at DraftKing.com. Send your thoughts to me at LouPickney@gmail.com.
From: LeBronJames44@***.com
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2004 6:21 PM
To: Lou Pickney
Subject: (no subject)
I saw your latest mock and Edwards at pick 31 is CRAZY!!! but here are my questions
1.) Will Patriots trade Law for first round pick next year?
2.) If Dillon falters and really does bad will pats consider a RB in round 1?, like a T.A McClendon?
Lou: I plan to move Braylon Edwards up in my next draft re-ranking. I'll go ahead and give him the benefit of the doubt, for now, since this looks to be a lean year for WR prospects... He'll have the chance to prove himself on the field this fall. But I'm still not sold on him as a high end pick.
As for Ty Law, according to the Boston Globe, his salary cap number is a whopping $10,206,965. Unloading that will require a team with not only the room to take it, but also the willingness to part with a first rounder to get a 30-year-old cornerback in the process. That's not to discount Law's abilities, but unloading that huge salary via trade or a cut would deliver a hard hit to the Pats on the cap (since the final two years of his signing bonus would go from being pro-rated to counting all against the cap this year).
My prediction? Law sticks around in 2004, then the Pats will unload him after June 1, 2005. If Law sits out, then the Pats can start issuing fines, which Law doesn't want. The Patriots didn't take a CB until the 7th round of this year's draft, so they need Law in there to bolster the secondary. Put together the angle of them going for another title, and the fact that Law is earning TEN MILLION this year, and I think all will end well for them.
As for Dillon faltering, I doubt that'll happen, but hypothetically speaking I think that Cedric Cobbs (RB out of Arkansas) could fill the void quite well. He was a steal as a fourth rounder, and he will provide depth and could someday be New England's starter at RB.
