I don't tend to disagree with you too often Ozy, but in this case I do.
I feel that Stevan Ridley is definitely still the best choice in RB's and that he has the best overall talent. No one else can run with the same sense of quickness, power, shiftiness etc.
Vereen, while very good in space and at receiving/taking advantage of LB mismatches, just doesn't have the same power, Blount doesn't have many of those measurables aside from being able to run over people (at a much slower rate) downhill, and Bolden just doesn't have the same talent level, period. Bolden can't make people miss, he can't use those quick burts, nor can he squirt through holes that aren't there on a consistent enough basis. Ridley offers our best choice at the overall package, which is exactly why he has been our RB1 this whole time.
Unfortunately, the fumbles in 3 straight games make this decision very tough for Belichick, and I'm guessing that he sits for another game or so. After that though, I think he should get another shot for our last month + playoff stretch. We aren't in a position to give up on him totally, although he's definitely not a lock to be retained come Feb 2015 either.
Put it this way---don't you think he'd have improved our chances at winning SB46 pretty significantly? I certainly do. Again...the fumbles are a big knock, and the fact that they have happened in 3 straight games make this a really tough decision that deserves reflection and punishment (so to speak). I just don't feel that we have any other RB who has the same level of overall/all around skills that Ridley has. If he were ever able to figure this problem out, he could be one of the top 8-10 RB's in the entire league.
There's no question Ridley is the best
pure runner on the team. His vision and acceleration to the hole are second to none on the team.
Beyond that though, he's just that. A pure runner. He doesn't offer much in the passing game and isn't a three down player. So that caps his versatility quite a bit. In addition to this deficiency, is the fumbling. Is his skills really worth it for all of the turnovers, especially those backbreaking ones that have been occurring as of late? I don't think they are.
Not saying he can be easily replaced (especially in the no huddle/hurry-up where he's at his best), but the turnovers are a huge issue. I'm just not sure that they are worth it. He can't be trusted.
As for being top 8-10 RBs in the league. I don't agree with that. A lot of players in the NFL would be statistical monsters here too. He plays in a favorable situation for a rusher, with an elite QB under center. Teams plays the Patriots differently than they do a team like Minnesota. Ridley has been the beneficiary of that.
We know this is the case because a far lesser talent in BJGE put up similar stats to Ridley in their best respective season here, in terms of YPC and TDs. If BJGE had as much carries as Ridley did, he may have put up 1200+ yards too. Does that mean he's a top 10 RB? Not a chance in hell. But, playing in a great system allowed him to put up greater stats than his skillset would suggest he'd be able to.
Heck, even look at Knowshon Moreno - he had a monster game tonight, but quite frankly he sucks. Put it him on a team like the Vikings where he'd actually have to run against 8 or 9 men boxes and he wouldn't even garner a quarter of AD's production. Playing with Manning is why he's having a big season with how teams are defending them.
Ridley's has been in a timeshare for a reason this season. People can speculate on a variety of reasons, but for me, I think it's pretty clear that coaching staff is running out of patience with his ball security issues. I am too. The positives don't outweigh the negatives in my book.
He should be a strict specialist in certain offensive packages. He's at his best in the hurry-up, so the that should be where he gets the most of his opportunities. It's all about maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses. Ball security is a weakness - it needs to be minimized.
