Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

[BananaRepublican]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

All he needs is a ray of light on misdirection plays. One ray of light and in a split second he's 30 yards ahead of you and riding out into the end zone.

Or a stunt like that reverse to Bethel against the Titans in the cold. Speed is a beautiful thing.

 

[signbabybrady]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

I'll just leave this here:

Run, Jeff. RUN!

He better be smarter, he only has three weeks to get up to speed (pun intended)

 

[ClevTrev]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Demps would be a nice addition, and I'll believe it when his signing is confirmed. Not sure I get why he has to fly to Tampa to sign this deal. Usually, teams don't let FAs go anywhere without a formal agreement. Let's hope he's flying Air Patriot to get to his agents office for a signing, pronto!

 

[BananaRepublican]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Even if he never touches the ball on offense, he could still be a major asset to this team strictly on special teams

Ironically, Bill has made some statements this week about his disappointment in the return game.

If anybody doubts that kick returns are momentum plays just think about what Desmond Howard's return did to the surging Pats. And Howard was a nothing receiver, represented no value to that offense.

 

[Lansdowne]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

I absolutely love this signing. Could be what the doctor ordered as a kick returner.

 

[Fixit]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

A Jet fan in full denial mode:

On a track, in shorts. He's fast, but looking at some of his play with the Gators, he didn't look like he had much for moves. Leon Washington looked much faster in pads with the Jets. Maybe because he had better quickness.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Really hope this means BB is making a conscious effort to improve the KR game, where an upgrade is sorely needed. Even though the position is less important since last year with the kickoff moved up to the 35, there is still a crucial impact by having a legit threat back there.

 

[mayoclinic]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

NFL.com's Marc Sessler had an interesting take on the Pats' interest in Demps:

This is the same Belichick who first coached with a New York Giants when Dave Megget ran free and then oversaw a Cleveland Browns team that built its offense around the elusive Eric Metcalf. Demps, like that pair, is tiny -- 5-foot-7 and 175 pounds -- but his speed and ability to return kicks vibes Danny Woodhead 2.0 (another player Belichick snatched away from the clutches of the Jets).

The Patriots have injuries in the backfield, and New England has nothing to lose by acquiring Demps. He won't break the bank, but he will give Belichick another project to work on -- while Rex Ryan stares out of dark windows over New Jersey, wondering what could have been.

Jeff Demps fits all Bill Belichick, Patriots stand for - NFL.com

Interesting reminder of BB's history of using small, quick RBs as all-purpose weaponse in his offensive repertoire.

 

[BananaRepublican]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Am I in the twilight zone? These Woodhead comments :bricks:

I doubt if Woodhead is going anywhere, but guys like to think ahead a couple of steps. They'd better think about pass protection because Woodhead is decent, even though no Kevin Faulk.

 

[Deus Irae]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Measured, reasonable post from JI:

...There is reason to be concerned about the addition of a serious weapon out of the backfield to a team that knows how to use weapons out of the backfield.

Especially when the team you love flat out sucks at covering weapons out of the backfield.

Jets Insider.com Forums - View Single Post - Sprinter Demps picks Patriots over Jets: report

 

[mayoclinic]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Measured, reasonable post from JI

I'm having trouble understanding this statement. What language are you posting in?

 

[borg]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Astronauts and Olympians and Rock Stars and Legendary Coaches......BB is a magnet for greatness.
I just named my new pet gold fish BB...and now the MILF gold fish are sidling up to him.

 

[BananaRepublican]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

If he can get up to speed, he fixes a weakness (return game) and offers potential help in both the running and passing game. Why on Earth would people not be happy to get him?

Very happy with the potential but still smarting from Bethel bombing.

Returning takes a mind set. It's got this weird mental requirement that you figure out how to see the blocks, make one move, and then hit the after burner. It's not something a Maroney can handle even though he's good in the open field. It wasn't something Bethel could handle once he got popped.

So I dunno. I guess the kid is worth looking at from the POV of the HC and personnel man, so that's good enough for me. It's good enough for Jets fans to be puking in their soup.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Agreed- the only issue is, if Demps is handling return duties, where does Woodhead contribute on special teams? I suppose he could be a gunner, maybe? Isn't that the role he was playing when he got knocked unconscious last preseason? Assuming that Vereen and Ridley aren't contributing on ST, and Bolden is a gameday inactive.

Danny woodhead gets rocked - YouTube

Side note: if a hit like that didn't get flagged during this preseason, everyone would be calling for the replacement refs' heads.

Woodhead has been a gunner on punt and ko coverage teams as well as playing on the return teams since he got here, until they started trying him out as a kick returner. I think it caught up with him and he's too important in the hurry up offense now to risk him returning kicks for diminishing returns.

 

[BananaRepublican]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

"GD I am hating this season"

True prescience.

Salute to Casserio et al.

 

[mayoclinic]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

A decent read (Bleacher report or not) on how Demps could be used in the short term:

Breaking Down How Jeff Demps Fits with the New England Patriots | Bleacher Report

 

[MoLewisrocks]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Chris Price will be vying with Bedard for wet blanket of reason title.

It’s also important to have some realistic expectations when dealing with Demps. He does have elite speed, but at the same time, he hasn’t been with the team throughout the spring and summer sessions. And while he does have an impressive body of work as a collegian, it takes some time for any rookie to get up to speed when it comes to making the transition to the NFL.

“He had a little bit of production,” Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio said Friday when asked about Demps. “How that translates over, the schemes are different. Any returner that comes into the NFL, whatever they did in college schematically is probably going to be a lot different than what we’re going to ask him to do.”

Could even see him pull up on his conditioning test and land on PUP...

It Is What It Is » A closer look at what the addition of Jeff Demps means for Patriots

 

[crew1954]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Can we get Usain Bolt at WR now?

"ESPN track and field reporter Larry Rawson said on the radio after reviewing Bolt's 20-meter splits that Bolt would run 40-yard dash in a time that would burn up the field turf.

Rawson: 'Forty yards, if he was being hand-timed by a scout and reacting to his movement - not electronically timed the way they do it [in track and field] - his 40-yard dash on a track, in spikes, would be 3.73 seconds.'

Host: [Laughter] 'He would run a sub four-second 40-yard dash?'

Rawson: 'Listen, I did the math as though it was electronically timed, which it's not for football — electronically timed — and it came out to 3.97 seconds.' "

Oh, and he's 6'5".

 

[randomk1]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

If this guy does something here then it's all good. But as others have mentioned the sweetest thing is that the jets had interest in him.

Good for you Demps...who do you want to take passes from? The Franchise or Tebow/Sanchize

 

[Lansdowne]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Nate Ebner the rugby guy and now Jeff Demps the Olympic silver medalist sprinter... this is going to be such a fun season, I can sense it.