Pats Draft Day 3 - still dealing…
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Trader Bill still loves to wheel and deal.
Opening up the third and final day of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick dealt running back and kick returner Jeff Demps to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with a 7th round draft choice. In return, the Patriots picked up running back LeGarrette Blount.
Demps spent the entire 2012 season with New England on injured reserve with an injured knee. The hope had been for his world-class speed (he runs and trains with USA Track & Field) to develop on the football field as well, as the Pats signed him out of Florida to a three-year contract that included more than $200K in guaranteed money. His decision to run track again this year could have played a part in the decision to trade him. Tampa showed interest in Demps following the London Olympics, but he signed with the Patriots instead.
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Blount rushed for 1007 yards as a rookie in 2010, but was replaced in the Bucs' backfield this past year by Doug Martin. Tampa Bay re-signed him to a $1.25 million deal last month to retain his services, and now, to trade him in order to get something in return. The move also shows continued fluidity in the pipeline between New England and Tampa, following the Patriots' re-signing of former Buc Aqib Talib, and the drafting of two former Greg Schiano players at Rutgers, Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon.
As for the draft selections Saturday, the Pats took TCU WR Josh Boyce with their 4th round pick, 102nd overall. Boyce is 5-11, 206 pounds and runs a 4.38 40-yard dash...good speed and size to compete with 2nd rounder Aaron Dobson and the rest of the receiving corp for potential playing time.
With one less pick in the 7th round, but still holding two - Illinois DE/OLB Michael Buchanan was taken at #226 overall. At 6-5, 255 pounds, Buchanan was named the Fighting Illini top defensive player last season, with 12 QB sacks over the past two years. Buchanan might have slipped a bit for the Pats to pick him up where they did, as he was viewed largely as a 3rd or 4th round pick by most pre-draft publications.
And completing the 2013 draft, the Patriots dipped into that Rutgers pipeline one final time, taking Rutgers LB Steve Beauharnais with their 2nd selection of the 7th round, the 235th overall pick. The third player taken from the Scarlet Knights' program by New England, Beauharnais is 6-1, 240 pounds and projected as primarily an inside linebacker, with some flexibility to move outside.
