If Shane Vereen isn't a Patriot next year...

Do we stick with who we already have?

LaGarette Blount
Jonas Gray
James White
Brandon Bolden
Tyler Gaffney

or do we draft another RB?

do we bring back Stevan Ridley?

I think Gray, Ridley, and Gaffney will compete for a spot on the roster. Even after his 200 yard game this year, the Pats barely played Gray so I don't know how high they are on him. He seemed to be in the doghouse for the rest of the season after showing up late one day. No one here knows if thats strictly a discipline issue, or if that game went to his head and the staff had other issues with him. Maybe he stunk it up in practice or maybe his true colors showed after that game. No one knows, but we do know he barely touched the ball after his 200 yard game.

Ridley was in and out of the doghouse the past couple of years and is coming off a bad knee injury.

Do you think James White would be a suitable replacement for Vereen?

If Vereen walks, I like Ameer Abdullah. He has pass catching skills like Vereen but I think he's a better pure runner, and can return kicks as well. High character guy and he won MVP at the Senior Bowl. Projected to be a 2nd rd pick. His biggest issue is ball security and considering he had some of the smallest hands at the Combine, it might not be an easy issue to correct.

MrNathanDrake said:

Do we stick with who we already have?

LaGarette Blount
Jonas Grey
James White
Brandon Bolden
Tyler Gaffney

or do we draft another RB?

Do you think James White would be a suitable replacement for Vereen?

If Vereen walks, I like James White former team mate Ameer Abdullah. He has pass catching skills like Vereen but I think he's a better pure runner, and can return kicks as well.

Click to expand...

I'm not wild about the "Vereen replacements" in this draft. I'd be hesitant to spend a day 2 pick on Abdullah or Duke Johnson - both probably better runners than Vereen, but not as polished as receivers. I'd personally see what James White can do. Tyler Gaffney is also a receiving option. I'd be happy to take a RB, but I'd probably go with more of a "3 down back" like Todd Gurley, Tevin Coleman or Jay Ajayi.

If Ahmad Bradshaw is healthy, he's better than Vereen. He broke his foot in our game at Indy in Nov. He's an UFA. They may want to go younger.

mayoclinic said:

I'm not wild about the "Vereen replacements" in this draft. I'd be hesitant to spend a day 2 pick on Abdullah or Duke Johnson - both probably better runners than Vereen, but not as polished as receivers. I'd personally see what James White can do. Tyler Gaffney is also a receiving option. I'd be happy to take a RB, but I'd probably go with more of a "3 down back" like Todd Gurley, Tevin Coleman or Jay Ajayi.

Click to expand...

Im a huge fan of tevin Coleman. But I think our secon pick is a little rich for my taste. Im hoping he lasts till one of our third round picks.

And does anybody know the price it would be to franchise vereen? If its not too steep then I think it would be worth tagging him. If not then i say we give James white a chance to compete and if that doesn't work then I'm all in for taking dj foster next year.

I love Coleman's running skills. You can justify him at 64. I also like David Cobb. He's a big back, 229lb who can catch the ball. Neither played with a ton of offensive talent around them and produced. Something, I look at too. They didn't have the 2012 Alabama OL blocking for them.

Gabriel_p94 said:

And does anybody know the price it would be to franchise vereen? If its not too steep then I think it would be worth tagging him. If not then i say we give James white a chance to compete and if that doesn't work then I'm all in for taking dj foster next year.

Click to expand...

The actual figure is a percentage of the 2015 cap, which has not yet been set. But given the $140-143M estimate, it should be around $10.9M. Far too rich.

Gabriel_p94 said:

Im a huge fan of tevin Coleman. But I think our secon pick is a little rich for my taste. Im hoping he lasts till one of our third round picks.

Click to expand...

patsfaninpa said:

I love Coleman's running skills. You can justify him at 64. I also like David Cobb. He's a big back, 229lb who can catch the ball. Neither played with a ton of offensive talent around them and produced. Something, I look at too. They didn't have the 2012 Alabama OL blocking for them.

Click to expand...

I think Tevin Coleman or Jay Ajayi would both be well worth the #64 pick. I'd be quite happy to go that direction if the Pats went OL or DL in the 1st, depending on who else is available. I have Coleman rated a bit above Ajayi, but it's subjective. Both are 3 down backs IMO, along with Gurley and Gordon, and have good receiving skills.

Gabriel_p94 said:

Im a huge fan of tevin Coleman. But I think our secon pick is a little rich for my taste. Im hoping he lasts till one of our third round picks.

And does anybody know the price it would be to franchise vereen? If its not too steep then I think it would be worth tagging him. If not then i say we give James white a chance to compete and if that doesn't work then I'm all in for taking dj foster next year.

Click to expand...

You get a "winner" for mentioning DJ Foster, a Shane Vereen clone. Well done.

I absolutely love Abdullah - he's talked about as being the most football smart prospect in the draft so from that perspective, BB will love him. BB will have to reconcile himself with those fumbles(an are in which Abdullah improved) and his blocking though. But Abdullah's vision and reaction times arc second to no-one in this draft.

Surprised no-one has mentioned David Johnson. He's not a Vereen clone but he was the best receiving and blocking RB at the senior bowl.

I'd still take Gurley though as a 3 down back.

I have already mentally moved on from Vereen. He wants 5M a year and i don't think it is a negotiating tactic to get the Pats up to 3.5M. He wants his big pay day and I don't blame him. RBs have short lives in the NFL after all.

With that in mind I don't see a 3rd down back in this draft as good as Vereen. So if I take a RB I want an all purpose RB that can catch. My personal preference is Tevin Coleman as late as you can get him. I don't want to spend a 1st round pick on Gurley though i do believe BB might if he checks out medically (skipping his medical might really hurt him though. I don't think anyone goes near him until that happens).

White and Gaffney are options. If BB believes he has enough there that is fine but currently I don't. I want a FA or draft pick for that spot as things stand.

FWIW, and this is purely speculation, I think James White was option B last year as a potential Vereen replacement/sub. I think Devanta Freeman was option A - he was a perfect fit in many ways. He went to Atlanta 2 picks before the Pats took Bryan Stork. There were a number of solid C/G prospects on the board besides Stork - Russell Bodine, Corey Linsley and John Urschel - and the odds were that one or more would have lasted to #130, or the Pats could have traded back up.

Patriots wont take use a rookie as 3 Down back, gonna be White or Bolden.

Agree with Mayo on Freeman. I wonder if White was a bit of a panic pick. Regardless, they signed Dion Lewis, I expect he will compete with White for that role.

BelichickFan said:

Agree with Mayo on Freeman. I wonder if White was a bit of a panic pick. Regardless, they signed Dion Lewis, I expect he will compete with White for that role.

Click to expand...

I doubt he was a "panic pick" as much as option B. I'm guessing they had already identified him, and if Freeman was gone he was off their board. They may have reached a tad for him if they did not have a good "option C".

I suspect David Johnson will be a Josh McDaniels dream. Blocks, catches and can run.

Interesting comparison:

David Johnson is going to end up the next Matt Forte.

Click to expand...

https://twitter.com/IanKenyonNFL/status/569234892065775616

manxman2601 said:

I suspect David Johnson will be a Josh McDaniels dream. Blocks, catches and can run.

Click to expand...

From your keyboard to BB's ears I hope.

duke Johnson would make a good replacement for Vereen, but Tevin Coleman is the guy I want the pats to Draft he hits the hole fast and is really the only RB I seen out of the top guys that runs inside were the pats like to run he is IMO the perfect patriot RB and I would love for the pats to trade down a few spots and take him in the 2th

Luxusdk said:

Patriots wont take use a rookie as 3 Down back, gonna be White or Bolden.

Click to expand...

why not that is the perfect spot for a rookie being a roll player as long as he can catch a 3 yards pass from Brady its all good

BobDigital said:

I have already mentally moved on from Vereen. He wants 5M a year and i don't think it is a negotiating tactic to get the Pats up to 3.5M. He wants his big pay day and I don't blame him. RBs have short lives in the NFL after all.

With that in mind I don't see a 3rd down back in this draft as good as Vereen. So if I take a RB I want an all purpose RB that can catch. My personal preference is Tevin Coleman at late as you can get him. I don't want to spend a 1st round pick on Gurley though i do believe BB might if he checks out medically (skipping him medical might really hurt him though. I don't think anyone goes near him until that happens).

White and Gaffney are options. If BB believes he has enough there that is fine but currently I don't. I want a FA or draft pick for that spot as things stand.

Click to expand...

I agree with Vereen I wish him the best of luck he gets more money but he is a roll player and this was the first time in his career he played a full 16 game season he is replaceable. and I also think Coleman would be the best fit for the pats

manxman2601 said:

I absolutely love Abdullah - he's talked about as being the most football smart prospect in the draft so from that perspective, BB will love him. BB will have to reconcile himself with those fumbles(an are in which Abdullah improved) and his blocking though. But Abdullah's vision and reaction times arc second to no-one in this draft.

Surprised no-one has mentioned David Johnson. He's not a Vereen clone but he was the best receiving and blocking RB at the senior bowl.

I'd still take Gurley though as a 3 down back.

Click to expand...

Abdullah has been the best back in the Big Ten for two years now. Undersized but an incredible playmaker. Barry Sanders II. And don't confuse Nebraska's OL with the great ones of the past. Terrible rash of injuries.