Vereen is back in the house.

[Off The Grid]

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/10/783638-shane-vereen-fan-club.html

RB Shane Vereen

Shane Vereen commands an explosive blend of Burst, Fluidity, Lateral Agility, and sudden Lateral Velocity.

* He boasts exceptional Diagnostic Skills, Processing Speed, and Vision, working with his Line to set up Blocks.

* And he commands frightening Verticity: the ability to explode out of his Breaks.

* In a word: dangerous physical skills and the brains to apply them with deadly force.

 

[Patjew]

You guys need to understand that listed measurements are NOT always accurate. Do you know how often college players are "listed" at a certain height/weight and then go to the Combine for official measurements and are exposed as phony.

With that said, there is NO WAY Danny Woodhead is 195 lbs.

Yes he is. He's very thick, especially in the legs.

 

[zoostation]

Vareen, by the end of his career, will remind more people of M. Faulk than K. Faulk.

One can only dream

 

[zoostation]

Vereen could potentially be a MASSIVE part of our offense.

His style reminds me of a younger, faster, stronger Kevin Faulk.

A younger, faster, stronger Kevin Faulk? Seems to me his style is more like Curtis Martin....and he he delivers 50% of the production Curtis produced in his career I will be a happy man.

 

[resdubwhite]

A younger, faster, stronger Kevin Faulk? Seems to me his style is more like Curtis Martin....and he he delivers 50% of the production Curtis produced in his career I will be a happy man.

Just not with the Jets.

 

[Snake Eyes]

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/10/783638-shane-vereen-fan-club.html

RB Shane Vereen

Shane Vereen commands an explosive blend of Burst, Fluidity, Lateral Agility, and sudden Lateral Velocity.

* He boasts exceptional Diagnostic Skills, Processing Speed, and Vision, working with his Line to set up Blocks.

* And he commands frightening Verticity: the ability to explode out of his Breaks.

* In a word: dangerous physical skills and the brains to apply them with deadly force.

I can't wait to see him in a Pats uniform.

 

[mrs_mass]

Welcome to the board from Revere!(don't get nervous...i'm 60,impudent and impotent).

Just wondering....5'3 98lbs?....ummmm.....can YOU rush the passer????

Thank You. Yes I am an animal. I bite a lineman's ankle off and then head in for the kill on the QB.

 

[mrs_mass]

Woodhead is excellent with the ball in his hands, I don’t think anyone is disputing that, but if you don't think Woodhead was a liability in pass protection than you don't know what you’re talking about. The coaches clearly felt this way last season as Woodhead was rarely left in to pass protect.

Kevin Faulk in his prime was a superb 3rd down back because not only was an excellent receiver, but he was also able to meet an unblocked blitzing linebacker and stand him up. That ability gives the play caller much more unpredictability on offense. If Faulk's primary assignment on a given play was pass protection he would leak out if no one is coming, Faulk has had countless receptions in his career where this was the case.

If you were watching the New England Patriots last year you would have noticed that on the majority of Woodhead's receptions he was running a designed route. Why do you think Crumpler played so much last year as basically the 6th Offensive lineman? It’s because our coaches didn’t really trust any of the backs enough to leave them on an island with Brady.

My major point is that Vereen has the potential to be an excellent receiver and blocker, which makes him more of an ideal candidate for 3rd down responsibilities than Woodhead.

I am not really sure why people make up undocumentable data to try and prove to everyone that they are right. You now speak for the coaches who clearly see things? Which coach expressed this to you? Are you a psychic and read their minds? I just love how "fans" make up total crap and claim things that they cannot possibly know. Crumpler played so much on the Dline because that is our damn offense. Perhaps you didn't notice, but we technically never carry a fullback. We use TE to do the extra OL blocking. It has been this way for years and has nothing to do with Woodhead or coaches not trusting someone. Stop making crap up about what you believe coaches believe. It has no credibility of relevance.

 

[Don Kipines]

I realize the heights and weights are often off. The weights are particularly bad; players often get listed at the same weight their entire careers when in fact they frequently pork up.

I don't know what Woodhead's actual weight is. All the reports are that he was 197 or 200 at his pro day (he wasn't invited to the combine). He's a thick little dude so he could weight 195 but I can't be sure.

That said the Vereen measurement is from the combine. If M. Faulk/Davis/C. Martin were actually smaller than generally listed that just proves my point that Vereen has decent size.

I think Vereen is a little smaller than Curtis Martin or Terrell Davis. Size-wise I think a good comp for him is Terry Allen, or maybe an older Clinton Portis (Portis put on about ten pounds after his rookie year).

I'm really excited to see him play. It's been a long time since the team has had so many promising young backs on the roster at once. You probably have to go back to the Collins/James/Tatupu days, or maybe even further back, to the Calhoun/Cunningham/Ivory days, to find a Pats roster with this many interesting guys in the RB corps.

 

[PushnPencils]

I think barring injury, Ridley will be a more productive back than Vereen.

 

[patchick]

I think Vereen is a little smaller than Curtis Martin or Terrell Davis. Size-wise I think a good comp for him is Terry Allen, or maybe an older Clinton Portis (Portis put on about ten pounds after his rookie year).

I think Portis is actually bigger than Martin and Davis?

But the great thing about all of these physical comparisons -- Martin, Davis, Allen, Portis, Barber, M. Faulk -- is that they put to rest the idea circulating since draft day that a player Vereen's size can "only" be a change-of-pace back.

 

[Don Kipines]

I think Portis is actually bigger than Martin and Davis?

But the great thing about all of these physical comparisons -- Martin, Davis, Allen, Portis, Barber, M. Faulk -- is that they put to rest the idea circulating since draft day that a player Vereen's size can "only" be a change-of-pace back.

Portis actually played at under 200 pounds at Miami, and only bulked up to over 200 for the draft. He's closer to 220 now, but that's after all those years in the league. Coming out of college, there were the same questions about Portis's ability to play all three downs

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

Vids of Shane (in case pple haven't seen it)

No. 34 RB Shane Vereen Cal Bears vs Oregon State 2010 season.avi - YouTube

No. 34 RB Shane Vereen Cal Vs Stanford 2010 Season - YouTube

No. 34 RB Shane Vereen Cal Bears vs Oregon 2010 season - YouTube

No 34 RB Shane Vereen Cal Bears vs UC Davis 2010 - YouTube

I do not like what I am seeing here. Vereen has a slow first step. He stops and stutters before he makes his first move....sort of like Ron Dane. Also he run rather upright; he could get killed in the NFL. Maybe he can learn to drop the stutter step but Ron Dane never did.

 

[s3antana5757]

I do not like what I am seeing here. Vereen has a slow first step. He stops and stutters before he makes his first move....sort of like Ron Dane. Also he run rather upright; he could get killed in the NFL. Maybe he can learn to drop the stutter step but Ron Dane never did.

I don't think you understand how bad Cal's line was. I didn't really see a stutter step but I'm going to go back and watch for it.

 

[NinjaZX6R]

I don't think you understand how bad Cal's line was. I didn't really see a stutter step but I'm going to go back and watch for it.

Yep. I talked to few Cal fans and they thought their line and QB sucked badly this year. LSU's line was even more pathetic. Riddley had to make his own holes.

 

[Ring 6]

I am not really sure why people make up undocumentable data to try and prove to everyone that they are right. You now speak for the coaches who clearly see things? Which coach expressed this to you? Are you a psychic and read their minds? I just love how "fans" make up total crap and claim things that they cannot possibly know. Crumpler played so much on the Dline because that is our damn offense. Perhaps you didn't notice, but we technically never carry a fullback. We use TE to do the extra OL blocking. It has been this way for years and has nothing to do with Woodhead or coaches not trusting someone. Stop making crap up about what you believe coaches believe. It has no credibility of relevance.

Post more often please

 

[PatsFan37]

Thank You. Yes I am an animal. I bite a lineman's ankle off and then head in for the kill on the QB.

And taking off his little red helmet, he said, "My, what big teeth you have."

 

[Metaphors]

I do not like what I am seeing here. Vereen has a slow first step. He stops and stutters before he makes his first move....sort of like Ron Dane. Also he run rather upright; he could get killed in the NFL. Maybe he can learn to drop the stutter step but Ron Dane never did.

Couple of observations about RBs and the Pats:

- Not everyone is Corey Dillon and you can be a successful RB for the Pats without lowering your pads and rubbing off the backs of your OL.

- People need to let the Maroney-fatigue go. You didn't mention him specifically but I don't recall this type of anxiety pre-Maroney. He was a beautiful runner in space but struggled in a crowd. There is a world of variance between crashing into the A/B gaps and dancing aimlessly in the backfield.

- Ron Dane is a horrific comparison to Vereen in the context of first step...but there are lots of successful examples of RBs that set up blocks, plant and explode like Vereen does. Barry Sanders and Walter Payton. Chris Johnson if you want a more recent example.

- Similar case for upright running style. Marshall Faulk ran upright and he should be the target for Vereen's development. Eric ****erson ran completely upright, was a bigger target and had more carries than Vereen will ever get as a Pat...and he was amazingly productive for the better part of a decade before he slowed down.

Nobody knows how Vereen will turn out, but his running style (not as slow or upright as you seem to indicate) doesn't preclude him from having success. Lots of folks on this board are looking for the next guy just like the last guy, like Dillon and McGinest. Even extending that to players that were flawed or limited like Ted Johnson and Asante. They ain't walking through that door...and that is a good thing.

If Vereen is successful, he will likely do it differently than any RB we've seen in NE in quite a while. When is the last time you saw Brady run a stretch play. Or even pitch the ball for that matter. If defenses don't have to defend the edges, they can easily cause a traffic jam between the tackles. Once Vereen drifts wide, plant his foot and rips off a huge gain for the first time, methinks the RB topics with shift dramatically.

 

[spacecrime]

I don't think you understand how bad Cal's line was. I didn't really see a stutter step but I'm going to go back and watch for it.

I didn't see a stutter step either. I think Fred is confusing letting the hole develop with dancing. When a guy rips off a 30-yard run, it takes a real negative viewpoint to say, "Yeah, he got 30 yards, but he didnt fly into the hole."

What I saw mostly was one cut and then downhill. I didn't see any stuttering or dancing in the Oregon clip. As far as a slow first step, yes he was not running full speed with his first step. Not sure it is necessary. There is a reason a RB starts 8 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Lets him see the hole develop and also not to hit the back of his blockers before they can block.

I guess we'll see how it works out when the regular season starts, but I thought Vereen ran well.

 

[Off The Grid]

I didn't see a stutter step either. I think Fred is confusing letting the hole develop with dancing.

When a guy rips off a 30-yard run, it takes a real negative viewpoint to say, "Yeah, he got 30 yards, but he didnt fly into the hole."

What I saw mostly was one cut and then downhill. I didn't see any stuttering or dancing in the Oregon clip. As far as a slow first step, yes he was not running full speed with his first step. Not sure it is necessary. There is a reason a RB starts 8 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Lets him see the hole develop and also not to hit the back of his blockers before they can block.

I guess we'll see how it works out when the regular season starts, but I thought Vereen ran well.

Nice.

Simply put, Vereen is very likely going to be special.

And the obsessive desire to see him ~ and so many other great prospects ~ in the most negative possible light...is equal parts exasperating and amusing.