Reiss: Shane Vereen making a charge?

[mayoclinic]

From Reiss today:

New England Patriots' running back Shane Vereen is healthy and ready to contribute - ESPN Boston

Some interesting comments from BB on Vereen's game performance vs. practices (where the reports have been less than scintillating):

"It's always kind of hard to gauge a running back in practice because we're not doing full-speed tackling," Belichick said. "The last time he got an opportunity to run like that was probably in the Kansas City game [Nov. 21], when he had some of those same kind of looking plays. That's the good thing about the preseason games -- you get a chance to evaluate skill players. Can you tackle them? You can simulate more of the line contact in practice, but the tackling of the skill players and them being able to not get tackled or get tackled, it's a better picture in the game. He did a good job."

"He did a good job" is practically gushing praise from BB. Nick Caserio also noted:

"The offense that they run at Cal is a pretty complex system," said Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio. "They ask a lot of their skill people to do a lot of different things, so Shane had been exposed to a number of different things. We felt that he was a good fit for what we were doing."

Despite getting reps behind Ridley in practice, Vereen has clearly been the best receiver out of the backfield all training camp. He opens up another dimension, and the combination of both players stepping up would be a terrific addition to the offense. Vereen talks pretty open about not being prepared to make the leap to being a professional last year, and how the offseason benefitted him. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[BradyManny]

"He did a good job" is practically gushing praise from BB. Nick Caserio also noted:

Despite getting reps behind Ridley in practice, Vereen has clearly been the best receiver out of the backfield all training camp. He opens up another dimension, and the combination of both players stepping up would be a terrific addition to the offense. Vereen talks pretty open about not being prepared to make the leap to being a professional last year, and how the offseason benefitted him. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

He was having some rough practices in camp, the day I was there was not a good one. So I'm very pleased to see things going in the other direction.

I think what Belichick said about live reps and running backs is very telling. A few good preseason outings will earn Vereen more reps in practice, then maybe reps with the 1s. Which might get him some reps with the 1s early regular season games.

I like them both and I love that they bring some different things to the table. I like the competition and seeing each guy have to earn it.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

From Reiss today:

New England Patriots' running back Shane Vereen is healthy and ready to contribute - ESPN Boston

Some interesting comments from BB on Vereen's game performance vs. practices (where the reports have been less than scintillating):



"He did a good job" is practically gushing praise from BB. Nick Caserio also noted:



Despite getting reps behind Ridley in practice, Vereen has clearly been the best receiver out of the backfield all training camp. He opens up another dimension, and the combination of both players stepping up would be a terrific addition to the offense. Vereen talks pretty open about not being prepared to make the leap to being a professional last year, and how the offseason benefitted him. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I would love to seee this kid return kicks and take possession of the third down back position. Nothing against Woodhead, but Vereen possesses a dynamic change of direction and quick burst that no other back on the Patriots roster has.

 

[Sicilian]

I would love to seee this kid return kicks and take possession of the third down back position. Nothing against Woodhead, but Vereen possesses a dynamic change of direction and quick burst that no other back on the Patriots roster has.

I agree. He also has the added bulk and strength which makes him a more versatile threat. I like having Woodhead on the team, but ideally Vereen wins that role.

 

[patsinthesnow]

It'd be great if Brady had a dump off/screen RB in the mold of Sproles like Brees does.

 

[Kontradiction]

It'd be great if Brady had a dump off/screen RB in the mold of Sproles like Brees does.

You mean like Danny Woodhead was in 2010?

 

[Sicilian]

You mean like Danny Woodhead was in 2010?

Danny Woodhead in 2010 = 34 rec, 379 yds, 1 rec TD

Darren Sproles in 2011 = 86 rec, 710 yds, 7 rec TDs

Not to mention a pretty vast difference in rushing numbers too.

So I don't think you can make that comparison, honestly.

 

[Kontradiction]

Danny Woodhead in 2010 = 34 rec, 379 yds, 1 rec TD

Darren Sproles in 2011 = 86 rec, 710 yds, 7 rec TDs

Not to mention a pretty vast difference in rushing numbers too.

So I don't think you can make that comparison, honestly.

Woodhead that year was the closest thing we've had to a receiving threat out of the backfield since Faulk in 2008. It wasn't a direct comparison between the two players on my part.

 

[BradyFTW!]

From Reiss today:

New England Patriots' running back Shane Vereen is healthy and ready to contribute - ESPN Boston

Some interesting comments from BB on Vereen's game performance vs. practices (where the reports have been less than scintillating):



"He did a good job" is practically gushing praise from BB. Nick Caserio also noted:



Despite getting reps behind Ridley in practice, Vereen has clearly been the best receiver out of the backfield all training camp. He opens up another dimension, and the combination of both players stepping up would be a terrific addition to the offense. Vereen talks pretty open about not being prepared to make the leap to being a professional last year, and how the offseason benefitted him. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Once you weight for the blowhard/hype factor, Belichick saying "he did a good job" is roughly equivalent to Rex Ryan saying "he is indestructible, untackleable, and can leap tall buildings in a single bound".

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

You mean like Danny Woodhead was in 2010?

I'd settle for adding that back into our repertoire of offensive plays that we use stratgically. It seems we are highly successful when we do, but maybe it was because the short routes have generally been clogged in the recent past?

 

[BradyFTW!]

I would love to seee this kid return kicks and take possession of the third down back position. Nothing against Woodhead, but Vereen possesses a dynamic change of direction and quick burst that no other back on the Patriots roster has.

Agreed; no offense to Woodhead, who is a good player, but the less we see of him on the field, the better IMO. If Vereen can take all of his non-ST snaps, I'll be extremely pleased.

 

[patchick]

Danny Woodhead in 2010 = 34 rec, 379 yds, 1 rec TD

Darren Sproles in 2011 = 86 rec, 710 yds, 7 rec TDs

Not to mention a pretty vast difference in rushing numbers too.

So I don't think you can make that comparison, honestly.

And yet, before Sproles hit NO, Woodhead's 2010 season was one of the best any "change of pack back" had put up in this league. Compare to Sproles at a comparable point in their careers. (You said "in the mold of Sproles," not "equivalent to Sproles' career best, historically off-the-charts season," after all!)

 

[signbabybrady]

I think I have mentioned it in a few other threads but I am not sure how anyone other than the proffessionals with the help of tape can truly come up with any assesment of a RB in camp?

IMO in camp a successful run is almost entirely on the O-Line while a bad run could be the fault of either the OL or RB or even a good play by the D. There is just too much space without tackling for me without the help of Film to really say the RB did anything good other then not screwing it up.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

Agreed; no offense to Woodhead, who is a good player, but the less we see of him on the field, the better IMO. If Vereen can take all of his non-ST snaps, I'll be extremely pleased.

So he's a good player but the less we see of him the better? I don't know what kind of logic that is.

Woodhead has had success in the NFL over a couple of seasons, Vereen has basically one set of downs in garbage time on his resume.

 

[Sicilian]

And yet, before Sproles hit NO, Woodhead's 2010 season was one of the best any "change of pack back" had put up in this league. Compare to Sproles at a comparable point in their careers. (You said "in the mold of Sproles," not "equivalent to Sproles' career best, historically off-the-charts season," after all!)

Well, technically I didn't say either, as I wasn't the original Sproles commentator

But your point is well taken. I think I was thinking of Sproles more as a consistent receiving threat out of the backfield, and not specifically as a change of pace back. In that mold, plenty of backs have have big receiving seasons (Bush, Tomlinson, Westbrook, etc).

 

[BradyFTW!]

So he's a good player but the less we see of him the better? I don't know what kind of logic that is.

Woodhead has had success in the NFL over a couple of seasons, Vereen has basically one set of downs in garbage time on his resume.

It's pretty simple, really. If we don't see much of Woodhead on the field, it will be because Vereen has lived up to his potential to the point that he's a better option. Which would be good because, as much as I like Woodhead, he's a fundamentally limited player, starting with the fact that he goes down on contact.

 

[patchick]

Well, technically I didn't say either, as I wasn't the original Sproles commentator

:blush:

But your point is well taken. I think I was thinking of Sproles more as a consistent receiving threat out of the backfield, and not specifically as a change of pace back. In that mold, plenty of backs have have big receiving seasons (Bush, Tomlinson, Westbrook, etc).

And that's why I think Woodhead's 2010 season deserves more respect than it usually gets. Granted, he wasn't a full-time feature back, but his receiving average that year was better than Bush, Tomlinson or Westbrook ever put up for any season in their careers.

 

[Marqui]

From Bedard today:

Vereen saw a dramatic uptick in overall reps and with the first team

I wonder if he'll be the starting RB by Monday.

 

[patchick]

From Bedard today:

I wonder if he'll be the starting RB by Monday.

In case anybody ever doubts the importance of what you see in preseason games...

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Looks like Ridley was sat today in practice in favor of Vereen because of more problems with the dropsies.

This could be Ridleys Achilles heel that he better correct soon when the games count.