Reiss doesn't consider Ridley a roster lock

BradyFTW! said:

Running backs are replaceable, precisely because it isn't that hard to find a serviceable one. Blount himself--acquired for a 7th round pick--is basically a perfect example of that.

Click to expand...

very true, which is why Reiss assertion is not that far off base.

Some have noted Ridley's low contract number as a reason he's a lock, and I can see that as somewhat true. You're not going to find a similar talent out in free agency for under a million.

However, on the flipside, the cap impact of cutting him is practically nothing. So if a few young kids show up and you feel you can trust them (or don't trust Ridley's fumble concerns), I don't see how a Ridley cut would be all that surprising.

Now don't confuse me, I like Ridley and think he's going to have a good year. I just don't watch him play (hell, I don't watch 99% of RB's) and say, "There's no one else that can do his job."

pencilneckgeek said:

I disagree. All he needs to do is learn to make a read after he's through the LOS. He make a read and hits the hole with a burst that gets him the consistent yardage, but then continues at full speed into the secondary. Once he's clear, he just needs hesitate briefly to make a secondary read and hit it again. He has all the skills needed to bust 20+ runs, if not the top-end speed to outrun the secondary all the way to the end zone.

Click to expand...

I think it is a little late for Ridley to pick up that trick.

Triumph said:

And Tbucky Jones Jr is your fav.

You luv that man.

Click to expand...

I see you've moved on from falsely claiming I love Arrington to falsely claiming I love Tebucky Jones. Which is really odd because at least I've commented on this board about Arrington. I don't ever recall saying anything about Jones except to highlight the sheer absurdity of your McCourty-Jones comparison.

When compared to other RB's on the roster I think Ridley is much more likely to earn a spot but .... I don't consider him so good as not to be irreplaceable. IOW, I could see him cut in favor of another player. Therefore, I don't consider him a lock.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-.../_/id/4764559/checking-the-locks-patriots-rbs

When the Patriots lost Vereen for eight games due to a wrist injury last year, they didn't have "perfect fit" replacement for the role of "passing back" as Bolden was most often utilized. But they do now in White, the fourth-round pick from Wisconsin, which is why both Vereen and White are viewed as sure-fire locks to stick in 2014. The reason Ridley and Bolden don't garner the same consideration is the possibility that Houston (undrafted free agent) or Gray (first-year player) surprise and challenge for a roster spot.

So Vereen is a sure fire lock because they drafted his "perfect fit" replacement in the 4th round.

But Ridley is not a lock because an UFA or street FA might surprise and challenge for a roster spot.

Um........Ok

Reiss also neglects to mention Finch in the "passing back" competition. Houston or Gray could surprise and challenge for a roster spot but not Finch?

Reiss is off base on this one. His theory doesn't hold water.

Armchair Quarterback said:

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-.../_/id/4764559/checking-the-locks-patriots-rbs

When the Patriots lost Vereen for eight games due to a wrist injury last year, they didn't have "perfect fit" replacement for the role of "passing back" as Bolden was most often utilized. But they do now in White, the fourth-round pick from Wisconsin, which is why both Vereen and White are viewed as sure-fire locks to stick in 2014. The reason Ridley and Bolden don't garner the same consideration is the possibility that Houston (undrafted free agent) or Gray (first-year player) surprise and challenge for a roster spot.

So Vereen is a sure fire lock because they drafted his "perfect fit" replacement in the 4th round.

But Ridley is not a lock because an UFA or street FA might surprise and challenge for a roster spot.

Um........Ok

Reiss neglects to mention Finch in the "passing back" competition. Houston or Gray could surprise and challenge for a roster spot but not Finch?

Reiss is off base on this one. His theory doesn't hold water.

Click to expand...

No, you do not understand what he wrote. He is stating that Vereen was the only receiving back last year and when he got hurt, the Patriots had trouble replacing him. That makes Vereen a lock and White a lock because he will be the main backup to Vereen, ensuring the Patriots will have a 3rd down back if Vereen gets hurt.

Ridley's only skill is toting the rock, a skill that the other 3 RBs also share. Thus, Ridley is a guy who has sure fire competition for his roster spot.

Nunchucks said:

No, you do not understand what he wrote. He is stating that Vereen was the only receiving back last year and when he got hurt, the Patriots had trouble replacing him. That makes Vereen a lock and White a lock because he will be the main backup to Vereen, ensuring the Patriots will have a 3rd down back if Vereen gets hurt.

Ridley's only skill is toting the rock, a skill that the other 3 RBs also share. Thus, Ridley is a guy who has sure fire competition for his roster spot.

Click to expand...

Give me a break, I understand what he wrote.

Vereen in theory could be replaced by "his perfect replacement" White and Finch just as easily as Ridley could be replaced by Bolden or Houston or Gray.

Armchair Quarterback said:

Give me a break, I understand what he wrote.

Vereen in theory could be replaced by "his perfect replacement" White and Finch just as easily as Ridley could be replaced by Bolden or Houston or Gray.

Click to expand...

But who would back up White as the 3rd down back? eh?

We are talking about players being cut, not supplanted.

Clearly, you do not understand.

Nunchucks said:

But who would back up White as the 3rd down back? eh?

We are talking about players being cut, not supplanted.

Clearly, you do not understand.

Click to expand...

Clearly you don't as I've stated in both my posts that Finch, along with White could theoretically replace Vereen in the same way some combination of Bolden/Houston/Gray would replace Ridley.

Armchair Quarterback said:

Clearly you don't as I've stated in both my posts that Finch, along with White could theoretically replace Vereen in the same way some combination of Bolden/Houston/Gray would replace Ridley.

Click to expand...

Your claim is that Reiss is neglecting a player.

Reiss may just not give that player any real shot.

Whether he does, or not, Reiss' overall point is fine, because it's clear that Ridley has issues that could (longshot, per Reiss) make him vulnerable. I expect Ridley to make the team, but to point to the difference between 'near-lock' and 'lock' as asinine in this case is, well, asinine.

Deus Irae said:

Your claim is that Reiss is neglecting a player.

Reiss may just not give that player any real shot.

Whether he does, or not, Reiss' overall point is fine, because it's clear that Ridley has issues that could (longshot, per Reiss) make him vulnerable. I expect Ridley to make the team, but to point to the difference between 'near-lock' and 'lock' as asinine in this case is, well, asinine.

Click to expand...

This isn't that difficult:

Vereen, is according to Reiss a sure fire lock to make the team meaning there is no chance of him not making it.

Ridley though, according to Reiss, may not make it because Gray or Houston might surprise.

If he can count Houston or Jonas Gray as a potential threat to Ridley's roster spot then he should also take into account Finch when discussing Vereen's spot. Vereen's inabilty to stay healthy should leave him just as vulnerable as Ridley.

You got a problem with surefire/near lock distinctions, take it up with Reiss.

Nunchucks said:

Ridley is just not that great with angles and turning guys around once he is in the open field. He just gets caught when other guys can kind of turn defenders around.

Click to expand...

He is not Barry Sanders and nobody is suggesting that but we are talking about a RB who in his second season had the second best season of any RB in the Belichick era. Only Corey Dillion in 2004 had a more productive season than Ridley had in 2012.

Deus Irae said:

You're kidding, right?

Click to expand...

Do you think that in the games against the Bucs, Steelers, Ravens, and Bills when Blount ran well in the fourth quarter that those teams were desperately trying to stop him thinking they could win the game? I do not.

Armchair Quarterback said:

This isn't that difficult:

Vereen, is according to Reiss a sure fire lock to make the team meaning there is no chance of him not making it.

Ridley though, according to Reiss, may not make it because Gray or Houston might surprise.

If he can count Houston Jonas Gray as a potential threat to Ridley's roster spot then he should also take into account Finch when discussing Vereen's spot. Vereen's inabilty to stay healthy should leave him just as vulnerable as Ridley.

You got a problem with surefire/near lock distinctions, take it up with Reiss.

Click to expand...

Well, if you believe that Belichick is going to trust Tom Brady's health and his 3rd down offense to two rookie 3rd down running backs, I have a bridge to sell you.

Lets remember that rookies have the toughest time learning to pass block and both of the guys you listed are small, Finch especially so.

Brady6 said:

He is not Barry Sanders and nobody is suggesting that but we are talking about a RB who in his second season had the second best season of any RB in the Belichick era. Only Corey Dillion in 2004 had a more productive season than Ridley had in 2012.

Click to expand...

I think a lot of RBs outside of Barry Sanders are fairly decent in the open field, Blount for one....He is not Blount in the open field, that is for sure.

Brady6 said:

Do you think that in the games against the Bucs, Steelers, Ravens, and Bills when Blount ran well in the fourth quarter that those teams were desperately trying to stop him thinking they could win the game? I do not.

Click to expand...

If you do not think those teams were desperately trying to stop him, then you really need to pay better attention to the games.

The hardest thing in the world, especially for the Patriots since Dillion has been to close out games with a running attack. How often have we sat here in complained over the last 10 years about the Patriots throwing the ball in the 4th quarter instead of running the clock with a rushing attack?

The reason they passed the ball was because they could not run it in the 4th quarter. Blount changed the Patriots 4th quarter offense, because he could do something that the Patriots could not do in previous years.

Nunchucks said:

I think a lot of RBs outside of Barry Sanders are fairly decent in the open field, Blount for one....He is not Blount in the open field, that is for sure.

Click to expand...

I think you are confusing having some long run with being good in the open field. Blount was nothing special in the open field his long runs were broke at the line or in the first 5-10 yards and then he had the top end speed to take it the distance. In terms of being an elusive runner Ridley is more elusive than Blount.

Brady6 said:

I think you are confusing having some long run with being good in the open field. Blount was nothing special in the open field his long runs were broke at the line or in the first 5-10 yards and then he had the top end speed to take it the distance. In terms of being an elusive runner Ridley is more elusive than Blount.

Click to expand...

So, you just used top-end speed and Blount in the same sentence. That is hysterical. Blount is not fast, in fact I believe lots of people complained quite a bit about his plodding slowness, especially on kickoff returns. What Blount does have is an innate sense of angles and how to turn defenders around.

I agree, Ridley has more explosion and is very elusive in a short area, but Ridley doesn't have the same innate ability to get defenders all twisted up in the open field like Blount does. I don't understand it myself, but the proof is in the pudding. Blount would shift his angle when a defender almost had him and would end up running by the defender as he tried to compensate.

Nunchucks said:

If you do not think those teams were desperately trying to stop him, then you really need to pay better attention to the games.

The hardest thing in the world, especially for the Patriots since Dillion has been to close out games with a running attack. How often have we sat here in complained over the last 10 years about the Patriots throwing the ball in the 4th quarter instead of running the clock with a rushing attack?

The reason they passed the ball was because they could not run it in the 4th quarter. Blount changed the Patriots 4th quarter offense, because he could do something that the Patriots could not do in previous years.

Click to expand...

You clearly did not watch those games or at least not the fourth quarter. The Patriots led 20-3 against the Bucs and Blount gained 56 of his 65 yards on the final drive of the game that took place with 5:35 remaining