Trojan Horse: An Interview with Keith Rivers

For years Patriots fans have been searching for youth and playmaking at the inside linebacker position. Depending on what happens tomorrow at the 2008 NFL Draft, the loyal Patriots fans might have found their guy. USC Trojan linebacker and projected Top 10 Pick tomorrow Keith Rivers was kind enough to sit down and answer a few questions for NE Patriots Draft readers.

NE Patriots Draft: What did the Patriots coaching staff put you through during your visit?

Rivers: I spent most of my time watching film with Coach Belichick, Coach Pees and Coach Patricia. We watched the Cal game and went through my thoughts on each play from beginning to end. We also chatted about my background and what my time was like at USC. After spending time with Coach Pees and Coach Belichick, Coach Patricia and I went into another meeting room and watched the Arizona and Notre Dame games. After watching those films we went over some base alignments that the Pats run and where I'd fit in the scheme.

NE Patriots Draft: Where do you and the coaches think you would fit in the Pats 3-4 scheme?

Rivers: In their scheme there are two outside backers where Vrabel and Thomas play then in the inside they have two backers where Tedy and Junior play. I would fit in the scheme as an inside backer where Tedy and Junior play.

NE Patriots Draft: How do you feel about shedding guards inside? Would Vince Wilfork help you out there?

Rivers: I'm excited for the change to take on guards on the next level and I think playing with Vince would be great and would help me out a lot.

NE Patriots Draft: Describe playing for Pete Carroll.

Rivers: Playing for Coach Carroll has been great. He's thought me and the rest of the SC players how to compete at the highest level. At SC he's prepared us to take that next step by having us play an NFL style defense. Coming from FL to CA is tough, but when you have a coach like Coach Carroll and the other coaches like Ken Norton, Nick Holt, Rocky Seto and Chris Charlie it makes it easier.

NE Patriots Draft: What will you be doing on Draft day?

I will be with my family and friends, but my draft day can been seen at Yardbarker.com as soon as it all happens. I am looking forward to sharing the experience with all the fans.

NE Patriots Draft: Thanks for stopping by Keith, and good luck tomorrow!

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Vince Wilfork on Draft Day

Each year, tons of fans and friends get together to watch the draft, hopeful that this year will be the one that everything falls into place. For others, Draft Day can mean a whole lot more. Vince Wilfork was kind enough to chat with us at NE Patriots Draft for a while before this year's big day.

NE Patriots Draft: What was your experience like on Draft Day? Were you excited to go to the Patriots?

Vince: Draft day was an amazing experience. It was a little nerve wracking when I didn't get to go where I thought I was going in the draft. But everything happens for a reason. I went to a great team and won a superbowl my rookie year.

NE Patriots Draft: Could you tell our readers a little bit about your draft day Fundraiser?

Vince: My draft day fundraiser was started when I was drafted. it was a way for me to open up the experience to the fans and the public. It was a great event. I used that event as a way to help other people avoid going what I went through when I lost my father to diabetes. So all of the funds raised went to the Diabetes research institute. Since then I have been doing the event every year. This will be my fifth year and what I hope to be our best year. Last year we raised over $40,000.00 for the cause and we hope to pass that this year. You can get information and buy tickets at http://www.pinzbowl.com/ and for any one who wants to donate they can email me at fans@vincewilfork75.com for more information.

NE Patriots Draft: What type of skill set do the Patriots look for when drafting/acquiring guys to play behind you? Does their ability to shed guards matter more than speed?

Vince: The Patriots know what they are doing trust me. They want someone who is a complete package but they have to be stout in the middle.

NE Patriots Draft: Are there any fellow players from "The U" this year that could be Patriots?

Vince: I am not sure the Patriots have their game plan set up and every year we try to figure it out and just give up because what we think never happens. But I would love another hurricane to be on the field with me.

NE Patriots Draft: What is the best part of the off-season? The worst?

Vince: The best part of the off season is being able to spend time with my wife and kids. I miss so much of their lives while in season., The worst part would be that it doesn't last too long.

NE Patriots Draft: What are you looking forward to most in the 2008 season?

Vince: I am ready to get back with my guys and move forward, It is a new season we all start off at 0-0 .

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Exclusive Interview with NFL Draft Guru Rick Gosselin

Cubism had Picasso, the piano had Mozart. The virtuoso of the NFL Draft doesn't reside in Bristol, New York, or Los Angeles, he lives in Dallas, Texas. Rick Gosselin has received the top scores over the last three years for both the first-round mock draft and the Top 100 draft prospects list. Rick was kind enough to spend some time talking with NE Patriots Draft:

NE Patriots Draft: What brought you to covering the NFL draft? What interests you most about the process?

Gosselin: I became the NFL writer for the Dallas Morning News in 1992 and, as part of my job, the newspaper asked me then to grade drafts. If I was going to be fair in assigning grades to teams, I needed to know what I was talking about. So I started pouring myself into researching players and creating my own draft board. I talk to NFL talent evaluators and try to build a board that reflects the league consensus at each position. My network of sources has grown over the last 18 years. Obviously, the more information you can collect, the smarter you can look. That said, mock drafts are mostly luck. If there's one trade or one surprise pick, especially early in the round,the board takes off in a different direction. I always felt if you could score direct hits on 8-12 picks (of the 32) you had a good mock. But I put more stock in how I fare on my Top 100 board than on my mock. The Top 100 runs on the Friday before the draft both in the Dallas Morning News and on our website dallasnews.com. That's a truer indication of if you have a handle on the draft -- more so than accurately identifying a dozen of the first 32 players in a 255-pick draft. What interests me and challenges me the most is starting from scratch every February and trying to figure out where a whole new class of players fits in a draft.

NE Patriots Draft: We know you don't want to give away your secrets, but what makes your mock drafts more successful than others on a consistent basis?

Gosselin: I talk to the people that evaluate talent for a living. I'm a writer, not a scout. I can't tell you the difference between Matt Ryan and Brian Brohm. But NFL talent evaluators know the difference, so I talk to them. Their input allows me to build a fairly accurate draft board. I'll research 500 players leading up to the draft (200-plus players won't even be drafted) and try to build a a board that reflects the value of each player. Then when I do my mock I try to match up the value at the pick with the need of the team.

NE Patriots Draft: In your first mock draft, you have the Patriots taking Vernon Gholston. What do you make of the reports that he is this year's Mike Mamula?

Gosselin: There are no sure things in any draft, be it the first overall pick or the 255th pick. You find that the higher a player is on the draft board, the more he gets criticized and picked apart leading up to the draft. No one cares that a pass rusher from Emporia State in the sixth round might be the next Mike Mamula. But put that label on a guy who got 14 sacks at Ohio Stateand folks will pay attention. Gholston also might be the next Hugh Douglas. History says a guy who collected 14 sacks at Ohio State should be a pretty good player. He also has the measurables the NFL likes, which is why he sits near the top of the draft board with the label best pass rusher in the draft. I gave him to the Patriots in my first mock because I thought he was a terrific value at the seventh overall pick.

NE Patriots Draft: Do you feel like the new drug information will hurt the stock of prospects like Manningham, Jackson, and Talib?

Gosselin: It depends how accurate the information is. In today's NFL, teams research the backgrounds of players as much off the field as they do on the field. Sure, past drug issues can impact a player's draft standing. So can past injuries. Each team trusts what it has researched on its own in terms of character issues, not what it might read in a newspaper, hear on the radio or see on television. By and large, teams have already researched those problems before they ever become public knowledge.

NE Patriots Draft: Thanks for your time Rick.

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