Quote:
Originally Posted by PatriotReign
All was forgiven with the Eugene Chung, Reggie Dupard, Chris Canty, et al blockbuster picks in later years.
|
The Chung pick was my favorite, in terms of comedic mismanagement. The Pats had the 8th overall pick. OT was their primary need. There were 4 OT's on the board at pick 8 with a first round grade -- Bob Whitfield, Leon Searcy, Ray Roberts and Eugene Chung. Pats trade down with Atlanta to #19. Atlanta takes Whitfield at 8.
Suddenly, Roberts and Searcy get snapped up at #10 and 11. The Patriots panic -- what if all the 1st round OT's get taken before pick 19? The Pats "brain trust" then proceeds to trade
up, getting fleeced by Jimmy Johnson in the process, so that they can take Chung.
After the draft, a local writer asked Dick McPherson if Chung had been their top choice among the 4 OT's. I'll never forget his response: "Wouldn't it be nice if we could say that?" Classic. And that's the pre-Kraft Patriots in a microcosm.
