Belichick defends picks while repping a Watertown PD hoodie with cutoff sleeves

Still a boss

Bill Belichick gave a news conference last night to talk about the draft picks he'd just made. This time Bill changed things up a little bit with his wardrobe. Yes, don't worry, he worse a hoodie still. However, this one was a special Watertown police department edition. As you all well know, the marathon bombing suspects were killed/caught in Watertown last week. Bill commented on his wardrobe last night:

"To support the Watertown Police. That was an unbelievable job they did," he said. "I’m sure we all followed it, followed as closely as we could. Just supporting people that protect our safety and our freedom – the police, the military. That’s what makes it all possible to do what we do. [I’m] behind them all the way."

Here's three other takeaways from the other stuff Bill said.

1. Personality and Communication highlights for the DBs

The Patriots used both their third round selections on Rutgers defensive backs - CB Logan Ryan and S Duron Harmon. Harmon was a head scratcher, but Ryan is a highly praised pick. As Belichick points out, Rutgers had a good defense and he does know those players very well (indicating maybe Belichick overruled everyone on the Harmon pick?)

"And of course the two Rutgers DBs – that was a very good defensive unit that they had last year, over the past few years actually, but especially last year," said Belichick". "Of course Logan [Ryan] had a very productive year outside and Duron [Harmon] inside. I know that whole group, but especially those guys, are close. They communicated well, played well. Both were very productive, both defensively and in the kicking game, solid guys. We’ve had a number of our players here comment on their personal characteristics, so I think we're getting some high quality guys there as well as good football players."

Communication is what stands out to me here. That's been a huge problem in the Patriots secondary. Having two players that were able to play and communicate well together in a stout unit has to be a plus. Still, the problem with Harmon is more where he was taken than how good he'll be.

For what it's worth. Here's what Belichick had to say about any advantages to drafting guys on the same team.

"I don’t know. I don’t know."

Thanks Bill.

2. The second, third and fourth is the sweet spot in this draft

Echoing what all the draft experts were saying heading into the draft, Belichick acknowledged that depth.

"I think there was a lot of depth in the third round," said Belichick. "I think there are lot of interesting prospects that are still on the board. I think there’s plenty of quality in that second, third, fourth round where we were. Not that there wasn’t in the first as well, but I think it was maybe more evenly spread out."

Of course, this is interesting because the Patriots traded out of that first round to pick up more picks in that "sweet spot". By doing so, the team probably felt they got a better value. Without the trade with the Vikings, the Patriots miss out on Jamie Collins.

3. Aaron Dobson is a very smart receiver, that is HUGE

Anyone remember Chad Ochocinco? Recently the Patriots have been a place that wide receivers go to die. Ocho and Lloyd are the most recent examples of that as neither have jobs now.

The Patriots offense is very complicated. From the way Brady has explained it, wide receivers will have to change their routes on the fly based on how they read what the defense is doing. It's not as simple as like in say, Madden, when you just pick a play and receiver go from point A to point B.

So, what Belichick says about Aaron Dobson is very big.

"I’d say all of them. You talk to him about what he did. He can explain the techniques, his assignments, what other guys are doing at Marshall," said Belichick. "We’d look at things that we did, then come back and talk about them. He remembered how we did them, how we call them, things like that. He’s a pretty intelligent guy. He has good recall of what [Marshall] did. He had a good understanding and grasp of learning, taking new information, processing that and being able to understand it and apply it. Tell him something and then see a play a few plays later and say, ‘What would you do on this play if they did this, they did that’? There’s different ways to measure all that, but he’s a pretty impressive kid. He’s a mature kid. He’s pretty smart."

One of the biggest compliments Belichick constantly paid to Randy Moss was how smart of a football player he was. I remember Jabar Gaffney talking about how he would watch film with Moss, and all of the things Moss was saying would be exactly what Josh McDaniels would be telling them when the offense met the next day.

Of course, Dobson might be almost as big as Moss and have gone to the same school as him, but he's not Moss. Still, the fact that he shows a great understanding of football could have him going a long way in the Patriots system. Of course, he'd be one of the first receivers to do that after being drafted by the Pats.

Transcripts via ESPNBoston