Comparison: Fred Taylor and Corey Dillon

[Disco Volante]

Fred Taylor
11,271 career yards (Third among active players)

Corey Dillon
Age: 30
Carries: 1,865
1,000 Yard Seasons: 6 (Ended with 7)

Fred Taylor
Age: 33
Carries: 2,428 (+563)
1,000 Yard Seasons: 7

Last year with previous team

Corey Dillon
541 Yards / 3.9 YPC / 2 TD
2003 (13 games)

Fred Taylor
556 Yards / 3.9 YPC / 1 TD
2008 (13 games)

Best game from last year with previous team

Corey Dillon
Week 12
108 Yards / 6.0 YPC / 0 TDs

Fred Taylor
Week 3
121 Yards / 4.7 YPC / 0 TDs

Last good season before signing with Patriots

Corey Dillon
1,311 Yards / 4.2 YPC / 7 TDs
2002 (2 years before)

Fred Taylor
1,202 Yards / 5.4 YPC / 5 TDs
2007 (2 years before)

 

[signbabybrady]

Corey was a better between the tackle runner but Taylor has better all around skills. We can only wish to get 1600 out of Taylor including his pass cathing. That first year with Corey was no doubt the best rushing season in Patriot history. My expectation of Taylor are a little less than that but I think he will be a huge part of this team and he IMO is the best back in our Staple (with Faulk an exzemption becuase he isnt an every down guy)

 

[maverick4]

Taylor will be good for 5 carries a game.

 

[Easywolf32]

Nice Topic! Go Patriots!

I think Fred is going to spill his guts out for the team this year.

 

[cstjohn17]

Pretty good comparison, although Dillion had a very bad rep before he came here. Taylor has kept things on the straight and narrow.

Dillion was a monster, he just wear teams down. Taylor is hell of a lot faster, we should expect him to break off a couple 40+ yard runs.

After year 1 Dillion was pretty much old, tired, fat and cranky.

How long did Taylor sign for?

 

[ScottieC]

Fred Taylor did an interview this afternoon, you can grab it off the "New England Patriots Pod Casts" in iTunes.

 

[Disco Volante]

How long did Taylor sign for?

Hasn't been released yet.

On another note, Adam Schefter just said New England has had the most productive free agency so far, based on value.

Mike Lombardi then picked Fred Taylor as the best value pick of free agency thus far.

 

[LoganMankinsPancakeBlocks]

Taylor signed for 2 years "in the vicinity of $2.5M a year" according to Schefter on the NFL Network earlier today.

 

[upstater1]

Corey was a better between the tackle runner but Taylor has better all around skills. We can only wish to get 1600 out of Taylor including his pass cathing. That first year with Corey was no doubt the best rushing season in Patriot history. My expectation of Taylor are a little less than that but I think he will be a huge part of this team and he IMO is the best back in our Staple (with Faulk an exzemption becuase he isnt an every down guy)

Best season in Patriots history? That depends, are you looking at it from Corey's point-of-view or the Patriots' point-of-view, because the Patriots have a great history running the ball, and some of those seasons from the 1970s and even 1985, no one has come close to.

 

[cstjohn17]

Best season in Patriots history? That depends, are you looking at it from Corey's point-of-view or the Patriots' point-of-view, because the Patriots have a great history running the ball, and some of those seasons from the 1970s and even 1985, no one has come close to.

Superbowl, 1600 yards.. has to be right up there with the all time best, I would put it as number 1.

 

[upstater1]

Superbowl, 1600 yards.. has to be right up there with the all time best, I would put it as number 1.

Like I said, is it from the Patriots point of view, or the runners? The best running seasons in Patriots history come from the 1978, 1976 and 1985 teams.

When you have Sam Cunningham, Horace Ivory, Don Calhoun and Andy Johnson all running for decent yards, you have a great running game. Over 3600 yards. Can you imagine that?

 

[RayClay]

Best season in Patriots history? That depends, are you looking at it from Corey's point-of-view or the Patriots' point-of-view, because the Patriots have a great history running the ball, and some of those seasons from the 1970s and even 1985, no one has come close to.

If you're talking about a single back, there's no doubt it's Dillon.

They had the best running attack in football with Hannah and a bunch of Ham and Eggers though.

Not that i don't love Don Calhoun and Sam Bam, but everyone had their best years behind Hannah. Add Craig James and Andy Johnson and compare any of their careers after Hannah.

If you want to have some fun go to NFL reference and compare the running backs for any year between 1973-85 and the group from 1986 when Hannah was retired. you literally go from 4-5-6 yards a carry to not much more than 2.5 for anyone.

 

[Rob0729]

Dillon and Taylor came to the Patriots at different points in their career. Dillon was still in his prime and still a traditional lead back. Taylor's career is winding down and more useful as a situational back/change of pace back than the main back. I don't get all the comparisons between the two other than that they are both RBs acquired by the Pats.

 

[RayClay]

After year 1 Dillion was pretty much old, tired, fat and cranky.

Dillon didn't suddenly get old and fat, he ruined his leg playing on a high ankle sprain that should have been in a cast so we could beat buffalo when there was not a single back who was healthy (he sure wasn't and it was stuoid to use him IMO).

He might have had another prime year or two otherwise, but became just a plowhorse after that.

And he was always cranky.

 

[BradyBranch39]

NFL Video Galleries

Hopefully, Freddie gets #28.

 

[jczxohn1]

NFL Video Galleries

Hopefully, Freddie gets #28.

Even tho it was 2007, Taylor looked great! Hopefully last year was an aberration, due to the injuries on the O-line. He looked as powerful as Corey, and shiftier. If Maroney can't learn something by playing with this guy, he's hopeless.

 

[Easywolf32]

I've liked Fred ever since he broke into the league, had a great first 2-3 seasons, lost some millions when his agent scammed him and a few other players in the late 90's but it didnt get to his head than, had some injuries also but looks in better shape and more reliable and tough now. 31-33 is a great age, so we are getting a deal here. I'm excited in that we got a great RB to go along with our other great RB's, a run blocking TE, and who knows what else from KC and the Cassel trade. If we can add a CB or if Wheatley can pick it up, draft CURRY we'd be in GREAT SHAPE to contend for sure.

Our O and D lines are still poowerful.

Fred fits in perfectly with the Patriots way, great but humble! Not too much smack talk, just actions.

Anyways Im very excited about Taylor: A little tribute to the man and his days as a Jaguar, hopefully we add the whole patriots team to this video by the end of next season.

YouTube - Fred Taylor Highlights