The Patriots will pick a RB in the first 2 rounds

mosey threetupu said:

Off the top of my head who breaks longer runs than Blount after contact?

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Only M Lynch had more yards after contact than blount.

Blount needs to get to his 3rd step to be effective. When the OL lets him get 3 steps, he's a load, and opposing tacklers have a bear of a time getting him to the ground. When the OL doesn't get him his 3 steps, he's easy to bring down.

Given the type of back he is (Big, bruising, not overly explosive first step), this isn't really a surprise.

Deus Irae said:

Given the type of back he is (Big, bruising, not overly explosive first step), this isn't really a surprise.

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That can shake off tackles and take it for chunks. Blount's probably the best back the Pats have had since??

mosey threetupu said:

That can shake off tackles and take it for chunks. Blount's probably the best back the Pats have had since??

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Ridley in 2012.

mosey threetupu said:

That can shake off tackles and take it for chunks. Blount's probably the best back the Pats have had since??

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Ameer Abdullah 2015

captain stone said:

Before Bill drafts a RB or WR, he first absolutely must draft the next Logan Mankins.

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Okey doke, then I picture it like this: "With pick #32, the New England Patriots select Jake Fisher, Offensive Lineman, Oregon."

Just as with Mankins, the fan base loses its collective mind at this obvious "reach" (even though the player would clearly be long gone before their next pick).

patchick said:

Okey doke, then I picture it like this: "With pick #32, the New England Patriots select Jake Fisher, Offensive Lineman, Oregon."

Just as with Mankins, the fan base loses its collective mind at this obvious "reach" (even though the player would clearly be long gone before their next pick).

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so Fisher - David Johnson is your 1-2 for now? Where are you on TJ Clemmings?

manxman2601 said:

so Fisher - David Johnson is your 1-2 for now? Where are you on TJ Clemmings?

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I'm not in love with Fisher particularly, I just think he's a very realistic pick there. I expect Clemmings to be gone, and Fisher and Erving are likely to be the most attractive OL options.

If a player like Diggy or Gurley is still around, that could certainly change the positional picture. (Or, heaven forbid, if Revis or McCourty bolts.) But otherwise, I see Fisher or Erving and an eruption of grumbling about the boring pick.

patchick said:

I'm not in love with Fisher particularly, I just think he's a very realistic pick there. I expect Clemmings to be gone, and Fisher and Erving are likely to be the most attractive OL options.

If a player like Diggy or Gurley is still around, that could certainly change the positional picture. (Or, heaven forbid, if Revis or McCourty bolts.) But otherwise, I see Fisher or Erving and an eruption of grumbling about the boring pick.

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Especially if we draft a RB in the second too.

manxman2601 said:

Especially if we draft a RB in the second too.

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That may be why I'm more drawn to Johnson than Abdullah. Abdullah may well be the better football player, but Johnson strikes me as the far more interesting pick. As a RB/HB/WR he could be a nifty weapon for the no huddle, and could see a lot of snaps against varied defenses.

patchick said:

That may be why I'm more drawn to Johnson than Abdullah. Abdullah may well be the better football player, but Johnson strikes me as the far more interesting pick. As a RB/HB/WR he could be a nifty weapon for the no huddle, and could see a lot of snaps against varied defenses.

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I can see that but I just think Abdullah would make a better, and more balanced, Shane Vereen. Abdullah wasn't used a lot in the passing game, but he made some damn fine catches when he was. I prefer Abdullah and certainly football character-wise he's a great Pats pick which is why he gets the edge for me, but I also think Johnson's a very good pick schematically so I'd be absolutely fine with him too. I'd just be rueful at seeing Abdullah elsewhere.

manxman2601 said:

Ameer Abdullah 2015

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Doubt he makes it back to the Pats where they pick in the 2nd. Dallas, Detroit and a couple of other teams.

He is as good as you advertise. Great first step, shifty in the open field. Has the extra gear and good hands. Hope he can get those fumbles under control with the nfl ball and some better taught technique.

Same goes for Johnson, I'd doubt he makes it to the Pats 2nd pick either. I definitely see a run on running backs in the 2nd round this year with both Gordon and Most likely Gurley going in the late first. I see 5 RBs off the board by the start of the 3rd round.

I'd be fine with either although again, both their fumbling issues are flags. Both are compact players but explosive from the line. Excellent vision and pass catching ability as well as good character seem to be part of their resume. I prefer Johnson but that's because I've seen a lot more Miami games then I have Nebraska not to mention I think Johnson is going to be great in pass protection. Again, because I've seen him do it watching entire games. While I am only privy to 3-5 minute youtube highlight videos with Abdullah.

Patriot Missile said:

Doubt he makes it back to the Pats where they pick in the 2nd. Dallas, Detroit and a couple of other teams.

He is as good as you advertise. Great first step, shifty in the open field. Has the extra gear and good hands. Hope he can get those fumbles under control with the nfl ball and some better taught technique.

Same goes for Johnson, I'd doubt he makes it to the Pats 2nd pick either. I definitely see a run on running backs in the 2nd round this year with both Gordon and Most likely Gurley going in the late first. I see 5 RBs off the board by the start of the 3rd round.

I'd be fine with either although again, both their fumbling issues are flags. Both are compact players but explosive from the line. Excellent vision and pass catching ability as well as good character seem to be part of their resume. I prefer Johnson but that's because I've seen a lot more Miami games then I have Nebraska not to mention I think Johnson is going to be great in pass protection. Again, because I've seen him do it watching entire games. While I am only privy to 3-5 minute youtube highlight videos with Abdullah.

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Very nice analysis.. however we're talking about different Johnson's. I'm talking about David Johnson of N Iowa. Sorry for the confusion.

I do like Duke Johnson, he might very well be the better bellcow back when all is said and done but. I just think Abdullah is a really good Vereen replacement.

But my post about Abdullah 2015 was made as a comment on Abdullah's ability to break tackles. When you watch those YouTube videos you see a lot of yards after first contact from Abdullah.

Fear Ameer!

Depends what happens if FA. If one or both of vereen/ridley walk and we solidify the lines a bit then sure. If we retain them or sign some other vet rb then it seems the early picks will go to the trenches. But who am I kidding, we never do anything in free agency and we will probably trade out of the next 3 years of drafts. God we suck. I don't care, I can't stand it!!!

patchick said:

I'm not in love with Fisher particularly, I just think he's a very realistic pick there. I expect Clemmings to be gone, and Fisher and Erving are likely to be the most attractive OL options.

If a player like Diggy or Gurley is still around, that could certainly change the positional picture. (Or, heaven forbid, if Revis or McCourty bolts.)

But otherwise, I see Fisher or Erving and an eruption of grumbling about the boring pick.

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Excellent points, all...But can Grumbling truly be said to erupt?

I'm thinking: at most, a Surge of Grumbling.

Off The Grid said:

Excellent points, all...But can Grumbling truly be said to erupt?

I'm thinking: at most, a Surge of Grumbling.

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Strictly speaking, grumbling is a sign of pending eruption:
Grumbling, rumbling volcanoes signal eruption

The grumbling will start at pick 32 with the unexciting selection of Jake Fisher, presaging the eruption to follow with the selection of David Johnson at 64, since everybody with a printout of some free web draft ranking knows, knows he would have been available precisely 14 picks later and the Patriots could have parachuted into that draft slot.

patchick said:

Strictly speaking, grumbling is a sign of pending eruption:
Grumbling, rumbling volcanoes signal eruption

The grumbling will start at pick 32 with the unexciting selection of Jake Fisher, presaging the eruption to follow with the selection of David Johnson at 64, since everybody with a printout of some free web draft ranking knows, knows he would have been available precisely 14 picks later and the Patriots could have parachuted into that draft slot.

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It's all nothing compared to the grumbling/rumbling eruption that will happen when BB takes Ali Marpet as his future starting LG.

Could definitely see fisher he's like a mini solder. Very agile.

Johnson is like a vereen who can actually run the ball.

3rd round pick for johnson.

mayoclinic said:

It's all nothing compared to the grumbling/rumbling eruption that will happen when BB takes Ali Marpet as his future starting LG.

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For some reason that just wouldn't shock me as much as it would a few years ago. Bill's first round picks have been pretty good over the years so it would be hard for anyone to argue Marpet if the Patriots felt that strongly about him.

manxman2601 said:

Very nice analysis.. however we're talking about different Johnson's. I'm talking about David Johnson of N Iowa. Sorry for the confusion.

I do like Duke Johnson, he might very well be the better bellcow back when all is said and done but. I just think Abdullah is a really good Vereen replacement.

But my post about Abdullah 2015 was made as a comment on Abdullah's ability to break tackles. When you watch those YouTube videos you see a lot of yards after first contact from Abdullah.

Fear Ameer!

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Ok my bad. I can't remember for the life of me, Bill Belichick picking any RB in his tenure that wasn't from a major college program. Just don't see David Johnson. However I didn't see Garapolo either from Northern Illinois either.