Patriots Flag Football: Alec's Fourth Pick

Half of the draft is in the books, and so far, our four teams couldn't be any more different. The main difference, of course, is that my team is already significantly better than everyone else's.

Entering into the latter half of the draft with all four of our teams slowly starting to take shape, it is becoming increasingly important that I start rounding out my team. As you may remember, I could have cared less about actually building a cohesive squad last year when it was just Greg and I drafting, as I was able to focus almost entirely on collecting as much talent as possible and relying on the sheer athleticism of my guys to compensate for any lack of unity they may have had. However, with an extra two teams drafting this year, that strategy becomes significantly less effective, as much of the elite talent on the Patriots is already off the board at this point. So, in order to compensate for the extra GMs clamoring for my crown, I had to switch things up by finding a balance of raw talent, athleticism, versatility, and experience that will ensure that nobody else's name goes on the hypothetical trophy but mine.

Now I'd be lying if I said I didn't have Aaron Dobson slated as my 4th rounder back when we first started selecting players; it's at the point in the draft where the potential rewards outweigh the risks and question marks that come with him. However, I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't also assuming that by the time the 4th round came around, the guy I'm taking instead would be long gone, so I'm absolutely thrilled to see him still on the board. My team is already loaded with speed, athleticism, and versatility, so now it's time to add a little size, muscle, awareness, leadership, and experience. Welcome to the winning side, Adrian Wilson.

As proud as I am of my draft so far, I think that grabbing Wilson in the 4th round may be my best move yet. He's the absolute perfect balance of size, strength and speed for a flag football game; at At 6'3 and 230 pounds, Wilson has plenty of meat on his bones, but still has the agility and quickness to wreak havoc all over the field. Contrary to what Richard Hill may think, having a whole bunch of lumbering behemoths on your squad isn't a recipe for success; however, getting some size on your roster is crucial if you want to make an impact, and I think that Wilson makes for an excellent bigger player who can still chase down receivers, grab flags, and stuff runners. Granted, he's not young anymore, and he may have lost a step or two in terms of speed, but all that means is that he's gone from really, really fast to just plain fast.

Oh, and the man can jump as well.

In the cutthroat world of flag football, Wilson is just the kind of guy I need to give my team some teeth. Furthermore, with Slater and McCourty already on board, I don't need breakaway speed out of Wilson. I just need someone who can function as a tight end, assert a presence over the middle, run block, chip potential blitzers, and catch the ball up the seam. I have full confidence that Wilson will be able to fit the bill there nicely. I can line him up in close, out wide, or keep him at home next to Tommy B if need be. Worst case scenario is I send Wilson out on a short hook route and allow him to use his strength and on-field awareness to make the play. He's a slam dunk as my 3rd or 4th receiver here, and his size and power makes him a threat in the blocking game as well.

Obviously, Wilson is better known for his abilities on the other side of the ball. Good thing, too, because up until the Wilson pick, my defense was my weak spot. However, now that I have my on-field leader and defensive team captain signed on, I think that my D is really starting to come together. Ideally, I'll line Wilson up in the Mike linebacker slot in order to allow him to see the whole field, read the offense, and get everyone lined up accordingly. You can't teach experience, and having a savvy 12 year veteran on board to motivate his squad and make sure everyone is where they need to be can only make my defense stronger. Obviously, he can also play safety without batting an eye, and as a press cover man I could do a whole lot worse. I can honestly think of three or four formations, both offensively and defensively, off the top of my head right now that will utilize Wilson in any number of ways.

It almost feels like I'm fishing with dynamite at this point. Your move, Knopping.