Patriots OTAs 6/11

robertweathers said:

I don't think BB views Bolden as a 3rd down back. As you say- outstanding STer. Can catch. Can run. Can pick up the blitz but not a a guy you want out there for 50+ snaps a game.

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It's possible....but I believe it was PFW that mentioned Bolden was taking a lot of snaps in RB catching drills the past week...and he did well. I don't know...we will see.

Zuma said:

It's possible....but I believe it was PFW that mentioned Bolden was taking a lot of snaps in RB catching drills the past week...and he did well. I don't know...we will see.

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I love Bolden as an all-purpose reliever. Hit them for 3 quarters with Blount & Gray or Gaffney, then bring in a fresh Bolden to seal the deal. Plus if your 3rd down back gets hurt in-game, he can do that too. I've grown to really like him as a player. Versatility rules!

robertweathers said:

Me neither. If I can get a return on a stat I want in 2 minutes I give up.

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I spent 10 minutes looking but couldn't find passes defensed from the QB perspective.

robertweathers said:

Ok....?

Hes a serviceable RB that is being paid $200k if he makes the team and $750k over the course of the season. Dirt cheap dollars for sure but we aren't talking about Curtis Martin here...

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He's performed here. They didn't sign him to a two year deal for no reason.

robertweathers said:

Yep. Thats why I see White and Dion Lewis battling for the primary 3rd down back role.

Cadet is not getting more than 50 carries in this offense.

Here is what I am seeing...

Blount (I think depending on how the others play, there is a chance he doesn't make the team)
Gray v Gaffney
White v Lewis
Bolden
Develin

JE11
Amendola
LaFell
Dobson v Tyms v Gibson

Cadet

Gronk
Chandler
Hooman v Davis (different players but with the release of Wright, I think they view Davis as a better H-Back guy and Chandler- while not as good of a blocker as Hooman can get the job done somewhat. Worst case they can put a OL/Develin at TE)

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rochrist said:

There is zero chance Blount fails to make the team.

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Blount will not be on the 53 man roster for Game One.

mgteich said:

Blount will not be on the 53 man roster for Game One.

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Good point!

rochrist said:

He's performed here. They didn't sign him to a two year deal for no reason.

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It was very short money. Check out the guaranteed dollars.

Very short money LB make. I like Blount for a number of reasons...

1. Does not have happy feet
2. Is able to break tackles
3. Is not made of glass

It's early...but I might take Blount over these guys...

- Laurence Maroney
- Leonard Russell
- Antowain Smith

robertweathers said:

It was very short money. Check out the guaranteed dollars.

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Exactly what they want from the lead backs.
I'm not sure why you would think he /wouldn't/ make the team? Who's beating him out? Gray? We don't even know if he's out of Bill's doghouse yet, let alone whether he can be the lead back on the team? Bolden? Please. Gaffey? Complete unknown. So, given that they like to have more than one big back involved, who is going to take his place?

rochrist said:

Exactly what they want from the lead backs.
I'm not sure why you would think he /wouldn't/ make the team? Who's beating him out? Gray? We don't even know if he's out of Bill's doghouse yet, let alone whether he can be the lead back on the team? Bolden? Please. Gaffey? Complete unknown. So, given that they like to have more than one big back involved, who is going to take his place?

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Big RBs slow down quick.

Gray and Gaffney would both make the team.

Sorry but I don't think as highly of Blount as others do.

Let's see how TC and preseason shake out.

Zuma said:

Very short money LB make. I like Blount for a number of reasons...

1. Does not have happy feet
2. Is able to break tackles
3. Is not made of glass

It's early...but I might take Blount over these guys...

- Laurence Maroney
- Leonard Russell
- Antowain Smith

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Yes on Maroney and Russell. No on 01 Smith.

robertweathers said:

Big RBs slow down quick.

Gray and Gaffney would both make the team.

Sorry but I don't think as highly of Blount as others do.

Let's see how TC and preseason shake out.

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He's 28, pretty much prime age for a RB, particularly one who hasn't been carrying the ball 300+ times a year. Gaffney is a complete unknown. Gray has exactly one good game on his resume. Blount has performed in the playoffs. He isn't AP, but you don't -need- AP on this team.

rochrist said:

He's 28, pretty much prime age for a RB, particularly one who hasn't been carrying the ball 300+ times a year. Gaffney is a complete unknown. Gray has exactly one good game on his resume. Blount has performed in the playoffs. He isn't AP, but you don't -need- AP on this team.

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I agree. I know my point is a strawman. Overall I think you can upgrade over Blount.

My initial contention was that Gaffney and Gray would have to play out of their skulls to even warrant BB considering the possibility of cutting Blount loose.

Zuma said:

Generally their needs be some kind of threat that a 3rd down back will run. I don't believe Cadet posseses that threat. I see that as a big issue.

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Neither did Shane Vereen!

Cadet has attempted 11 carries in his NFL career and has a 3.4 average per.

Vereen averaged 4.2 yards per carry. He had 217 career carries. For a non-starting 3rd down back...that's pretty good. The threat to run and pick up a 1st down on 3rd and 4 was real.

Zuma said:

Cadet has attempted 11 carries in his NFL career and has a 3.4 average per.

Vereen averaged 4.2 yards per carry. He had 217 career carries. For a non-starting 3rd down back...that's pretty good. The threat to run and pick up a 1st down on 3rd and 4 was real.

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After having a fantastic game against Cincy last year, Vereen's final 65 carries of 2015 amassed 200 total yards... a nice tidy 3.1 ypc.

Obviously the career numbers are a better sample, but Cadet's 11 suffers from the same issues. More so, even, since Vereen's small ypc was garnered in 6x the carries and for the Patriots instead of another team.

Could Cadet's low carry numbers be further evidence that he can't run? That the Saints were willing to give him more rushes but he simply didn't earn them? Perhaps, but at this point we don't have enough data to form any conclusions.

EDIT: If I constrict Shane's numbers to his final 32 carries (50% of the earlier sample but 3x Cadet's) then the ypc drops to 2.6.

Oswlek said:

Could Cadet's low carry numbers be further evidence that he can't run? Perhaps, but at this point we don't have enough data to form any conclusions.

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It is curious question. What do they think of Cadet as a runner? He seems like a one-cut-n-go-type guy but doesn't have the thickness to bust through lines and break tackles, however he did that a few times in the highlight reels I've watched.

Vereen was an ok runner. Nothing special IMO.