Stevan Ridley

[meggett]

The more I see of this guy the more Im loving him. I have a feeling this guy is going to be a better player than Vereen....And I like Vereen...Looks like the kind of guy that can get 15-20 carries a game, Bring some balance back to our offense....Corey Dillon Days..

YouTube - Stevan Ridley

 

[captain stone]

I might've loved him, too...in the 5th round with the pick used to draft Lee Smith.
#73 could've been better used on OLmen Moffitt, Rackley or Bolling, WR Hankerson,
any number of CBs, DE Allen Bailey or heaven forbid OLB Sam Acho.

 

[SirApropos]

Ridley got a 3rd round grade from the advisory committee and figured that it wouldn't get any better if he staid for his Senior year because LSU uses about 5 RB's. That's why he came out and got drafted where he did. There was no guarantee that he would have been there in the fifth round. Since the Pats had a deal on the table to trade their 3rd and 4th round picks to Oakland they took him where they had to.

The Media is who had the 5th round grade on him because most of them considered this a weak RB draft but in fact 30 RB/FB's were taken compared to 15 from last year so the teams thought otherwise.

 

[woolster22]

Just because "draft gurus" and fans had the guy going a few rounds later does not mean that other gm's didn't have him rated higher. There was no guarantee that he would still be around in the fifth. Bb and co obviously felt that he was worth the pick, and the rest is history. I would have liked hankerson in that spot as well, but we also still have price in the shrink wrap, with a plethora of aging but talented vets slated to hit fa (if it ever comes about).

 

[patchick]

Ridley was hard for observers to grade because of his inexperience. FWIW, the recent RB who compares best to Ridley in size, athleticism and college production is Shonn Greene. Both were powerful one-year wonders, but Greene's year was just a little bit better and he went a round earlier in a MUCH deeper draft.

 

[WhiZa]

I might've loved him, too...in the 5th round with the pick used to draft Lee Smith.
#73 could've been better used on OLmen Moffitt, Rackley or Bolling, WR Hankerson,
any number of CBs, DE Allen Bailey or heaven forbid OLB Sam Acho.

The Pats have been on a tear drafting recently. If they want to draft someone higher then the media thinks they should then I'm all for it. Watching the Ridley video certainly doesn't make me think that they are going to be wrong with this one.

 

[AzPatsFan]

I might've loved him, too...in the 5th round with the pick used to draft Lee Smith.
#73 could've been better used on OLmen Moffitt, Rackley or Bolling, WR Hankerson,
any number of CBs, DE Allen Bailey or heaven forbid OLB Sam Acho.

Figures...

 

[Metaphors]

Ridley was hard for observers to grade because of his inexperience. FWIW, the recent RB who compares best to Ridley in size, athleticism and college production is Shonn Greene. Both were powerful one-year wonders, but Greene's year was just a little bit better and he went a round earlier in a MUCH deeper draft.

I think it was more a lack of experience in pro sets (pass protection, receiving) at LSU than it was a lack of games to evaluate. I don't think additional games at LSU would have revealed anything we don't already know.

While Greene did go earlier in a much deeper draft, the makeup of the RB class was much different in 2009. The dropoff after Greene was pretty large. This past draft, there were any number of choices at RB that were evaluated in the mid-round range similar to Ridley. Increase the supply, lower the value.

 

[Oswlek]

I'm amused when I see people claim to know who would have been available when, as if they had access to every team's board.

Just take the guys you feel fit your team the best in the order you like them. If NE felt Ridley was the best fit on the board, why should they let him slip past simply because Mel Kiper had him rated as a 6th rounder? Is that really the criteria we're going to use to judge what really isn't judgeable for 3+ years?

Look at the 2009 2nd round. Butler was a "steal" in the 2nd round that most would have been content with in the late first. Vollmer was a serious "reach". 4 players picked and their contributions to the team have been almost perfectly inverse to how pleased analysts were about the picks. :bricks:

 

[ausbacker]

Just because "draft gurus" and fans had the guy going a few rounds later does not mean that other gm's didn't have him rated higher. There was no guarantee that he would still be around in the fifth. Bb and co obviously felt that he was worth the pick, and the rest is history. I would have liked hankerson in that spot as well, but we also still have price in the shrink wrap, with a plethora of aging but talented vets slated to hit fa (if it ever comes about).

I learnt a while back to discount what the "draft gurus" say/write on the basis that they're very simple folk often giving you their opinion supported by someone else's scouting.

Point in case - if Mel Kiper Jr. says someone is a sure thing you discount him straight away and move on. Reaches/steals = meh. Players go where they go on a variety of factors not just opinion.

 

[NFLroughdraft]

The more I see of this guy the more Im loving him. I have a feeling this guy is going to be a better player than Vereen....And I like Vereen...Looks like the kind of guy that can get 15-20 carries a game, Bring some balance back to our offense....Corey Dillon Days..

I like Ridley too, but I don't understand why they drafted both of them. I thought at least one of those guys could have potentially fallen to the 4th round.

 

[Oswlek]

I like Ridley too, but I don't understand why they drafted both of them. I thought at least one of those guys could have potentially fallen to the 4th round.

When they picked him they already knew they were deaing their 4th to Oakland, so why risk losing him if you really like him?

As for why they picked two, that was one of the most predictible things going into this draft. NE has had terrible injury luck with old RBs and only had one guy signed who played meaningful minutes. The cupboard was more bare at RB than any other position on the entire roster and a youth movement was necessary.

 

[NFLroughdraft]

When they picked him they already knew they were deaing their 4th to Oakland, so why risk losing him if you really like him?

As for why they picked two, that was one of the most predictible things going into this draft. NE has had terrible injury luck with old RBs and only had one guy signed who played meaningful minutes. The cupboard was more bare at RB than any other position on the entire roster and a youth movement was necessary.

I don't have a problem with drafting 2 running backs, but they didn't get good value for either of them. Vereen was a 3rd-4th round prospect and Ridley was a 4th-5th rounder. The Pats passed on all of the talented 3-4 DEs and they didn't address their inability to rush the passer.

 

[Oswlek]

I don't have a problem with drafting 2 running backs, but they didn't get good value for either of them. Vereen was a 3rd-4th round prospect and Ridley was a 4th-5th rounder. The Pats passed on all of the talented 3-4 DEs and they didn't address their inability to rush the passer.

From my perspective, Carter is nearly as strong a prospect as any DE/OLB that could have been found in the 3rd (or even late 2nd) and I also think you are selling Vereen WAY short. He is a perfect fit for this offense and is going to be a first rounder in a couple years when writers do their silly redrafts. That kid is going to be very, very good.

 

[NFLroughdraft]

From my perspective, Carter is nearly as strong a prospect as any DE/OLB that could have been found in the 3rd (or even late 2nd) and I also think you are selling Vereen WAY short. He is a perfect fit for this offense and is going to be a first rounder in a couple years when writers do their silly redrafts. That kid is going to be very, very good.

Anything can happen and you could absolutely be right, but right now you sound like a huge homer. Markell Carter is as good as Moch, Houston, and Acho? Then why did he fall to the end of the 6th round? Shane Vereen is all of a sudden a first round-caliber RB? There is no way I would have drafted him ahead of Leshoure and Thomas. Personally, I like Taiwan Jones better too. Is there a huge difference between Vereen and Kendall Hunter? Because I don't see it.

 

[Oswlek]

Anything can happen and you could absolutely be right, but right now you sound like a huge homer. Markell Carter is as good as Moch, Houston, and Acho? Then why did he fall to the end of the 6th round? Shane Vereen is all of a sudden a first round-caliber RB? There is no way I would have drafted him ahead of Leshoure and Thomas. Personally, I like Taiwan Jones better too. Is there a huge difference between Vereen and Kendall Hunter? Because I don't see it.

Only something like 5% of OLB converts in the last 6 years have been more impressive than TBC. I'm not being a homer, I'm just looking at it objectively. Most fail and the odds aren't worth a high pick.

Carter actually has more film demonstrating an ability to drop into coverage than any of the guys you listed and his similar measurables. The only knock is the competition he played again, which, admittedly, is serious.

As for Vereen, he is the most Patriot ready RB in the draft. He can run, catch, block, and is effective both on zone and power plays. No one else offered such an imediately complete package and that is worth paying a premium for, as I thought BEFORE the draft (and Patchick and Jays both agreed IIRC).

 

[Oswlek]

Forgot to add that Ivan Fears said specifically before the draf that they didn't like Ingram or LeShoure.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Only something like 5% of OLB converts in the last 6 years have been more impressive than TBC. I'm not being a homer, I'm just looking at it objectively. Most fail and the odds aren't worth a high pick.

Carter actually has more film demonstrating an ability to drop into coverage than any of the guys you listed and his similar measurables. The only knock is the competition he played again, which, admittedly, is serious.

As for Vereen, he is the most Patriot ready RB in the draft. He can run, catch, block, and is effective both on zone and power plays. No one else offered such an imediately complete package and that is worth paying a premium for, as I thought BEFORE the draft (and Patchick and Jays both agreed IIRC).

Both Patchcik and you were very prescient. Diagnosing Vereen and Ras-I Dowling when no one else did, were phenomenal.

 

[Oswlek]

Both Patchcik and you were very prescient. Diagnosing Vereen and Ras-I Dowling when no one else did, were phenomenal.

Don't give me credit for Ras-I. And truth be told it was Patchick's vehemence about Vereen that made me check him out, so I really don't deserve credit for either.

I'll take it, though.

 

[NFLroughdraft]

Only something like 5% of OLB converts in the last 6 years have been more impressive than TBC. I'm not being a homer, I'm just looking at it objectively. Most fail and the odds aren't worth a high pick.

Carter actually has more film demonstrating an ability to drop into coverage than any of the guys you listed and his similar measurables. The only knock is the competition he played again, which, admittedly, is serious.

As for Vereen, he is the most Patriot ready RB in the draft. He can run, catch, block, and is effective both on zone and power plays. No one else offered such an imediately complete package and that is worth paying a premium for, as I thought BEFORE the draft (and Patchick and Jays both agreed IIRC).

Justin Houston isn't an OLB convert anymore. He put up big numbers at the position last year. While ability to drop into coverage is useful, the Pats need someone that can rush the passer. The Broncos didn't draft Von Miller because of his coverage ability.

I agree with you that Vereen is a versatile back, but again, Kendall Hunter can do all of the things you mentioned.