Defending Maroney - kind of

[shatch62]

I - like a lot of Pats fans - am not a fan of Maroney. He seems to have all the physical tools to be a productive runner in the NFL but then you watch him play and there is something wrong with his game. He will dance in the backfield on too many runs. He will run into the back of offensive lineman and get tackled at the line WAY TOO MANY TIMES. It can be maddening watching him play. While he has come up short in two of the Pats biggest losses this year (Indy - 13 rushes for 31 yards, 1 TD and 1 fumble and Miami -13 for 41, 0 TD) he wasn't helped much by his o-line. The Indy game was painful but the predictable play calling in the second half (run on first into stacked D for 0 gain, throw on 2nd and 3rd downs) didn't help his cause. Still, he has actually been more productive than I thought.
Since he became a starter due to the Taylor and Morris injuries he has total the following:

134 carries, 555 yards (4.14 avg), 8 rushing TDs, 11 rec, 73 yards, 0 rec TDs 3 fumbles (all lost).

Those numbers are in 8 games so double them to 'project' over a full year and you get 1,110 yards and 16 Tds. While the rushing yards aren't great the TDs would be great. If you weren't a Pats fan and only caught his games on ESPN highlights you would have to get the impression he was a good back. It's when you watch him play every down you see the lack of vision. Again - is he great? Has he been worth a 1st round pick? In my opinion, no. Has had shown enough productivity to ge a complete bust. No. Right now the jury is still out.

 

[oldskool138]

Right now the jury is still out.

How long is the jury going to be out? The dude's been on the team how long now?

I think the pro and anti-Maroney camps are well settled. Either you like him and want to continue to give him a chance...or you hate him and you want him benched.

The Pats as an organization are hard to read when it comes to Maroney. We'll see how good they think he is when his contract expires. If the sign him up again, then they obviously like his production. If they don't the anti-Maroney folks will feel vindicated (I know I will).

 

[satz]

People have a tendency to look everything with context.You are blaming a guy for having less rushing number becuase he played in a historical passing offence in 2007. Then you need to also blame brady and co for not giving him his touches. Even 2007 watch the last 6 games and he was a beast.

In 08 he was in IR

Years before he shared carries with another back. Him and dillion had close to similar carrier so he was never a primary back.

What do you think about AD this year, are you blaming him for not being the no1 back and chris johnson having so many yards or think it might have something to do with farve and co.

 

[Rob0729]

Sorry, but Belichick likes the guy. Even when Taylor was healthy, Maroney was splitting carries with him. I don't think the jury is out. Belichick may not think Maroney is a full-time workhorse RB, but he does feel he can be a valuable piece of the pie. Are we really going to wait until after the 2010 season to see if the Pats resign the guy to determine whether the Pats like the guy or not?

Maroney is having a very good year this year. For a team that constantly gets criticized for not running the ball enough (they currently rush 41.9% of the time), Maroney's production as a starter is very underrated.

I know the guy is a first round pick and that the expectations were Stephen Jackson-like for this guy, but you give BJGE the production that Maroney has had this season and many people would be talking about making BJGE the full time starter even when Taylor comes back. Maroney may never live up to expectations of being a 1200 plus yard RB, but he has been a solid player this year and at other points in his career here.

 

[oldskool138]

Are we really going to wait until after the 2010 season to see if the Pats resign the guy to determine whether the Pats like the guy or not?

Yes, because if some reporter asks BB what he thinks of Maroney and his production he'll just give him the usual boilerplate answer. With the Pats, their actions speak louder than words.

 

[Rob0729]

Yes, because if some reporter asks BB what he thinks of Maroney and his production he'll just give him the usual boilerplate answer. With the Pats, their actions speak louder than words.

Except waiting another year and judging whether he is resigned isn't always the best indication. The Pats have let a lot of players Belichick is really fond of go in free agency for a number of different reasons.

I means do we have to wait until this offseason to see if they resign Wilfork to see if Belichick values him. There is a chance they don't resign him. If they don't, does that mean Belichick never thought he was that good? How about Mankins? Or Gostkowski?

I think we can make value judgments on the guy by how they use him in different situations. I think you can see that Belichick trusts the guy because he didn't pull him after fumbling for the second week in a row. When Morris returned, Maroney held onto his starting job and was given most of the carries. The Pats and specifically Belichick have been praising the guy all year. There is plenty of evidence that Belichick is high on the guy.

 

[oldskool138]

I think you can see that Belichick trusts the guy because he didn't pull him after fumbling for the second week in a row. When Morris returned, Maroney held onto his starting job and was given most of the carries. The Pats and specifically Belichick have been praising the guy all year. There is plenty of evidence that Belichick is high on the guy.

BB might be high if he's high on Maroney.

He didn't bench him after fumbling two games in a row because then the RB depth on the team would have been Faulk and NO ONE.

Of course BB's going to praise his players. Remember what I said about boilerplate statements? That's his MO.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

One of the problems with this board is it attracts too many of the kind of posters who are more interested in vindication than winning.

Maroney has done a very good job this season particularly given the situation this team finds itself in. This team has some glaring holes on both sides of the ball. Those impact players at other positions. The RB position in and of itself hasn't been the root cause of any problems even while dealing with injuries to two of it's three veteran lead backs because both Maroney and Faulk have played well behind a line that is inconsistent not to mention injury plagued, and on a roster that doesn't include a fullback by design.

This team needs to generate a pass rush, and needs to play disciplined coverage and eliminate mental and communication errors on defense. They need to develop a 3rd and 4th WR on the fly because they entered the season absent viable options (as well as losing Welker for 2 games including one in which they lost) and while in the process executing better on offense. None of those issues are Maroney's fault. Or Brady's for that matter.

If you want to blame someone, start with the players on the field in areas where there are deficits, and feel free to shift any remaining blame to the FO who put them, and not anyone else, in a position to perform inconsistently or insufficiently. There are plenty of legitimate targets and concerns without persistently shifting blame to players (or coaches or coordinators) who are doing their job simply because you arbitrarily pre-determined they were somehow deficient despite ample longstanding evidence to the contrary.

 

[mayoclinic]

Anyone who wouldn't be satisfied with 1100 rushing yards and 16 TDs, especially in a pass-first offense, would be crazy. The only more productive season in the BB era would be Corey Dillon's 2004 effort of 1635 yards (his career best) and 12 TDs. The only 1st round picks in the past decade who would have had markedly better stats than that are:

1. Adrian Peterson (#7 in 2007). 1760 yards and 10 TDs in 2008. 1200 yards and 14 TDs so far in 2009.
2. Chris Johnson (#23 in 2008) - 1626 yards and 12 TDs so far this year.
3. Stephen Jackson (#24 in 2004) - 1528 yards and 13 TDs in 2006, over 1000 yards rushing so far this year.
4. D'Angelo Williams (#28 in 2006) - 1515 yards rushing and 18 TDs in 2008, over 1000 yards rushing so far this year

Cadillac Williams (#5 in 2005) had 1 season over 1000 yards, 1178 with 6 TDs his rookie year. Cedric Benson (#4 in 2005) is on pace for 1310 yards and 7-8 TDs this season, but has never had a 1000 yard season before. Ronnie Brown (#2 in 2005) has never had more than 1008 yards rushing and 10 TDs. Joseph Addai (#30 in 2006) made the pro bowl with 1078 yards rushing and 12 TDs. Reggie Bush (#2 in 2006) has never had 1000 yard seasons.

I'd be thrilled with 1100 yards and 16 TDs from Maroney over a full 16 game season.

 

[Rob0729]

BB might be high if he's high on Maroney.

He didn't bench him after fumbling two games in a row because then the RB depth on the team would have been Faulk and NO ONE.

Of course BB's going to praise his players. Remember what I said about boilerplate statements? That's his MO.

He is high because he is high on a guy who is playing well and being a solid contributor? Who should he be high on? Adalius Thomas?!?

Sorry, but I don't know how people can criticize Maroney's overall performance this year. He has places where he has played poorly (but you can say that about everyone on this team including Moss, Brady, and Welker), but overall, he has far exceeded most people's expectations.

 

[oldskool138]

He is high because he is high on a guy who is playing well and being a solid contributor? Who should he be high on? Adalius Thomas?!?

That's a poor argument. Obviously, Maroney is performing better than Adalius (pronounced like Julius Caesar) Thomas.

 

[Rob0729]

That's a poor argument. Obviously, Maroney is performing better than Adalius (pronounced like Julius Caesar) Thomas.

I used Thomas as a hyperbole to make a point. Of course Maroney is performing better than Thomas, what Patriot isn't? Not many.

My point is that Maroney has played well and has been a solid contributor. Why would Belichick not be high on the guy. He has played well.

 

[oldskool138]

Why would Belichick not be high on the guy. He has played well.

His draft selection vs. overall contributions.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

There's really no need to defend him anymore, the debate is over IMO. Anybody who still has doubts about Maroney needs to buy glasses. True he may not have lived up to the expectations we have from a 1st round RB, but he's a solid producer for us and has been whenever he's had a chance (pretty much any time aside from last year when he was on IR and banged up in early '07).

 

[IcyPatriot]

The story I have been telling this week is a story the media has not begun to address. Laurence Maroney has become a vocal leader on this team. He is picking up the slack left from the absence of Harrison, Bruschi & Vrabel and even Brady himself who is having a rough year with his health.

He's vocal on the field, on the sideline and before the games. We'll soon hear what he means in the locker room and at practices ... this story is developing and will be told soon hopefully because he deserves it to be told. Perhaps his leadership has also helped himself on the field? It's obvious to anyone that goes to the final games - the TV is missing it.

 

[ALP]

There's really no need to defend him anymore, the debate is over IMO. Anybody who still has doubts about Maroney needs to buy glasses. True he may not have lived up to the expectations we have from a 1st round RB, but he's a solid producer for us and has been whenever he's had a chance (pretty much any time aside from last year when he was on IR and banged up in early '07).

+1

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[Rob0729]

His draft selection vs. overall contributions.

Sorry, but his draft standing means nothing now. If a player is drafted in the first round and plays like a solid second round pick, you don't let him go because he is playing well but not as well as he was drafted.

Maroney may be a disapointment based on his draft position, but that doesn't take away from the fact he is having a solid year. It may not be the Stephen Jackson type of performance as people were hoping when he was drafted, but still solid.

You really need to get over the draft position thing. We can all agree he isn't performing the way we hoped and expected when he was drafted, but that doesn't take away from the fact he is having a good year this year.

 

[oldskool138]

Sorry, but his draft standing means nothing now.

Sure it does. It's all about value. Don't the Pats value value when they draft? Case in point, trading down into the second round this past draft.

 

[Ring 6]

Sure it does. It's all about value. Don't the Pats value value when they draft? Case in point, trading down into the second round this past draft.

Your point was that whether or not BB is happy with the play he is getting from a starter depends on what round he was drafted in.
That is just flat out incorrrect.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Sure it does. It's all about value. Don't the Pats value value when they draft? Case in point, trading down into the second round this past draft.

The "value" you speak of is based on the pick's value, $$ and how the player projects in their system.

Based on performance, the team then revises it's original assesement (up or down).

IMO Maroney has not performed like a #1 pick. But has performed well this year and in past seasons when healthy.