FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots are once again attempting to kick down the door that leads to the Super Bowl, so they picked a player in the NFL Draft who knows how to stomp the hell out of people.

And shoot a gun.

Brandon Meriweather is a risky pick for the Pats, but there's no doubting his talent. (Getty Images)

This means he is perfect for professional football.

If the Patriots' new pick could have only thrown in a little armed robbery during his Miami Hurricanes days, he would be the ideal NFL triple threat.

You might remember safety Brandon Meriweather. He made almost every highlight show in the country because of an infamous, historic brawl last season between the Hurricanes and Florida International University that led to brief suspensions of numerous players, including Meriweather.

Meriweather was caught by cameras stomping a defenseless FIU player at least three times in what was a vicious act of overkill hooliganism. While at Miami, Meriweather was also involved in a gun incident. When a Miami player was shot near his off-campus house in what Hurricanes players described as a robbery attempt, Meriweather allegedly returned fire with his own semiautomatic gat. Police said Meriweather's actions were legal.

(In fairness to Meriweather, in the state of Florida, where there are approximately 15.2 trillion guns, simply shooting at someone is considered foreplay.)

A teammate being shot in the ass, and another returning fire, was met with casualness from fellow Hurricanes at the time. Former Meriweather teammate Kyle Wright told the media that at least Meriweather didn't "bring a knife to a gunfight."

I love that quote.

But since Meriweather went to Miami, are we sure he didn't bring a gun and a knife to the gunfight?

Despite Meriweather's baggage, and their limited selections, this was still another excellent first day of the draft for the Patriots.

There is no question that Meriweather is a risky selection, particularly for a Bob Kraft/Bill Belichick regime that normally does not tread into this sort of territory. Still, Meriweather's athleticism, play-making skills and apparent contriteness make him likely worth the risk.

The Patriots are not the Bengals. There has not been an abundance of turds and crooks polluting their roster. They do get the benefit of the doubt on this one.

The question, however, is this: Did the drafting of the highly talented but greatly volatile Meriweather signal the Patriots are abandoning their normally extremely high standards for draftees in order to get back to a Super Bowl?

It is a fair query.

After all, it was the Patriots, in what was a trailblazing move, which gave degenerate Nebraska player Christian Peter the boot after his laundry list of disgraceful acts became public.

So Kraft was and is an owner who truly cares about the conduct of players.

That is why the Patriots' selection of Meriweather might have been the biggest piece of draft news of the day. In this new anti-Pacman Jones era, where the league says character is king, it is interesting to see one of the trendsetting teams in this area, and pride of the NFL, pick someone with an extremely questionable background.

When meeting with the media, Belichick defended the pick, explaining that neither the gun or brawl incidents truly define Meriweather.

"I don't think that's who he is," Belichick said.

Meriweather was personable and apologetic in a conference call with reporters, saying he told Belichick he should have never had a gun. About the brawl, Meriweather stated: "It won't ever happen again."

What is not in question is Meriweather's skill. He might be undersized at 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds but he is an outstanding talent and nasty hitter. While at Miami he wore a wristband that said "Beware." His teammates called him "Killer B."

"Other kids were scared of him," Clara Pryor, Meriweather's 60-year-old grandmother, told the Palm Beach Post in 2005, speaking of when Meriweather was growing up. "He was like a bully. He's nothing like he used to be. He's changed now."

As the legend goes, Meriweather once legally hit a player so hard on the field, that player later had to have his spleen removed.

Meriweather is also someone who can play the cornerback position and could be a top nickel and special teams player.

Interestingly, even when the Patriots do not make a pick, they do something smart. This year's NFL Draft is one of the worst overall of the past five years in terms of depth and talent.

The Patriots used their 24th overall pick for Meriweather. Instead of wasting their second first-round selection on players who are not first-round quality, they traded that pick, the 28th overall, to San Francisco for a 2007 fourth-rounder and 2008 first-rounder.

Next year's draft is supposed to be pretty good and the Patriots will again be a major player in it by being smart this year.

Meriweather is the kind of talent who can contribute immediately and the Patriots will be Super Bowl contenders again next year.

But has the organization fundamentally changed by picking Meriweather?

Has its rock-solid principles shifted?