Are Law-Firm and McGowan playing their way onto this team?

[Deus Irae]

Chris Price is on WEEI, and he just stated that he thinks BJGE will not be making the club.

 

[STUB STUB]

On the other hand, with Faulk, Morris and Taylor being 33, 32, and 33 respectively I would not be surprised to see something drastic occur to keep the youth infusion. We have an older running back contingent and Maroney, to this day, still seems to carry a question mark.

Would you say there are three categories of RBs on the team right now?

Power: Morris, BJGE
Finesse: Maroney, Taylor
3rd Down: Faulk

I guess Taylor is more of a finesse/power hybrid. So, in this paradigm, would you take Morris or BJGE as your power back?

Isn't RB is the easiest position in the league to be filled successfully by a JAG mid-season?

Let BJGE go.

 

[Synovia]

Isn't RB is the easiest position in the league to be filled successfully by a JAG mid-season?

Yup. If you're looking for one whose a good receiver or blocker, not so much, but BJGE isn't that.

 

[Bostonian1962]

To Season Ticket Holders

I still think there is a small chance they try to get a draft pick for Maroney, and he continues to be incapable of finding/hitting the hole. Such a trade would assure a spot for Law Firm.

 

[Warren94]

Except better when he's on the field in non-special teams situations.

very well said.. need more iced coffee this morning

 

[Rob0729]

Chris Price is on WEEI, and he just stated that he thinks BJGE will not be making the club.

Bert Breers said the same thing on 98.5 yesterday. He called BJGE a JAG and there are 100 guys available on street just like him during the season and that people have fallen in love with this guy based on one game and play against guys who will be out of the NFL by the second weeks of September.

 

[Synovia]

Re: To Season Ticket Holders

I still think there is a small chance they try to get a draft pick for Maroney, and he continues to be incapable of finding/hitting the hole. Such a trade would assure a spot for Law Firm.

Why would they trade away a good running back, when it would cost more to keep the JAG?

Thats right, because of bonus acceleration, cutting/trading Maroney and giving BJGE the job costs them a bit of cap space, whereas cutting BJGE gives them back cap space.


That, and BJGE is a JAG, and maroney isnt.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Would you say there are three categories of RBs on the team right now?

Power: Morris, BJGE
Finesse: Maroney, Taylor
3rd Down: Faulk

I guess Taylor is more of a finesse/power hybrid. So, in this paradigm, would you take Morris or BJGE as your power back?

Isn't RB is the easiest position in the league to be filled successfully by a JAG mid-season?

Let BJGE go.

Taylor can run hard with power. He did a nice job in picking up the 3rd & 1. He does just a great job of not taking direct hits (unlike LoMo).

On a seperate note, I was impressed with Benson. Thought he ran well.

 

[StraightCashHomey81]

I think McGowan already was on the team, unless he really performed poorly in TC and the preseason. The combined positive performances of BJGE along with the lackluster performance of Alex Smith makes me think the pats will keep 5 RBs (and thus BJGE) and only 3 TEs instead of 4 RBs and 4 TEs

 

[RayClay]

I approve of this thread. Law firm may be a jag and McGowan's too small for the last hybrid s/ilb role we need, but when you get to that level, we need players who produce,and want it, and these two look like it to me.

I don't see the same out of our 4th TE, 3rd QB or some other special teamers.

Morris, Taylor and Faulk are old and I'd hate to be scrambling for a runner who always seems to get what's there and go forward on a play.

Don't get me wrong, Maroney has ridiculous upside, but I'm still waiting for BJ to not find the whole and exploit it once.

Besides Edelman, who else is forcing there way onto this team?

 

[Synovia]

Don't get me wrong, Maroney has ridiculous upside, but I'm still waiting for BJ to not find the whole and exploit it once.

Exploiting the hole to the tune of 3.7 ypc? While Maroney "dances in the backfield" for over 4?

 

[wdkantro2]

Bert Breers said the same thing on 98.5 yesterday. He called BJGE a JAG and there are 100 guys available on street just like him during the season and that people have fallen in love with this guy based on one game and play against guys who will be out of the NFL by the second weeks of September.

I haven't put any stock in his preseason performances....I put stock in the fact that he ran for 100 yards against Indy in a big game last year. Maybe these "experts" know something about Morris' injury that I don't, but if he can't dress, it's very, very risky to just go with Maroney and Taylor.

 

[Reckedtrek]

So you guys feel good about going into the season with 3 RB's who are 32/33 years old and LoMo?
Anyone see Morris (or even BJGE in a sudden "injury") going on the PUP and then reevaluating the situation 6 weeks into the season? Maroney looked really good in the end of the 2007 season and he's had flashes here and there along the way, but he's not reliable. If it's 3 weeks into the season and we're down to Faulk and Taylor as our only healthy/reliable backs, we'll be looking for two JAGs to fill RB spots.

I'd like to see BJGE play against some first stringers to get a better feel for his ability, but the guy isn't affraid to lower the shoulder and plow for some extra yardage. It's too bad about the fumble- let's hope he learns to protect the ball better.

 

[mgteich]

You keep trying to confuse folks with facts and analysis. Green-Ellis is better than Morris and is critical to the team. He has consistently gotten less yards that Maroney and Ben-Jarvis has done this against fourth stringers!

Exploiting the hole to the tune of 3.7 ypc? While Maroney "dances in the backfield" for over 4?

 

[JackBauer]

I feel better with Taylor, LoMo, Morris, Faulk than I do with any other combination of four RB's that includes BJGE at the expense of one of the aforementioned.

 

[Rob0729]

I haven't put any stock in his preseason performances....I put stock in the fact that he ran for 100 yards against Indy in a big game last year. Maybe these "experts" know something about Morris' injury that I don't, but if he can't dress, it's very, very risky to just go with Maroney and Taylor.

I put stock also in the fact after that 100 yard performance, he all but disapeared eventhough the injuries at RB continued. Guys like Mike Cloud and Heath Evans have shown that you can have a great single game performance especially when the other team aren't expecting you to start and don't gameplan for you.

As for Morris being out, I wouldn't put too much stock in it. It looks like Belichick could be resting RBs during the preseason with Taylor sitting out the first game. No reason to wear out RBs in their early 30s in August.

 

[thewaylifeshouldbe]

I think the fact that BJGE is getting knocked for the drop last night is a little extreme. A few years ago Faulk had quite the reputation for dropping the ball and half this board SCREAMED for his head....now he is the consummate 3rd down guy. But I still think if the right offer came down the pike we would trade BJGE in a heartbeat.

I like Reckedtrek's proposition; PUP and see what happens.

 

[Synovia]

So you guys feel good about going into the season with 3 RB's who are 32/33 years old and LoMo?

No, I don't feel completely comfortable. What I would feel less comfortable doing though, is weakening another position so that a JAG like BJGE can stay on the roster, when chances are, if Morris/Maroney/Faulk/Taylor goes down in week 6, we'll be able to find some other off the street JAG who isn't any sort of major step down from BJGE.

 

[Synovia]

I think the fact that BJGE is getting knocked for the drop last night is a little extreme. A few years ago Faulk had quite the reputation for dropping the ball and half this board SCREAMED for his head....now he is the consummate 3rd down guy.

The difference between Faulk with the dropsies and BJGE with the dropsies, is Faulk could block really well, and could catch really well. He was simply just a much better player.


You can't have a replacement level RB who can't hold onto the ball.

 

[thewaylifeshouldbe]

No, I don't feel completely comfortable. What I would feel less comfortable doing though, is weakening another position so that a JAG like BJGE can stay on the roster, when chances are, if Morris/Maroney/Faulk/Taylor goes down in week 6, we'll be able to find some other off the street JAG who isn't any sort of major step down from BJGE.

I agree that RB's can be had mid-season for a song. But would we really want an older has been, that nobody else wanted, filling a crucial role late versus a younger hungry kid who knows our system/plays?