The New England Patriots grabbed a replacement for Super Bowl hero-turned-scapegoat Malcolm Butler on Friday night with their only pick on the second day of the NFL draft.
A day after using their two first-rounders to pick a pair of Georgia Bulldogs for the offense Hank Aaron Jersey , the Patriots went back to the Southeastern Conference to select Florida cornerback Duke Dawson. The 5-foot-10, 197-pound Florida native led the Gators with four interceptions last season.
Butler had a pretty big interception of his own to clinch the 2014 NFL title. But in this year's game he was inexplicably benched even as Nick Foles threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns against the New England defense.
Butler's absence was never explained; he signed with Tennessee as a free agent.
"Malcolm Butler was a great player," Dawson said in a conference call with reporters. "He's one of the top corners in the league, in my opinion."
Director of player personnel Nick Caserio praised Dawson's versatility and competitiveness. He said they had looked at him a year ago, when Dawson was considering declaring for the draft early.
Dawson played in 48 games at Florida but only as a senior did he start every game.
"He may not have started but he's played a lot of football," Caserio said. "This guy has played a lot of football against a lot of good people and in a good program."
The Patriots picked offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn at No. 23 and Sony Michel at No. 31 on Thursday in the first round. They entered the second day of the draft with two second-round picks and one in the third, but then coach Bill Belichick began dealing.
In the afternoon, he sent the 95th overall pick to San Francisco for offensive lineman Trent Brown and a fifth-rounder next year. Belichick took the No. 43 selection, which New England obtained from the 49ers for Jimmy Garoppolo last year, to Detroit for Nos. 51 and 117.
Then he sent the No. 51 pick to Chicago for No. 105 and a second-rounder next year. And he sent the Patriots' own pick in the second round this year Chargers Cheap Jerseys , No. 63, along with the No. 117 to Tampa Bay for the 56th overall pick, which they used to select Dawson.
If nothing else, the trades made it nearly impossible for Belichick's critics to judge whether he got good value for Garoppolo, who had been the heir apparent to five-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady at quarterback.
With Brady playing at MVP level again last season at the age of 40 鈥?and looking over his shoulder at his replacement 鈥?Belichick shipped Garoppolo off to San Francisco midseason for a second-rounder. Garoppolo led the 49ers to five straight wins at the end of the season.
Asked if the dealing had the added advantage of making it difficult to pin any one player as the guy they got for Garoppolo, Caserio said, "You guys will parse that tomorrow. That's not our job."
DENVER — When Andrew Suarez starts Wednesday for the San Francisco Giants, he will try to help them avoid being swept by the Colorado Rockies and solidify his spot in the Giants’ changing rotation.
Colorado left-hander Tyler Anderson (5-3, 4.23 ERA) will oppose Suarez (3-4, 4.18).
Before his team lost 8-1 on Tuesday to the Rockies Cheap Su'a Cravens Jersey , Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced that Johnny Cueto will be reinstated from the 60-day disabled list to start Thursday against St. Louis and Jeff Samardzija will come off the 10-day disabled list and start Saturday against the Cardinals.
Cueto (elbow strain) went 3-0 with an 0.84 ERA in five starts for the Giants this season. His last start for the Giants came April 28, and he pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings in two rehab starts for Triple-A Sacramento.
“Johnny’s set to go,” Bochy said. “He passed all the tests, checked every box off. Been throwing the ball well. Hasn’t given up a run there. Bullpen (session Monday) went fine. Been hitting, bunting. I talked to Johnny. He said, ‘I’m ready to go. I feel better now than before (the injury).’ When you get one of your big guys ready to go, you pitch him.”
Bochy said Cueto would be limited to 85 pitches Thursday, and Derek Holland, if he doesn’t come out of the bullpen in the Rockies series, would back up Cueto.
Samardzija will pitch for the Giants for the first time since May 29. Bochy said that Dereck Rodriguez Youth Jaleel Scott Jersey , who was scheduled to pitch Thursday, will instead start Friday. Madison Bumgarner, of course, will take his regular turn Sunday. That leaves Suarez or Chris Stratton for the final spot in the rotation. Both pitchers have minor league options.
Suarez might have the advantage because he has pitched well lately. He went 2-0 in six June starts, and in his last outing Friday at Arizona, he allowed one run in six innings. Suarez made his Coors Field debut and first start against the Rockies on May 28 and allowed four runs (three earned) in five innings in a no-decision after heeding advice from catcher Buster Posey.
Suarez said, “I remember the last time we were, before my bullpen, Buster came up to me and he was like ‘As long as you keep throwing it right, it’ll be fine. But if you try too much Authentic Shaquem Griffin Jersey , that’s the problem you’ll have. Your stuff isn’t as good.’ I just made sure to just throw it normal.”
Meanwhile, Stratton gave up a career-high 11 hits and a career-high eight runs in 5 2/3 innings Tuesday. In his past six starts, Stratton is 1-3 with a 5.79 ERA.
Anderson threw a career-high eight scoreless innings with one walk and eight strikeouts Wednesday at Los Angeles in a 3-1 win over the Dodgers. Anderson is 2-2 with a 2.70 ERA in his past five starts with six walks and 32 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings. He’s 0-2 with a 5.56 ERA in four career starts against the Giants, including a no-decision May 20 at AT&T Park where he gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings as the Rockies lost 9-5.
The Rockies have won 14 of their past 16 games from the Giants (45-42) at Coors Field. The Rockies (43-43) have climbed back to .500 by winning five of their past six games. They have been getting outstanding starting pitching, the latest effort being seven scoreless innings Tuesday from Antonio Senzatela in his first start this season for the Rockies.
The Colorado starters have pitched well in six of the past eight games, going 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA in that stretch and allowing 12 earned runs and 31 hits in 50 1/3 innings with 11 walks and 41 strikeouts.
“We’re only going to go as far as they do,” Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado said. “They’re pitching great. They’re giving the offense a chance. Quick innings, which is huge.”
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