JackBauer

Do you realize how utterly retarded it is to chalk Maroney's success up to the Brady-Moss-Welker spread offense when you're comparing him to Addai, who, you know, clearly had no benefit from playing in a Manning-Wayne-Harrison-Clark offense. I mean, come on.

And that's not even mentioning the Colts OL has been a much better run blocking unit than the Pats OL these past few years.

PatsFanSince74

I've read a lot of the back and forth here. Lots of emotion from some folks I've respected on this Board for a long time. All over Maroney. Interesting.

Basically, I agree with those who say he's not a "bust" and that it's unlikely he ever will be a "bust."

He is who he is. He's not an every-down, every-game RB, but he's a solid performer who will be around the league with the Pats or another team for many years. He'll give whomever he's with 10--12 good to very good games a year. He works well in tandem with others, but he's also injury prone and he'll never be a straight ahead downfield runner. All of that said, I'm happy he's with the Pats and hope they can hold onto him.

Landing on him for last year is just unfair, because he was playing with injuries that ultimately required surgery. But that doesn't make him the reincarnation of Curtis Martin either. The jury is still out on the Addai comparison since we don't know how the next couple of seasons will play out for a guy who got as much work and took as many hits as Addai in his first seasons.

Where the "busters" have a point is that we all had much higher expectations of Maroney when he was drafted. I know I did and I went through a period where I was really p!$$@d off at him for his dancing and missing games due to injury. Shanahan's comments didn't help, nor did the rumors that the Colts wished they had taken him instead. But, ultimately, that's not fair to Maroney. It's more our own imaginings and wishes...which don't accept him for the talent that he is, including its limitations. On a Offense with Tom Brady and Randy Moss, it's natural to want Jim Brown in the backfield.

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PatsFanInVa

I think this may be a repetition of some opinions that have been aired already, but let me float this out there:

Okay. We know that the league is moving (with some holdouts) toward at least a platoon, and often the dreaded running back by committee.

We know Maroney can contribute under either of those circumstances.

The question of whether he's a "bust" aside -- the answer looks rather definitional, actually, not absolute -- what are we really reacting against?

I just thought about this. My brain aside, my gut is just unhappy with RBBC and platoons. My gut wants that one unstoppable guy. My gut wants Marshall Faulk in 1999 or Priest Holmes in 2003-4, or Shaun Alexander in 2006, or Ladanian Tomlinson in 06-08, or Adrian Peterson last year. That one guy you can point to (like we can point to Brady) and say "yeah good luck stopping that."

Understanding we have Brady, we'd settle for guys with slightly better numbers than what we came up with: an Addai or a Barber, for example.

But leaving aside those teams that stick with one main guy (Barber is now even 1/2 of a tandem), aren't we all just p.o.'d that the direction of the league means no next Corey Dillon, unless that direction changes, or unless this team rejects that direction?

How is it that right now, we suddenly realize it's too much wear on the tread to give the guy the ball 300 times? Is it the 1-2 year workhorse that turns into a 3.5 yard per carry guy a couple years in? why is the league going this way now, when just a few years ago the RBBC was an admission of weakness at the position?

And isn't this really what we're all p.o.d at?

PFnV

VJCPatriot

Jim Brown? Please. I'd have settled for Dillon of 2004 or Forte of 2008. Don't even make a ridiculous comparison to legendary players.
I didn't expect Maroney to be legendary, but at pick #21 he should have played to the level of at least an above average NFL RB who puts up 1,000 yards per year. Instead we got, well, history speaks loudly for itself doesn't it?

Not really, no. If I could swap Maroney for Marion Barber III, I'd do it without a moment's hesitation. In the Pats current platoon system, Barber would still be a beast in the redzone and short yardage situations.

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brdmaverick

Inadvertantly you are making a strong case that Maroney is a BUST.

If you project Maroney as the #4 RB on the team depth chart, a guy who was drafted in the first round, then WITHOUT A DOUBT HE IS A BUST.

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JackBauer

So you're going to criticize Maroney for never having a 1,000 yard season, and advocate swapping him for Barber, who averaged... 3.7 YPC last year and has never had a 1,000 yard season.

At least you're consistent.

PATRIOT64

This whole conversation is a retarded joke

IF Maroney was on the Colts,Jets or any other rival of the Pats, the guys in here would be making fun and ridiculing that particular team for taking a guy in the first round that simply does not have what it takes and probably never will BUT because he is on the Pats he is worthy of another year...yeah,most likely another year of injury

While we are at it in homerville,why don't we say Chad Jackson was not a bust but just an unfortunate 'cut' because of the 'enormous' talent we had at WR

The excuses END in 2009 for Mr. dancin' in the backfield Maroney

Lets face it...BB and Pioli absolutely SUCKED at picking the players from the 2006 draft - luckily the team is still in good shape with the very good draft years prior to that,The last 3 years have been mediocre in the draft with the exception of Gostkowski,Mayo and maybe another one or two

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JMarr

It's not unreasonable to be PO'd at using a first round pick on a RBBC guy.

JackBauer

Perhaps you should go back and re-read Deus' list of RB's taken in the first round, and then re-evaluate your statement.

VJCPatriot

LOL, nice cherrypicked stats. Marion Barber has scored 36 touchdowns in 4 seasons and is particularly strong in goal line and redzone situations. What has Maroney done to match that?

Marion Barber: Career Stats

If you think Maroney is a better back than Barber, there is this wonderful igloo that i'd like to sell you in Alaska.

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