I'm Getting Excited About Dion Lewis

PatsWickedPissah said:

Watch out guys!
Last year I posted assertively but not disrespectfully that Finch would not make the 53 and someone who was a Finch fanboi peppered all my posts thereafter with Dislikes.
Someone here (I forget who) likes 'em small.

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Don't ever piss off the lollipop guild.

RayClay said:

I don't think I'd cut Barry Sanders

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BB Scouting Report On Barry Sanders

• Doesn't "one cut-n go"
• Too many negative plays
• Superior receiver
• Cannot move piles
• Below-average on short yardage
• Superior at pass blocking and blitz pickup

Schmo said:

Good thread. Thanks for putting a spotlight on this guy.

Pats fans seem to be comparing our options at 3rd down back to Faulk (pats legend) or vereen (most recent), but to be honest, my favorite was Woodhead. He was a shifty back who could catch, and he knew how to throw his weight around and get dirty to keep Brady clean. Lewis seems like a close comparison to DW on paper and on tape....

DL 5'8" 195
DW 5'8" 200

Both had minimal previous NFL experience, are shifty and like contact (but can hide behind linemen). I think there's a big difference between 195 in college and in the pros, but if the kid can stay healthy, expect things from him.

From what I've seen, I still think that Cadet is completely unimpressive. The door is wide open.

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Cadet is not a 3rd down back.

Gumby said:

Nice video, but didn't show much of his ?5?+ recs in the game. If he is competing for the 3d back role he needs to be good route runner (and pass protection blocker).

Anyway, this is the time of year that a mediot writing a story about some guy doing well (Davis last week) or a fan starting a binky thread, seem to always be the guy's obituary. For his sake, I hope the op didn't jinx him

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No, he doesn't have a lot of receiving vs running on paper, which wouldn't say much anyway. However, if you checked the first post I made quoting Reiss's 'players to watch', the post is based on Brady praising his route running two days in a row.

The idea was, if he's showing good route running, according to Brady, his abilities as a pure RB on top of that, are far superior to sluggish White and non RB Cadet.

RayClay said:

No, he doesn't have a lot of receiving vs running on paper, which wouldn't say much anyway. However, if you checked the first post I made quoting Reiss's 'players to watch', the post is based on Brady praising his route running two days in a row.

The idea was, if he's showing good route running, according to Brady, his abilities as a pure RB on top of that, are far superior to sluggish White and non RB Cadet.

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Yes but don't overlook the pass protection angle. Who was that rb who once nearly got TB killed Missing his block assnmt on 3d down, I think he never saw the field again? Blocking is important to bb in that role and if he is undersized ???

Gumby said:

Yes but don't overlook the pass protection angle. Who was that rb who once nearly got TB killed Missing his block assnmt on 3d down, I think he never saw the field again? Blocking is important to bb in that role and if he is undersized ???

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Like Faulk and Woodhead? White is not much bigger and Cadet has not blocked much at all.

We don't really know much about the three of them, but Cadet has pass protected less and White is still the same guy we saw last year, until further notice. Like all college RBs, Lewis needed to work on pass protection but, until the regime change in Cleveland while he tried to catch on after a broken leg, he was said to be "not afraid to stick his nose in on pass protection." Our Lombardi was part of that Cleveland team.

robertweathers said:

Cadet is not a 3rd down back.

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I agree 100%. I don't know why he's here or where he fits. CB?

Gumby said:

Yes but don't overlook the pass protection angle. Who was that rb who once nearly got TB killed Missing his block assnmt on 3d down, I think he never saw the field again? Blocking is important to bb in that role and if he is undersized ???

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His name was Sammy Morris. He played lots again, though your point is well taken. Lewis is on a par with the other two until proven otherwise, IMO. the one who's a mystery in pass protection would be Cadet, and all college RBs are. Lewis actually trained and played RB in the pros a few years.

Schmo said:

I agree 100%. I don't know why he's here or where he fits. CB?

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He has good size to play CB...lol

Cadet is KR, RB, 5WR, Receiving RB and core STs.

I just don't see him competing with White or Lewis directly.

robertweathers said:

Cadet is not a 3rd down back.

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He is actually, just much more emphasis on the receiving. He's run in the Pros and college. White would be the most balanced, while Lewis would be one of the top RBs in the country while in college.

To be fair, White looks like a world beater based on college, but i think Lewis gets more yards on his own, less out of running through huge holes. Can't wait for camp, though.

RayClay said:

It's a video. you can watch him, you don't have to read what they say he can't do.

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Yeah I should have posted that a little clearer. I was trying to agree with you that he does look like an interesting prospect. I wasn't posting his Combine results to make an argument against the guy, because he did look instinctively elusive especially when he made that spin move against the linebacker who had a clean shot at him. (It was at the beginning of the video at 48 seconds into it) I just put it up there for FYI type of thing and it stated that he was incredibly elusive which is based on more than one game.

I wouldn't cut Barry Sanders either but I don't think the Pats need Lewis to be the next GOAT RB to be successful with the Pats. If he can catch and combines that with "outstanding elusiveness" that could turn into some big plays. Actually if you think about it this offense is looking pretty damn scary right now.

RayClay said:

He is actually, just much more emphasis on the receiving. He's run in the Pros and college. White would be the most balanced, while Lewis would be one of the top RBs in the country while in college.

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Yes- I think I'm splitting hairs a little. I think they view Cadet primarily as a receiving threat lined up as a split & flanker WR, Slot WR, H-Back and receiving RB.

Clearly Lewis and White do not have that kind of positional versatility in the passing game.

Tony2046 said:

Yeah I should have posted that a little clearer. I was trying to agree with you that he does look like an interesting prospect. I wasn't posting his Combine results to make an argument against the guy, because he did look instinctively elusive especially when he made that spin move against the linebacker who had a clean shot at him. (It was at the beginning of the video at 48 seconds into it) I just put it up there for FYI type of thing and it stated that he was incredibly elusive which is based on more than one game.

I wouldn't cut Barry Sanders either but I don't think the Pats need Lewis to be the next GOAT RB to be successful with the Pats. If he can catch and combines that with "outstanding elusiveness" that could turn into some big plays. Actually if you think about it this offense is looking pretty damn scary right now.

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Oh, I thought you were focusing on the "can't move the pile" stuff which seems silly. Often smaller backs are afraid of contact, but Lewis runs right up the middle and fights to break tackles based on video.

Obviously, the Sanders stuff is silly and my general point is, if these guys can all catch, and that's what Lewis needs to prove, wouldn't it be great to have a guy who could break runs against sub defenses, or even be a change of pace back on other downs.

Of course it's all conjecture til we see some scrimmages, at least.

Sorry to be so defensive. I read the same combine report and what stuck with me [iirc] were the stupid "move the pile" comments.

robertweathers said:

Yes- I think I'm splitting hairs a little. I think they view Cadet primarily as a receiving threat lined up as a split & flanker WR, Slot WR, H-Back and receiving RB.

Clearly Lewis and White do not have that kind of positional versatility in the passing game.

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I think we all don't know, but do you really see him getting snaps as a receiver on this team? seems the 3rd down back position is the opening and any versatility has to be in addition to that.

RayClay said:

I think we all don't know, but do you really see him getting snaps as a receiver on this team? seems the 3rd down back position is the opening and any versatility has to be in addition to that.

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Lewis does have 16 kick returns as a pro. Small sample, average production.

RayClay said:

Oh, I thought you were focusing on the "can't move the pile" stuff which seems silly. Often smaller backs are afraid of contact, but Lewis runs right up the middle and fights to break tackles based on video.

Obviously, the Sanders stuff is silly and my general point is, if these guys can all catch, and that's what Lewis needs to prove, wouldn't it be great to have a guy who could break runs against sub defenses, or even be a change of pace back on other downs.

Of course it's all conjecture til we see some scrimmages, at least.

Sorry to be so defensive. I read the same combine report and what stuck with me [iirc] were the stupid "move the pile" comments.

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The way I posted that originally looked wrong. Personally I usually don't judge a player until I've watched them play a few games. I'll let Bill chose his players. haha There has been too many times some guy comes out of no where and I'm sitting on the couch thinking "where did he find that guy?"

RayClay said:

I think we all don't know, but do you really see him getting snaps as a receiver on this team? seems the 3rd down back position is the opening and any versatility has to be in addition to that.

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I absolutely do see him at WR some. Payton had him all over the place.

Clearly we don't know what will come of White and Lewis but because of Cadet's positional versatility at almost every offensive position (except TE) and as a core ST, he will make this team.

robertweathers said:

I absolutely do see him at WR some. Payton had him all over the place.

Clearly we don't know what will come of White and Lewis but because of Cadet's positional versatility at almost every offensive position (except TE) and as a core ST, he will make this team.

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It seems that we have three players who will take one of the backfield jobs because of their versatility: Bolden, Cadet and Develin. Even if you pencil these three and Blount to the roster, there is still a serious battle for the positions of RB4 and WR5, if both of these positions exist.

To put this another way, how many RB/WR do we need to add to these eight?

RB/FB (4) Blount, Bolden, Cadet, Develin
WR (4) Edelman, LaFell, Amendola, Dobson/Gibson

The competitors are Dobson/Gibson, Boyce, Tyms, Lewis, Gray, Gaffney, White and a free agent RB. This roster decision seems to be the biggest one on the offense.

Tony2046 said:

"where did he find that guy?"

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Popeye's fried chicken? It's just so hilarious, we're so lucky. Even with the corrupt league trying to destroy us, we're still going to win.