Because Its the Offseason - Arian Foster spotted in Boston

[TheFlyingWedge]

At most, he could be on this years "shadow roster" like RB Stephen Jackson was last season. He probably has just about as much gas left in the tank as him too, which is almost none.

By the way, it was absolutely embarrassing to hear posters in here clamouring to bring Jackson back to training camp this summer to compete for a starting job. Hopefully that pipe dream is dead.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Would the team make a prospective free agent get his own rental car and then drive to Foxboro? I think they would spring for sending some coaching assistant or intern to go pick him up.
It's not like they are taking him to the Ground Round for lunch.. Or was it the 99?
He might have been looking at graduate programs. iIRC he was a philosophy major in college and job prospects aren't that great with just a bachelors degree.

 

[EatSleepWinRepeat]

He's injury prone. He'll fit right in.

 

[DarrylS]

Would the team make a prospective free agent get his own rental car and then drive to Foxboro? I think they would spring for sending some coaching assistant or intern to go pick him up.
It's not like they are taking him to the Ground Round for lunch.. Or was it the 99?
He might have been looking at graduate programs. iIRC he was a philosophy major in college and job prospects aren't that great with just a bachelors degree.

That is how BB got his start..

 

[RobertWeathers]

Would the team make a prospective free agent get his own rental car and then drive to Foxboro? I think they would spring for sending some coaching assistant or intern to go pick him up.
It's not like they are taking him to the Ground Round for lunch.. Or was it the 99?
He might have been looking at graduate programs. iIRC he was a philosophy major in college and job prospects aren't that great with just a bachelors degree.

Yea they usually get a quality control kid to do the airport pickup.

Plus you need to wait 15 minutes for the bus to take you to the rental car area.

Rent-a-Wreck....the official rental car of the New England Patriots.

 

[DarrylS]

He's injury prone. He'll fit right in.

Despite your dire concerns we still will win between 12-13 games this year.. every NFL team has a lot of injuries.

 

[RobertWeathers]

That is how BB got his start..

He and Pioli took Rodney to the GR.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

He and Pioli took Rodney to the GR.

I always mix them up. .. WRT Rodney GR and 99...

 

[Ross12]

We already signed Foster guys.



DJ Foster, that is. The only RB named Foster we need!

 

[Rusty Griswold]

At most, he could be on this years "shadow roster" like RB Stephen Jackson was last season. He probably has just about as much gas left in the tank as him too, which is almost none.

By the way, it was absolutely embarrassing to hear posters in here clamouring to bring Jackson back to training camp this summer to compete for a starting job. Hopefully that pipe dream is dead.

People were clamoring for Jackson to come to camp? The guy could barely move! I don't disagree with BB much, but burying Jackson and then not having faith in using him in the title game, keeping him active, etc, is a big reason why they lost vs Denver.

I would have gone all in with Bolden as the lead back, told him to prepare for 15 carries, and promoted Iosefa, gone heavy, and hammered Miller and Ware on the edges for much of that first half.

By the 3rd qtr, they would have had a nice short pass game going, some playaction and a steady run game of some kind.

I still can't believe it. And, to see Carolina copy our approach? Why? They had Stewart and Tolbert!

Inexplicable.

Well, sadly, it is able to be explained, and quite honestly as great as Brady is, he's not that great in title games since 2007.

 

[varjao]

He may have some still left in the tank, the problem is that a guy like this goes down in week 6 or 9 and then you get caught off guard. I'd rather start the season with a RB with less name that will get going as the season progresses. Unfortunately I wanted this to be addressed in the draft, it wasn't.

 

[Danger Zone]

Well, sadly, it is able to be explained, and quite honestly as great as Brady is, he's not that great in title games since 2007.

Nice not having gotten to know you.

 

[Rusty Griswold]

Had 1500 total yards and 13 total TD in 13 games in '14

Had 400 total yards in 4 games last year before getting injured.

If he is healthy the last 2 years proved he can play..



Really don't understand this. You are hanging hopes on a guy that has been put on IR in training two straight years and has proved absolutely nothing and yet claim Foster is "cooked". I mean come on... 98% of this board would take Foster over Gaffney if the money and guarantee was minimal. You might get a Pro Bowl/All Pro type year out of Foster. Gaffney's history says he won't make it out of training camp without being put on IR

Sorry. There is a reason he hasn't been signed. I think RB desperate Miami looked at him and ran away. That should tell you something. An Achilles blow out for a soon to be 30 year old is not good.

Not all of us are into fantasy football and know what it looks like to see some bloated numbers from a guy who runs in a zone style offense and pads his numbers. Does us very little in January and February.

2014 is a long, long time ago for an RB on the other side of 28, especially off an Achilles. You saw Steven Jackson last year.

I have no idea how Gaffney will fare here. I am just talking out loud wondering if he can do anything. He's certainly not 30 years old coming off an Achilles.

 

[fair catch fryar]

The guy is cooked. Would have been great about 3 years ago. If I am not mistaken, Miami passed on him. A little concerned this team continues to undervalue a quality run game and someone who can run between the tackles consistently.

Donald Brown is solid, but it's not enough, especially with Blount a wild card after hip surgery.

It would be nice and certainly would diversify the offense, but I'm also confident with what they have because the real running game is going to be short screen and wideout passes just behind or beyond the line of scrimmage anyways. I have hope for White and a recovering Lewis as long as we can stay healthy god-d%#*!@t.

 

[fair catch fryar]

Hes not near as valuable but this is reminiscent of when Revis was spotted at Logan.
Patriots are pry upset this got leaked.
Therefore Arin is just in New England to visit bars.
Even though hes a vegetarian and I read a article that said he didnt drink.
Im not from the area what else would he be visting if hes not a Boston sports fan doesnt have fanily and isnt hitting bars.

Duckboat tour and the Bunker Hill Memorial of course.

 

[AtomicDawg]

Well, sadly, it is able to be explained, and quite honestly as great as Brady is, he's not that great in title games since 2007.

 

[Rusty Griswold]

People like the big, flashy Mercedes (Foster) when the nice Ford Taurus (LGB) will get you to the same place. Maybe a little slower, maybe with a few more trips to the gas station (missing a few games), but you'll get there. Eventually.

I don't know. He's strictly a zone rushing guy and I don't think we need more of that. Blount runs those plays for us here already.

We need someone who can run inside for tough yards, fall forward for 2 more and also kick it outside on their own. I am describing Dillon, but I realize we can't have that, we just need a semblance of that. Again, Forte would have been ideal, but the moron wanted a tad more money to continue to be a loser. His choice.

Blount sort of does this inside and out stuff, but he needs a seam to do it. If it's not there, he's not going to generate it on his own. That's why vs the tougher Run Ds, he really doesn't show up. Not his fault, it's just what he is as a runner. That said, if wasn't subbed on and off so much, if they threw to him more out of the backfield, maybe he'd be able to dictate MORE as an RB?

As unsexy as the Donald Brown pick up is, he can run inside and out, AND catch out of the backfield. So, that's a solid signing.

I really don't want to get into arguments here, but our main problem is the subbing of the RBs to fill a skill set to run a play based on McDaniels's ridiculous obsession with "match ups". O'Brien did the same damn thing, which tells me this is an afterthought based on this team's obsession with passing 40+ times like it's some kind of a race. Ugh.

IMO, as a fan, I would feel more comfortable with another Donald Brown+ type of an RB in here so they have 2.

I really thought an RB in the draft would make sense, but it's clear they didn't like any, which is fine.

That's why I mention the release of Gaffney, what he can do, and then the quick resign, almost like he needed more money based on what he earned in the offseason rehab program, is somewhat telling. They weren't willing to extend the current contract outright, told him not to go anywhere, gave him a raise for 1 year, and he's in the plans.

So, he got a raise IMO, for a reason.

Who knows, maybe they feel a Brown/Gaffney duo as 2 RBs who can run inside and out, catch and block, not needing to subbed for constantly, is the way to go.

 

[Rusty Griswold]

haha

I get it, dude. I realize it's a sensitive topic. And, I am truly not trying to start anything, but it's bee the elephant in the room for years. Years.

His TD/INT ratio has been poor and his INTs have skyrocketed, his game management not as good, decisions not as good, etc.

I am telling you, the key to him being better in title games, which means against the better Ds, is to go heavy early with two TEs, maybe even a FB, him under Center and to show the opposing D, we're fighting fire with fire.

If you look at the lower scoring, closer games vs the Ravens or even the Jets, two things happen, when they play it more old school a la Weis:

1. Brady is in control.
2. He doesn't race to 40+ passes.
3. He is under Center a bit more.

Sure, the games are closer, hang in the balance longer, but you never feel like they are not in control.

The D also plays very well because they get proper rest and can regroup and adjust.

I was reading the Titans offseason stuff recently and Jason McCourty said he was exicted about their "ground and pound" approach more so this year than in recent years, because it would give the D time to regroup and he felt they'd be better for it.

Basically, since 2007, Brady did what Manning did his Indy teams in a dome in postseasons, racing up and down the field passing it all over, but ending up blowing leads late, gassing out his own D, and usually losing.

Just saying.

 

[RobertWeathers]

People were clamoring for Jackson to come to camp? The guy could barely move! I don't disagree with BB much, but burying Jackson and then not having faith in using him in the title game, keeping him active, etc, is a big reason why they lost vs Denver.

I would have gone all in with Bolden as the lead back, told him to prepare for 15 carries, and promoted Iosefa, gone heavy, and hammered Miller and Ware on the edges for much of that first half.

By the 3rd qtr, they would have had a nice short pass game going, some playaction and a steady run game of some kind.

I still can't believe it. And, to see Carolina copy our approach? Why? They had Stewart and Tolbert!

Inexplicable.

Well, sadly, it is able to be explained, and quite honestly as great as Brady is, he's not that great in title games since 2007.

Everything you say in this post is uninformed.

 

[Rusty Griswold]

Everything you say in this post is uninformed.

Thanks.

I'll take your lack of a counter as an invisible backpedal.