Anybody think Maroney will be better than Bush

[midwestpatsfan]

Just throwing this out there as I thought it might be a good discussion before we get to training camp.
I have seen Maroney play a lot more than Bush, but leading up to the draft I think we all saw plenty of his highlights. I think the one big plus that Bush was recieving over all the other top RB's was his ability to catch the ball. I really think that people will be suprised at how well Maroney does in this aspect of the game. While he never really was a huge factor in the passing game in college, the catches that he was involved in were anything but simple. He made a few catches that would rival some really good catches by top WR's in college.
So here is how these 2 break down
Reggie Bush:
Positives:
Speed, Vision, Hands, initial burst, pass blocking, kick return
Negatives or Concerns:
Rushing Power, Durability

Laurence Maroney:
Positives:
Speed, Vision, Patience, Rushing Power, kick return
Negatives or Concerns:
Pass Blocking, Hands (although my personal opinion is that this will be one of his biggest positives)

Overall, I think Bush probably comes into the NFL with more natural talent, but they are going to completely different situations. Bush is going to a team that overall is not very good, and the few players they do have with talent is a young running back named McAllister. The Saints have a new coach that will try to learn and teach at the same time.

Maroney is coming to a team where he will get excellent coaching, a better offensive line, and while Dillon is a talented back, he will be willing to help Maroney learn the ropes and share the load a little better then McAllister will be able to help Bush.
What are your thoughts on this? Am I crazy.

 

[Remix 6]

but if we had Bush u wouldnt say that.

Bush is the best player in the draft. Maroney is not better. Williams is not better. Addai is not better.

They have a great offense..we have a great O. Durability a concern..? thats because he shared a bit with LenDale. Rushing power..please..Bush is strong..fast..elusive. Maroney will be a great player but Bush will be better. Too much bias around here now a days :\ Btw Saints OL is pretty good actually. Mayberry when healthy is a great guard..Brown was their 1st rounder few years ago. Even though they lost Bentley..they have a good OL..a great QB in Brees if he can go back to pre injury. Good WRs in Horn and Stallworth. McAllister is a great powerfull back..will teach Reggie..opened his arms and accepted and let them team take Bush without a single complaint because he knew it would help team win . Bush is more athletic than Maroney and looks to be more versatile but both come with high risk/high reward

Reggie: Can he do what he did in college? If he can live up to the comparsions to Faulk..tremendous talent ..great pick Saints. If he cant? The hype took over? Can he handle the load? We'll see

Laurence: Was it the zone blocking? Did we make the right pick instead of Lawson? Wait and find out.

 

[BelichickFan]

Bush is the best player in the draft.

How often does the #1 pick end up being the best player in the draft ? Not often. To answer the question, I have no clue. As a pure RB Maroney will likely be better but as a sparkplug big play guy, Bush looks like the real deal if they can get him out in the open field consistently.

 

[bunzoburns]

Does Maroney really have descent power? I always thought of him as a sped back rather than someone who moves the pile...

 

[I'm Ron Borges?]

If the Pats traded up and selected Bush, I'm sure we would be discussing this. I absolutely love Maroney and it's true any player can be a bust but don't make fools of yourself. Bush has the kind of ability that is unique. No one on the planet put these two players in the same class before the draft so don't do it now just because Maroney is on the Pats. Like I said, I am a huge Maroney fan but I've also seen Bush play quite a bit and as far as physical talent goes, no one is close to him.

Also, Bush is a rock-solid 212 pounds now and virtually the exact same size as Maroney. The guy is built like a tank so if you are claiming that he can't carry the load, you need to say the same thing about Maroney then.

 

[mgcolby]

I agree with BF. It is rare that the first back taken or the first player taken at his position in the draft ends up being the best. Bush played in the spotlight and against big time competition. I think it is a little to early to say that one player is better than another at this point. Give it a year or two.

 

[BelichickFan]

Also, Bush is a rock-solid 212 pounds now and virtually the exact same size as Maroney.

Well at their pro days and the combine, Bush was 201 and Maroney was 217. Maybe Bush is bigger now, I don't know, but Maroney is said to be able to get to 225 without losing quickness and speed (so the scouts say), I doubt that Bush can gain 25 pounds from his playing weight without losing anything.

 

[LA Pats Fan]

Just by the standards you identified here Bush is Better.
If there is one aspect that is required of all Patriots Running Backs is there ability to pick up the Blitz and protect Tom Brady. If you rank that as a positive for Bush and Negative for Maroney - Stop there.

In addition Bush was on a team of Stars and was consistantly a threat. Teams had to plan for him and still couldn't stop him...

 

[PatsDeb]

Even if I don't "think" he'll be better (because I haven't seen either of them play yet in the NFL) I sure hope he's better!!

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

but if we had Bush u wouldnt say that.

Bush is the best player in the draft. Maroney is not better. Williams is not better. Addai is not better.

They have a great offense..we have a great O. Durability a concern..? thats because he shared a bit with LenDale. Rushing power..please..Bush is strong..fast..elusive. Maroney will be a great player but Bush will be better. Too much bias around here now a days :\ Btw Saints OL is pretty good actually. Mayberry when healthy is a great guard..Brown was their 1st rounder few years ago. Even though they lost Bentley..they have a good OL..a great QB in Brees if he can go back to pre injury. Good WRs in Horn and Stallworth. McAllister is a great powerfull back..will teach Reggie..opened his arms and accepted and let them team take Bush without a single complaint because he knew it would help team win . Bush is more athletic than Maroney and looks to be more versatile but both come with high risk/high reward

Reggie: Can he do what he did in college? If he can live up to the comparsions to Faulk..tremendous talent ..great pick Saints. If he cant? The hype took over? Can he handle the load? We'll see

Laurence: Was it the zone blocking? Did we make the right pick instead of Lawson? Wait and find out.

Your exactly right. As much as I want Maroney to do well, fans need to cut down on the bias approach. I live on the west coast and watched every trojan game. Reggie Bush is INSANE! He has ridiculous skills and while Maroney is similar to him, no one compares to Bush. I still don't know why the Texans passed on him, the Mario Williams pick will haunt them for a very very very long time. We can't assume just because the Pats signed a player or drafted a player guarentees success. Take last offseason for example, most signings if not all turned out to be busts. On the other hand, Maroney may end up being the best runner of the bunch . Or for all I know some fourth-fifth rounder ends up being better than all of them. Or Reggie Bush ends up being a bust. We will only find out in time. Fun to debate about it though.

 

[MrTibbs]

No the Mario Williams pick wont haunt the Texans. The only way to beat the Colts is with a good pass rush. Even with Reggie Bush there was no way in hell the Texans are going to outscore the Colts. All the teams that beat the Colts are teams that can play defense and get after Manning.

 

[arrellbee]

How often does the #1 pick end up being the best player in the draft ? Not often. To answer the question, I have no clue. As a pure RB Maroney will likely be better but as a sparkplug big play guy, Bush looks like the real deal if they can get him out in the open field consistently.

You make a significant point. It always puzzles me how folks can see year after year how top drafted RBs have about a 30% chance of being the top RB they are touted to become and yet folks still think this year is going to be different. No year is different. However much you might think Bush is a sure thing, the cold hard facts are that the NFL is really really different than the college game. The game is at least fractionally quicker. The hole, if it is created at all, is going to be smaller and won't be there very long. The LBs are a step faster in general, are harder to block completely, and tackle better. The defensive scheme is mostly a coverage scheme to eliminate big holes. The safeties come up harder and faster. The corners play the run better. The defensive players that a RB has to pass block against are a far cry from most college pass rushers.

So however golden Bush appears, I doubt the odds are in his favor of being a top RB. In my opinion, Lendale White will be a bust. I'm not sure Addai translates well to the NFL and it is unlikely that he is the back that James was - and the Colts need a RB close to James capability and versatility to run their offense.

Most of what you see in Maroney's highlight reel won't, again, happen in the NFL. However, the fact that Belichick/Pioli drafted him after all of the film they undoubtedly had access to, says a lot. They haven't been wrong on a first round pick yet. And even in the highlight reel, Maroney shows good quickness to the line and seems to run with a feel for the defensive flow. Those could translate well. I'd say Maroney's odds were pretty good.

The point was made that Maroney won't be a 'bruising' RB like Dillon. That's probably the case, altho Maroney is only 1 inch shorter and listed at 9 pounds lighter. At 216# or thereabouts, he should be able to run the ball as many times as needed.

Only time will tell. It's hard to wait to find out.

 

[spacecrime]

but if we had Bush u wouldnt say that.

At the end of last season, I thought Bush was over-rated. This was by when LenDale White was in the game at crunch time and Bush rode the bench. I thoght then that White woukld be a better NFL back than Bush.

Since then Bush has been annointed God, but I think he will not withstand the pounding to be an every down back. He's averaged only about 15 or so carries a game and there is a reason for that.

I think Maroney, DeANdleo Williams and Lendale White will all be better NFL backs than Reggie Bush.

It will be interesting to see if others go agaisnt the hype machine to come out and say the same thing. Then we can re-visit this thread in a couple of years and see who was right and who wasn't.

Reggie: Can he do what he did in college? If he can live up to the comparsions to Faulk...

Yeah, if yo mean Kevin Faulk

 

[arrellbee]

You make a significant point. It always puzzles me how folks can see year after year how top drafted RBs have about a 30% chance of being the top RB they are touted to become and yet folks still think this year is going to be different. No year is different. However much you might think Bush is a sure thing, the cold hard facts are that the NFL is really really different than the college game. The game is at least fractionally quicker. The hole, if it is created at all, is going to be smaller and won't be there very long. The LBs are a step faster in general, are harder to block completely, and tackle better. The defensive scheme is mostly a coverage scheme to eliminate big holes. The safeties come up harder and faster. The corners play the run better. The defensive players that a RB has to pass block against are a far cry from most college pass rushers.

So however golden Bush appears, I doubt the odds are in his favor of being a top RB. In my opinion, Lendale White will be a bust. I'm not sure Addai translates well to the NFL and it is unlikely that he is the back that James was - and the Colts need a RB close to James capability and versatility to run their offense.

Most of what you see in Maroney's highlight reel won't, again, happen in the NFL. However, the fact that Belichick/Pioli drafted him after all of the film they undoubtedly had access to, says a lot. They haven't been wrong on a first round pick yet. And even in the highlight reel, Maroney shows good quickness to the line and seems to run with a feel for the defensive flow. Those could translate well. I'd say Maroney's odds were pretty good.

The point was made that Maroney won't be a 'bruising' RB like Dillon. That's probably the case, altho Maroney is only 1 inch shorter and listed at 9 pounds lighter. At 216# or thereabouts, he should be able to run the ball as many times as needed.

Only time will tell. It's hard to wait to find out.

EDIT: For purposes of discussion, top RB = greater than 4 yds average and over 1000 yards.
Make that percentage 39% instead of 30%.

 

[midwestpatsfan]

As I said in the original post, Bush does have the better talent coming into the nfl, and I really don't know if Maroney will be better, I didn't mean for it to come off that way. I just thought the situations that each one was coming into and the seperation between the two in the draft, if there would be much of a difference between their production.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I would give Maroney the edge in speed, power, foreign policy judgement, domestic policy judgement, and ethics. Bush has a more intelligent team around him, but they're too into the money to be effective.

Oh. Reggie Bush.

Reggie Bush is a special talent... and he will get to be the messiah for a horrible team, leading them from rags to the JC Penney's collection -- that's right, a ticket straight to the middle of the pack! (anybody here remember that guy in Atlanta?)

I am certain that if Bush had somehow slipped all the way to the bottom of the first (hah!), BB et al. would have snapped him up instead of Maroney. In terms of pure talent, he's not "the best RB in this draft," he's one of those "best RB in the last several drafts" kind of guys. Barring injuries, he's a HOF kind of guy (potentially.)

Now watch him wash out. Eh well, you didn't hear it here first.

PFnV

 

[Handel]

Stop the fanboyism!

 

[Ring 6]

I think Maroney stands a good chance. That is not homerism at all. But that I think Bush is very overrated. Overrated ion terms of being a 'lock'. I think his upside is great, but the chance of him never getting close to that is much higher than people think.
In other words, Maroney may or may not 'make it'. But if he does, I would not be surprised in the least that he surpasses Bush.
Deep down I think Bush will turn out to be overhyped, talented, fragile, injury prone, exciting, capable of big plays, and underwhelming compared to what the expectations are.

 

[PYPER]

For now, I think Bush is the most overrated player in the league. No rookie is deserving of all the hype he's received.

It's never a good sign when the media over hypes a player like that. Those guys are almost always proven wrong.

I'm not saying he'll be terrible but I don't think he's going to be a game changer. He'll probably end up as one of those guys who has durability issues and everybody will end up making excuses for him. "If only Reggie Bush hadn't got hurt he'd have been the best ever...yadda, yadda, yadda"

Maroney has a great chance to emerge as the best back in this draft and perhaps even in the entire league one day.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Having seen both players play, I have to give the edge to Bush. There have been many college backs with great talent throughout the years, and it's true that some don't translate into Hall of Fame NFL players, but I can't see Bush not becoming a great player. Regardless of where he played, who he played against, Bush has once in a generation type talent. His running skills are incredible, great speed, incredible moves, and also great hands as a receiver. Some scouts have said that he would have been a 1st round draft choice as a RECEIVER !! Add to that fantastic return skills. I've watched football for almost 40 years, and Bush is one of the best OVERALL weapons I've ever seen. He reminds me of a mix between Gale Sayers(moves)/Barry Sanders(moves)/Tony Dorsett(speed).

Not to take anything away from Maroney, he may well go down as the most talented running back the Pats have ever drafted. He has moves very similar to Curtis Martin (my vote as most talented Pats runner ever), but has breakaway speed to boot. I have a feeling he'll be a more well rounded player as a Patriot than in college, with more chances to catch the ball than in college (and returns too). I hope he becomes a great back, but I have no doubt Bush will be. Watch the videos, both very explosive backs, but watch Bush's speed and moves compared to Maroney's, not to say Maroney won't be a star, but Bush's video's will blow you away.

On a side note, and non homerist note, Denver's coach Mike Shanahan (who know's a little about RB's), said after the draft that Maroney will be the best back in the NFL in a few years, quite an endorsement.