1800 yards and 6.5 yards per carry in 2006

[VJCPatriot]

Garrett Wolfe had 1900+ yards and 6.2 ypc against D-IA competition (including torching Ohio State) and even he had some questions about the talent he played (MAC.)

Statistics are great, but I prefer guys who can excel against top-level competition and play well in big games, too.

I'm not writing him off at all, but putting things in perspective. To me, Darren McFadder, Mike Hart, PJ Hill, Marshawn Lynch, etc. had much more impressive seasons.

Love the "dread the pats banner" btw dave.

 

[Michigan Dave]

Love the "dread the pats banner" btw dave.

Thanks.

 

[spacecrime]

I'm not trying to PROVE anything at all. I am just trying to stimulate discussion. It is a slow month, and we have four months until the season starts.

Please don't remind me. Once mini-camp ends we will be living inthe football desert until the end of July.

I believe that Hairston will make the team and be a contributer,

I hope he makes it. I tend to get excited about RBs in preseason, and if he runs halfway decent, you can call me Hairston-ite #2. (I was the first Cassel-ite - AJ invented the term just for me because I wouldn't shut up about him from the first day of training camp.)

 

[mgteich]

If he's a bum, then we would have wasted a useless 6th. Also, we would need to sign a free agent short yardarg back.

I am a Rutgers alum and saw everyone of their games in the past 7 years, let me just say that I thought he was a bum. Absolutely nothing special, never broke any tackles never, never made a play when one had to be made. If there was a huge hole then he would run through it, but thats it. I have not seen him after he transfered, so maybe he really made strides with the new team. But as soon as Leonard or Rice stepped onto the field, and run behind the same line, we suddenly saw improvement. I was shocked and pissed when the Pats took him, but then again they have a knack for finding the right players for their system.

 

[sebman2112]

In one of his scouting reports I read that he didn't start exceling until he was playing against lesser competition, FWIW.

Yea, but he was behind Brian Leonard and Ray Rice at Rutgers, FWIW. For those who don't know Ray Rice is a sick RB, and Brian Leonard isn't to bad either, lol!

 

[sebman2112]

Never heard of Sacred Heart?????

Thats the most recognizable college I see on the list. I also know Stony Brook, Albany & Monmouth.

I liked the point someone brought up about him. We have taken a bunch of RB's on the second day. None have really worked out. One will eventually be a gem. Give the kid a break and lets see how he does in the Pro's if he makes the roster.

Yea, Secred Heart, Monmouth, Albany, St. Peters, St. Francis, and Stony Brooks are all schools I know from that list.

 

[sebman2112]

I am a Rutgers alum and saw everyone of their games in the past 7 years, let me just say that I thought he was a bum. Absolutely nothing special, never broke any tackles never, never made a play when one had to be made. If there was a huge hole then he would run through it, but thats it. I have not seen him after he transfered, so maybe he really made strides with the new team. But as soon as Leonard or Rice stepped onto the field, and run behind the same line, we suddenly saw improvement. I was shocked and pissed when the Pats took him, but then again they have a knack for finding the right players for their system.

You made almost the same exact post (almost word for word) right after they drafted him.

 

[ilduce06410]

what's to lose?

If he's a bum, then we would have wasted a useless 6th. Also, we would need to sign a free agent short yardarg back.

i'm rooting for the kid too mgteich.
he should do at least as well as reggie dupard or vagas ferguson.

 

[sebman2112]

Garrett Wolfe had 1900+ yards and 6.2 ypc against D-IA competition (including torching Ohio State) and even he had some questions about the talent he played (MAC.)

Statistics are great, but I prefer guys who can excel against top-level competition and play well in big games, too.

I'm not writing him off at all, but putting things in perspective. To me, Darren McFadder, Mike Hart, PJ Hill, Marshawn Lynch, etc. had much more impressive seasons.

Yea, I think I'm going to take Ray Rice over a lot of the guy's you listed.

 

[RxJock1120]

You made almost the same exact post (almost word for word) right after they drafted him.

Well yeah, someone asked if anyone on the board watched him play. I guess they didn't catch that post I made right after the draft.

 

[Urgent]

I'm not expecting much.

2004 offers a decent comparison. He didn't play in 2005, and played against completely non-NFL caliber competition in 2006.

In 2004, he was running behind the same line as Leonard.

Hairston put up a 2.8 ypc average, totalling 146 yards. Leonard averaged 3.7 ypc for 732 yards. 3.7 isn't great at all, but 2.8 for a college back is very poor. You like to see 5.0 or so for the good backs, and plenty achieve that.

I assume practice squad.

If targeting a running back there, I would have looked at DeShawn Wynn from Florida, who was banged up but managed 5.1 ypc against far better competition. Or maybe Darius Walker to develop behind Kevin Faulk as a third-down receiving back.

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

I know nothing about Hairston beyond what I've read but there is one thing people seem to be missing.

He might have been going up against 1-AA talent but he was also playing with 1-AA talent. It's just like every preseason when a young offensive player shows a spark in the 4th quarter and everyone wants to see him play with the 1st string to see what he can do.

A lot of people are high on Matt Gutierrez even though at Idaho State in 2006he completed only 54.7% of his passes and had just 16 TDs versus 14 INTs.

Again, the guy could stink something awful and everyone who doubts him could be right. That's a strong possibilty. I just didn't like all the talk of him going up against 1-AA competition without at least mentioning he didn't have Joe Thomas and Justin Blalock in front of him.

 

[patsfan55]

Thanks.

Hey Dave
I was talkin to a guy at work thats a big Pats fan about the draft (we dont work in the same dept so I only see him once in a while) and I was tellin him how one guy I woulda liked to have gotten was Woodley..he then said went on to say that he also liked him, and loved this t-shirt he saw made up about him...of course you know what t-shirt he was talkin bout

 

[Michigan Dave]

Hey Dave
I was talkin to a guy at work thats a big Pats fan about the draft (we dont work in the same dept so I only see him once in a while) and I was tellin him how one guy I woulda liked to have gotten was Woodley..he then said went on to say that he also liked him, and loved this t-shirt he saw made up about him...of course you know what t-shirt he was talkin bout

Ha. That's awesome. The shirt really became an underground sensation. The only publicizing I ever did was post it on my blog, and give them to my friends. After the ND game, it took off. We sold close to 2,000.

The only problem is that this year I have to think of something to top it.

 

[Michigan Dave]

A lot of people are high on Matt Gutierrez even though at Idaho State in 2006he completed only 54.7% of his passes and had just 16 TDs versus 14 INTs.

Gutierrez was an Elite 11 QB, and was the starter at Michigan until he got hurt. I don't know a lot of people who are "high" on Gutz- I definitely think that if he can completely rehab his shoulder, he'll have the ability to have a career in the league, but the guy really hasn't had many live reps since HS.