Cordarrelle Patterson Feels Dissed By Belichick
BOSTON (CBS) -- Cordarrelle Patterson channeled his inner Rodney Dangerfield on Thursday afternoon, feeling a little disrespected by something Patriots head coach Bill Belichick never actually said.
The Patriots had a chance to draft the speedy wide receiver at the end of the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Instead, they shipped the 29th overall pick to Minnesota and received four draft picks in return.
The two teams will square off on Sunday, so Patterson took the opportunity to share his feelings on the trade, saying he'd like to show Belichick what he missed out on when he opted to deal that pick rather than draft the wideout.
"I've seen a little article today where Belichick, I think he said he didn't want me," Patterson told reporters on Thursday. "So that's the kind of things that stick in the back of a player's head. And you get out there, you just want to beat the defense up since people say things like that."
Belichick, never one to give the opposition any bulletin board material, didn't actually said he didn't want Patterson. When discussing the trade on a conference call with the Minnesota media, he explained that there were "a lot of good players" available at that point in the draft, and he chose to trade down because that move was "best for our team."
With the four picks they received from Minnesota, the Patriots drafted starting linebacker Jamie Collins (52nd overall), cornerback Logan Ryan (83rd overall) and receiver Josh Boyce (102nd overall), who is now on the team's practice squad. With the seventh round pick they received in the deal, they acquired running back LeGarrette Blount, who was a key contributor late in 2013 but is now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As for his thoughts on Patterson, Belichick has had nothing but nice things to say about the receiver leading up to their Sunday showdown.
"Patterson is obviously an explosive guy," the Pats head coach said on Wednesday. "You see that in the return game. He's a deep threat. He's dangerous with the ball in his hands, whether you hand it to him or throw it to him on a short pass. He's a dangerous catch-and-run guy, and he's also a vertical guy.
"He's a strong player, kind of like [Adrian] Peterson – big, strong, hard to tackle, good speed, at a different position," Belichick added.
Belichick knows what Patterson brings to the field, and his defense will show him plenty of respect on Sunday following his Week 1 performance against the St. Louis Rams, when he ran for 103 yards and a touchdown on three carries.
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