Why New England Patriots' selection of QB Bailey Zappe is lauded by former NFL GM

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There are quick-hit thoughts and notes about the New England Patriots and the National Football League.

1. One of the more compelling moments of the broadcast on the third day of the NFL draft was when the New England Pats selected Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe in the fourth round.

The host asked if anyone who follows the team would have been thinking: "Help me understand this pick, especially after selecting Mac Jones in the first round the year before, and with other notable needs, particularly on defense."

It sparked an insightful discussion with analysts Todd McShay and Louis Riddick, which covered how it can be good business to draft and develop quarterbacks.

Randy Muller, who was the general manager of the New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dolphins, was named the NFL Executive of the Year in 2000 while with the Saints. He was happy with the Zappe pick.

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I was not surprised. At that point in the draft, you are trying to identify players that are not seen. Bill Belichick and his crew have done a good job at that, across the board.

I see a lot of positives in Bailey Zappe. When you get to the third day of the draft, it is too much to turn your back on. I want to get the best group of players and not get good players to fill needs. I think Bailey was one of those guys.

All quarterbacks in the draft were studied by Mueller. Zappe was the fifth pick, but he was rated the second-best player by Mueller.

Everyone's criteria is always a little different, but what I saw is a guy who sees, anticipates and processes all from the pocket, combined with some accuracy and the ability to make all the throws because he has plenty of arm.

I am not looking for 6-foot tall quarterbacks, but he plays a lot bigger than that. I am not saying he is Drew Brees or Russell Wilson, but he trends more in that line because of his anticipation from the pocket.

In the year 2021, he completed 475 of 686 passes, with a 69.2% completion rate, for 5,967 yards, with 61 touchdown and 11 interceptions. He had moved to Western Kentucky from Houston Baptist.

The system Zappe ran, along with his production and skill set, made him so highly rated.

There is a leap of faith in the ability to process, to anticipate, to throw on time and to still be athletic enough to move within the pocket.

He throws with the right trajectory and touch. A lot of second- and third-level things he does, I have seen pro quarterbacks after four, five years not be able to do them. I think he is further along the learning curve than most people give him credit for.

2. When he worked as an analyst for the sports network, he visited the New England practice facility for the first time, and it was the first time he had gone to a training camp other than a club for which he worked. He saw one thing that made a difference.

I remember watching Tom Brady in Year 3 or 4 of his career, and his attention to detail with his footwork within the pocket. The fact that he was still working on that stuff stuck with him, and he changed his view when evaluating the position.

I think that is one of the things Tom doesn't get enough credit for, is the movement within the pocket. I saw some of that with Bailey.

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3. The best way to make a good first impression on a coach is to be at the team facility very early in the morning. It might have been necessary, as the three rookies left town later in the week to attend the NFLPA's annual premiere in California, an event that introduces top rookies to sponsors.

4. Who knew? Eli Manning told the crowd at the Sports Business Journal that he received a handwritten note from Robert Kraft five days after the Giants beat the Pats in the Super Bowl.

5. It would be fitting if Vince was honored at the halftime of the home opener against the Ravens. Wilfork said if there is one game that stands out in his career, it is the 23-20 win against Baltimore in the AFC Championship Game.

6. Perkins is a candidate to fill the void at outside linebacker that the Pats have. Perkins was buried on the depth chart behind Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, and others, which made him not appear in a regular-season game as a rookies. Steve Perkins, the outside linebackers coach, said that Belichick stayed in Foxborough to take a step forward and put himself in the best position to succeed.

All that matters at the end of the day is what happens when we put the pads on.

7. The trade of fifth- and seventh-round picks to acquire Wade from the Ravens last September gave him a fresh start, but he appeared in only three games as a reserve because of a combination of acclimating to a new system and injuries. Cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino said it was a fresh start for the 6-foot-1, 191-pound Wade, who is a longer guy with good quickness.

There is a wide-open competition at the corner that also includes Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, Jack Jones, and Terrance Mitchell, as well as the best guys that will play.

Wade is similar to Perkins at outside linebacker and is one of several under-the-radar offseason storylines for New England.

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There are 8. Why are the Dolphins opening the season against the Pats for the third year in a row? Miami requested to be on the road in Week 2 because of a Lady Gaga concert. They narrowed their opponent options to seven teams because of the increased odds of being at home opening week. The New England-Miami game in Week 1 of the 2020 season will not happen, despite the fact that the Pats were the pick when balancing other considerations.

There are 9. Walsh's legacy: Ross Douglas joined the Pats in 2021 with the official title of NFL coaching fellowship/defense, and he's worked with Troy Brown this spring. Douglas first met Kim when he took his taekwondo class as a 5-year-old, and he credits the New England director of skill development for helping him get his foot in the door. He credits the late Bill Walsh for the position being made possible through his diversity fellowship program.

Douglas said that it means everything to him. That is our gateway.

10. Did you know? The first two regular-season games of the New England Revolution will be played on the road, which is how the other four teams played last season. The 49ers and Broncos won their games, while the Cowboys and Vikings both lost.