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Guregian: Dante Scarnecchia doesn't find Patriots first-round pick so Strange
Former Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia.
By Karen Guregian | karen.guregian@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald
The first call Friday morning went to Dante Scarnecchia.
Can't think of anyone better to try and talk some disgruntled Patriots fans and media types — present company included — off the ledge than the team's former legendary offensive line coach.
At the very least, Scarnecchia would provide some perspective about what went down on Day 1 for the Patriots. He'd make sense of Chattanooga guard Cole Strange being the apple of Bill Belichick's eye in the first round.
So what was the benefit of taking Strange, as opposed to a cornerback or linebacker who might have helped stop Josh Allen and the Bills offense, or perhaps an offensive playmaker who would have helped the Patriots keep up on the scoreboard?
Why use pick No. 29 on a guard?
Even though Scar didn't scout Strange, work him out, or have any inside intel about the kid, he didn't find it out-of-the-ordinary for the Patriots to "reach" for a lineman, first round or otherwise.
A quarterback needs to be protected up the middle, and Strange figures to have a role in keeping Mac Jones safe for several years to come.
"The thing about him as for any offensive lineman other than tackle, is that it's not a sexy pick, but it's one I'm sure they felt they really needed or they wouldn't have done what they did," said Scarnecchia, when reached Friday. "I'm sure they felt like they had a hole, they had to fill it, and this is the guy that was best suited to fill it.
"I've never seen the guy play, I don't know anything about him, but they obviously like him enough to do what they did to get him. Now they got nine more picks to hopefully give them the help that they need."
In other words, let's see what Belichick has up his sleeve, and who else he manages to bring in during Day 2 and Day 3.
The hope was Belichick could still add players who will make the defense more able to compete in today's game, while also adding to Jones' arsenal.
He attempted to do both on Day 2, adding Baylor receiver Tayquan Thornton, who has rare speed (4.28 in the 40) along with Houston cornerback Marcus Jones, a versatile playmaker who can play on both sides of the ball, and also comes with the handle of being the best return man in college football.
Thornton, who was taken in the second round, was projected as a fourth rounder, so the Patriots may have also over-drafted him, along with Strange. But the Patriots counter that it was important to land players they wanted for certain roles, no matter the round.
In terms of Strange, there's no question the guard position was among the long list of needs. The Patriots no longer have Ted Karras and Shaq Mason, two starters from last year.
And Strange projects as someone the Pats can plug-and-play at that position. That's an important factor. And it's not necessarily a surprise that Scarnecchia would find that as a silver lining.
It was just tough to swallow taking Strange instead of players in positions that have more impact in today's NFL.
Couldn't they have still gotten a worthy guard on Day 2 or Day 3, moving up with their stash of picks to assure getting Strange or whoever else, while snagging a much-needed corner Day 1?
Perhaps if Scarnecchia wasn't retired, and had been a part of making the pick — not to mention still coaching the line — it wouldn't seem like such a head-scratcher.
And, listening to the former offensive line guru, he probably would have given Belichick the thumbs up to make the pick based on all the traits Strange boasts in terms of his toughness, nastiness and intelligence.
Those attributes were universal on all scouting reports, and mesh with the type of linemen Scarnecchia typically gravitated towards when he ran the show.
"There's three traits I always look for. You have to be smart. Now look, there's levels of intelligence," he said. "I don't think the Wonderlic is the end all for measuring intelligence. How smart does a guy play? How well does a guy play and how well can he comprehend and then apply (what he's taught). So that all comes into it.
"Plus, he's gotta be tough. There's just no compromise on that. Now, there's levels of that, but there's not as many levels of it in my estimation. Does this guy really get after people? Is he tough internally, is he tough mentally? I think all of those things come into play. And then he's got to be athletic enough to play the position. Now this guy has supposedly played all five (offensive line) positions. That counts for something."
Strange does have some experience at both tackle and center, but he's projected as a guard in the pros.
One of the other elements that made Strange a curious pick was his age. He's 24. So his shelf life in the NFL might not be the longest. Teams are apt to shy away from older prospects for that reason.
Age, however, doesn't bother Scarnecchia.
"I don't think it's the end-of-the-world to have a 24-year-old first round draft choice," Scar said. "What's longevity or how much longevity anyone has? For me personally, I don't think it's such a big deal. He'll have a number of years that will be valuable years and we'll see how it all plays out."
In terms of being at an FCS school, Scarnecchia thought the competition Strange faced was fine. Plus, he also fared well at the Senior Bowl.
"For me, the No. 1 thing … if I was looking at this player, I'd try to find him against the very best competition that school played, and they played some teams that are pretty decent," Scarnecchia said. "The big indicator is the fact he played at the Senior Bowl, and acquitted himself very well there."
Bottom line, Scar endorsed the pick. Plus, he thought the view might change after Day 2 and 3. Well, the Pats did add some speed and playmaking ability on both sides of the ball, which was a must. We'll see what happens Day 3.
"I'm so far outside of the realm right now, but from everything I've heard, this is a very deep draft … I'd like to have nine more choices in a deep draft," he said, referring to the Pats haul. "And if you've done your work, you can get some value.
"If your evaluation process is thorough, which it is with Matt Groh running it, I'm sure they've done their homework on all these guys. Maybe with all of those picks, they'll trade up to get someone they really like. They might not have the gloss of the first 32 players, but they'll still be pretty good."
Bill Belichick
Cole Strange
Dante Scarnecchia
Karen Guregian | Sports Beat Columnist/Patriots
Karen Guregian has been a member of the Boston Herald sports staff since 1984, performing a variety of jobs. Since 2007, she's covered the Patriots full-time.
karen.guregian@bostonherald.com
Follow Karen Guregian @kguregian
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