8/25: Reiss Predicting Ridley Gets Cut

BradyFTW! said:

When it comes to dutifully reporting what he sees, without slant or bias, Reiss is awesome. When it comes to prognosticating and making predictions off of what he sees... not so much.

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This is definitely true. But nobody is all that accurate when it comes to predicting things as they relate to the Patriots.

I think most coaches in the NFL would like to have a Swiss Army knife like McCoy, but there's only a handful of those guys at any one time. The Patriots have never had such a back, so they've always gone with a box of tools to cover all their needs. Classically, they've always had a

Runner: Smith/Dillon/Maroney/Green-Ellis/Ridley
Receiver: Faulk/Morris/Woodhead/Vereen

As well as another back who can usually do a little of both in a pinch but lacks talent to be a starter (Redmond/Cloud/Morris/Jordan/Taylor/Bolden)

They also usually have a fullback of some sort (Edwards/Centers/Pass/Evans/Eckel/Develin) who is more or less of a receiver and blocker depending on the player. Some of them (Centers, Pass, and Eckel) were arguably closer to running backs than fullbacks.

I was just thinking...imagine how we would have raked a reporter over the coals if, two days ago, he had predicted that the Patriots would dump Tommy Kelly?

shmessy said:

Ridley has definitely gotten a bum rap on the fumbles.

There are certain players that the media/fans, etc just like to beat up (i.e. Reche Caldwell who was signed to be a #4 WR, caught 61 passes and 4 TD's and was treated (and to this day continues to be treated) as if he was Albert Haynsworth or Andy Katzenmoyer.

Cutting Ridley, but keeping Boyce = S.T.U.P.I.D.

But hey, Jake Bequette wakes up to day #784 as a paid member of the New England Patriots today, so anything is possible regarding that roster.

I wouldn't say that Reiss is ADVOCATING this move, just trying to predict how BB might look at the situation.

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I was really enjoying the threat until you brought Andy Katzenmoyer into it. So much disappointment, and sadness. I thought I locked those thoughts away for good.

To keep it on topic. I want to say NO WAY Ridley gets cut, but knowing Bill, anything is possible. I would be very disappointed if it did happen. He's got a power, burst, and ability to cut that no one on this roster has shown in a long time.

holyredeemer said:

He's got a power, burst, and ability to cut that no one on this roster has shown in a long time.

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I agree. At his best he can get through holes in tight spaces. He doesn't barrel through like Blount or BJGE. I thought he looked very good in his few carries this off-season (relative to what was open for him).

The Steelers just brought out their Jobu doll and gave him a whole case of rum in the hopes there might be something to this.


Which there better not be.

would surprise me 10x more then Kelly that's for sure. why dump your best RB? Just let him walk next year

patchick said:

I was just thinking...imagine how we would have raked a reporter over the coals if, two days ago, he had predicted that the Patriots would dump Tommy Kelly?

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Kelly a 33 year old DT recovering from ACL who played 5 games as a Patriot?

Ridley is 25 years old, has had no problems with the wheels and has averaged 4.5 ypc in his career. Plus, he's on a 3rd round rookie's contract.

Not really a good analogy there.

Right now there is 0 chance Ridley gets cut. However, if Ridley plays a bit vs NY and fumbles the ball. I think it opens the door for it to POTENTIALLY happen.

shmessy said:

Kelly a 33 year old DT recovering from ACL who played 5 games as a Patriot?

Ridley is 25 years old, has had no problems with the wheels and has averaged 4.5 ypc in his career. Plus, he's on a 3rd round rookie's contract.

Not really a good analogy there.

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Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't think the cuts would be equivalent. Just the scoffing.

shmessy said:

Whoa....Personally, I don't see it from here (but "from here" is 400 miles away and he is there every day):

New England Patriots projected 53-man roster v6 - espnBoston

RUNNING BACKS (4)

• Shane Vereen
• James White
• Brandon Bolden
• Jonas Gray

The Patriots are always good for a surprise, and we've had our antenna up at this positionsince early July. If there's a surprise, we'll play a hunch at this spot with Stevan Ridley, whose low snap total Friday (11 snaps) in a "dress rehearsal" game caught the eye. Meanwhile, Roy Finch lands on the practice squad.

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No way, Player X makes the roster! Didn't we hear this about Matt Cassell? And then a year later he is traded for the 1st pick of round 2.

I normally like Reiss, but this is more of a whatever sticks to the wall guess than his usual solid reporting.

patchick said:

Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't think the cuts would be equivalent. Just the scoffing.

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Your comparison was perfectly valid.

Reiss must be desperate for web page hits.

well...Gronk can't stay on the field...cut him too

and Hightower has never forced Ridley to fumble the ball in practice...ever...cut him too

Nink and CJ played 98% of the snaps last season with very little sacks the lasyt eight games...cut them also

in fact , cut half the starters and "send a message!!"...yeah, that's the smart thing to do

They always surprise with their cuts so Reiss is just probably tossing darts at the board to find the surprises.

Whats with the fumbles? Brady throws interceptions 11 I believe should he be cut..running backs fumble .this I very exaggerated . you want ben Jarvis and his 3 yards back..this kid given the chance could run for 1200 to 1400 yds

bogengames said:

Whats with the fumbles? Brady throws interceptions 11 I believe should he be cut..running backs fumble .this I very exaggerated . you want ben Jarvis and his 3 yards back..this kid given the chance could run for 1200 to 1400 yds

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Did you just compare Ridley to possibly the greatest QB of all time?

no what I said is turnovers are part of the game. even for the best

I dont see how this team is better by not having Ridley, Reiss is wrong here.

AndyJohnson said:

No I think the point is that they never tried.
They wouldn't have been on the field if they couldn't pass protect. Fred Taylor was a good receiver in Jville, Sammy Morris caught passes in the 3rd down back role, but not many when he was the 1/1A RB. Maroney had the ability to catch passes and was never asked to and the same goes for Ridley. When has Ridley proved ineffective when they tried to use him as a receiver? They just don't.
You can argue all you want about whether it makes sense or not, but it is what they do.

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And maybe the reason why is these spot on draft profiles!

Strengths
Ridley is a big back with a deceptive burst. Possesses good vision and hits the hole hard. Downhill runner that has the strength to run over defenders. Secures the ball quickly and flashes an effective stiff arm. Plays mean and is a very capable blocker in pass protection.

Weaknesses
Does not have the speed to consistently break off big runs and lacks the lateral agility to make people miss in the open field. Runs too high at times limiting his power. Lacks experience as a receiver and struggles to turn and run after the catch. Inconsistent technique as a blocker in pass protection.

Negatives: Only moderate speed, overall. Doesn't have the breakaway speed or elusiveness teams are looking for in a feature back. Has only one season of standout play -- entered 2010 with only 57 career carries for 272 yards and four TDs). Appears to have at least marginal hands, but was only used as a dump-off option in this offense and may lack the flexibility to make catches outside of his frame.