Robert Edwards - what should have been?

[Schmo]

I saw this thread on another site's forum and it brought back memories. I'm sure similar questions have been asked here a few times.

Without injury, what would Robert Edwards have meant to the organization? I think it would be comparable to having Corey Dillon for his whole career.

What comparisons would you draw?

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

At best
He would have been the best of the weak drafts of the Grier / Carroll era.
At worst
He would have prolonged the Grier / Carroll era.

 

[stinkypete]

If Edwards stayed healthy, would Faulk had been drafted? Would we win more than 6 games in 2000? Would we get the #6 overall pick in 2001? Would we draft Richard Seymour? Would we win super bowl 36? Etc.

 

[Schmo]

If Edwards stayed healthy, would Faulk had been drafted? Would we win more than 6 games in 2000? Would we get the #6 overall pick in 2001? Would we draft Richard Seymour? Would we win super bowl 36? Etc.

A butterfly flaps his wings... errr destroys his knee - I understand

Nevermind.

 

[Pats726]

I saw this thread on another site's forum and it brought back memories. I'm sure similar questions have been asked here a few times.

Without injury, what would Robert Edwards have meant to the organization? I think it would be comparable to having Corey Dillon for his whole career.

What comparisons would you draw?

It certainly would have meant a LOT..but I am not sure CD is the type of back he was like..Maybe no Kevin Faulk..as some have said?? Not sure if Carroll would have stayed..I mean who knows all the ramifications of that one severe injury....plating rookie flag football in the sand...luckily such nonsense disappeared after that...

 

[efin98]

At best
He would have been the best of the weak drafts of the Grier / Carroll era.
At worst
He would have prolonged the Grier / Carroll era.

Unless things in New York didn't go the Patriots' way in 2000 Carroll/Grier would have been out anyway.

 

[RayClay]

I saw this thread on another site's forum and it brought back memories. I'm sure similar questions have been asked here a few times.

Without injury, what would Robert Edwards have meant to the organization? I think it would be comparable to having Corey Dillon for his whole career.

What comparisons would you draw?

Not having Corey Dillon for his whole career. I remember Edwards well. He was a good runner. Look up Corey Dillon's rookie year.

4.8/ypc and set the rookie per game record with 246 yards in his fifth game.

Dillon should be in the Hall of fame.

I admire Edwards for his courage, but it's hard to extrapolate based on one good season.

 

[stephens44]

Well, John Stephens was a rookie wunderkind also but we actually know what happened after that (now a rapist, need to change my username )

There is no way to actually know what was going to happen, but it definately sucked for the team then and has sucked the whole time for Edwards. I was pulling for him in his comeback bid with the Dolphins.

 

[italian pat patriot]

i remember him well - he made a good year with us and the expectations about him vere quite high

pity that it went in that way

but i have a good memory about him: he would have been a very good running back for the Patriots

 

[Bring Back Antowain!]

Well, Antowain Smith would not have been signed in 2001... and... and...

The world would end.

 

[condon84]

Drew Bledsoe would have had a running game. We would have been a perennial playoff team, but would have gotten stuck with Pete Carroll because their wouldn't have been a reason to fire him because we would win enough. We don't fire Pete, we don't get Belichick at the time we got him so no way we end up drafting Brady. Bledsoe would have ended his career with New England, no SB wins, a bunch of heartache in the playoffs, and a lot of what ifs...

 

[letekro]

I saw this thread on another site's forum and it brought back memories. I'm sure similar questions have been asked here a few times.

Without injury, what would Robert Edwards have meant to the organization? I think it would be comparable to having Corey Dillon for his whole career.

What comparisons would you draw?

Robert Edwards was a nice player, but....Corey Dillon was an absolute beast from day 1 and would be a surefire hall of famer if he hadn't had the misfortune of being drafted by Cincy. Can't compare the two.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Roberts Edwards and Corey Dillon isn't a very good comparison. In fact, Corey Dillon was a punishing back that had some good speed and quickness for his size early in his career. Edwards didn't show a lot of power in his first and only season as a Patriot. Also, Edwards wasn't the flashiest runner but had decent speed. But he did show a lot of promise.

However, had Edwards not injured his knee, the Pats would have easily made the playoffs in '99 and made some noise. With that said, maybe BB would have been the coach of the Jets in 2000? Maybe Brady would have ended up being a Jet?

 

[efin98]

Roberts Edwards and Corey Dillon isn't a very good comparison. In fact, Corey Dillon was a punishing back that had some good speed and quickness for his size early in his career. Edwards didn't show a lot of power in his first and only season as a Patriot. Also, Edwards wasn't the flashiest runner but had decent speed. But he did show a lot of promise.

However, had Edwards not injured his knee, the Pats would have easily made the playoffs in '99 and made some noise. With that said, maybe BB would have been the coach of the Jets in 2000? Maybe Brady would have ended up being a Jet?

'99 would have needed two more wins to make it into the playoffs...even with Edwards I don't see them doing that.

 

[Schmo]

Kinda saw this coming.

I was wondering what kind of runner he would have been like... not how miserable the Pats would be now if he hadn't gotten injured (kind of an awful thing to talk about).

 

[realtime]

robert edwards was a nice player, but....corey dillon was an absolute beast from day 1 and would be a surefire hall of famer if he hadn't had the misfortune of being drafted by cincy. Can't compare the two.

+1 . . . . . . . .

 

[BradyFTW!]

I wouldn't change anything that happened during the 90s, just in case it ended up making the 2000s unfold any differently.

A more poignant "what if", IMO, would be if Bruschi hadn't had a stroke and/or if Branch hadn't whined his way out of new england.

 

[PittPatriot]

We've have plenty of solid, one-hit wonder backs in NE.
I don't have much evidence to lead me to believe Edwards is better in the long run than John Stephens and maybe even Leonard Russel.