The New England Patriots knew that Aaron Hernandez had plenty of off-field issues before they drafted him in 2010. There’s a reason — or several — that Hernandez was a first-round talent who fell to the fourth round. So why did Bill Belichick and company take the chance?
Before we answer that, it should be noted that no one could have anticipated Hernandez being convicted of murder. As for the weed issue and whispers of gang affiliation while at Florida, Belichick was reportedly assured by his close friend Urban Meyer that Hernandez had straightened out his act.
Greg Bedard of The MMQB recently spoke to former Patriots senior football advisor Floyd Reese, and Reese said Meyer “convinced” Belichick to take a chance on Hernandez.