Final thoughts before moving on to the Jags

[BobDigital]

Just a few things I feel can be pointed out.

#1 Butler - Butler is a player I plan to watch closely every week. Last week he was on an island with Brown 90% of the time and got beat pretty good. Brown did even better this week though with 50 more yards. This week Butler allowed 0 to 1 catches. The one catch he did perhaps allow (the TD) was not his fault imo. He was the lone CB between 2 guys with McCourty there to help as a safety. Basically he had to play the between them and react after the throw. Not a good defense to be in imo. Almost made the play anyway. Still a very good game for him. No one has really talked about it but his Int was the 2nd best play of the game (Amendola's catch was #1 but Butler's was almost as impressive... perhaps more as he is a CB not a WR and it was all based solely on reaction and not a play design. Against non-elite competition he looked fairly dominant. Good sign

#2 Offense - I will lump this all in 1 point for the most part. The interior of the OL is good and deep. Amendola/Lewis/Dobson(Lafell when he gets back)/Chandler/ect are all good options. Lewis if he fixes his fumble issues could prove to be a vital peice but i don't put him there yet. This offense has IMO 5 inreplacable peices that can not be made up for. Brady/Gronk/Edelman/Vollmer/Solder. Edelman/Brady/Gronk are always talked about. They just work so well. However I have seen Cannon and he is simply not good enough. We can't afford to have either Solder/Vollmer go down for long. There just is no good back up plan. We should address that soon. However as long as those 5 guys stay healthy we will be dominant and borderline unstoppable. One minor thing to note. Kline/Andrews were in there every snap for the Bills. Just worth mentioning.

#3 Mayo - He had 11 snaps last week and 16 this week. Basically Hightower/Collins are seeing all the snaps and the Patriots would rather have another DB on the field. I think part of this is a DB is just better than Mayo for scheme purposes. IDK if they plan to play Mayo more than this. This was a game to put a true front 7 out there but it just didn't happen much. Paying 6M to a guy that plays 15 snaps a game is not a good thing if we are being honest and i see no reason to think it will go up unless something happens to Collins/Hightower. He has looked okay (smaller but good enough IMO) in limited snaps getting 4 tackles on the season but seems not as good as he was. Maybe he will improve but i think it is just a scheme thing. This team plans to move on from Mayo in the near future. In BB's opinion the base 4-3 is dead. Long live the 4-2-5. Either way i think he is gone next year.

#4 Fletcher - Fletcher played 19 snaps against the Bills. Only 19. Let that sink it. He was in there less than 1/3rd of the plays. IDK if he was always this bad but he simply is not going to cut it. Ryan saw 50 snaps so was promoted to the #3 role it seems (He went from 4 to about 50 snaps this week with Fletcher going from about 50 to 19) but sometimes you need to put a 4th guy out there. They limited his play and exposure as much as they could but he still showed up too much on the end of bad plays. BB should look to make a move if possible. Considering my #3 point... I don't think we should object to Mayo being on the market if it gets us a good CB in here.

#5 Ninko/Jones - They played most the snaps last game and most the snaps this game 62 and 63 out of 72. I think this is going to continue to be the trend. Sheard saw the field plenty with 45 snaps but they liked all 3 being on the field a lot. I don't know if it will change much depending on White/Grissom as they year goes on but i think if they are healthy they will play large snaps numbers. It will be something to monitor but for now they are only moderately behind last years pace.

#6 DTs (The bigs) - Siliga had 45 snaps Branch had 25 and Brown had 21. They elected to go with smaller pass rushers this game and i think they will most games. Siliga's workload went up (not surprising as he is getting healthier) as did Branch and Brown's stayed pretty close (26 snaps last week). This will be curious to watch going forward. By the end of the year you would hope Brown is pushing Siliga to a back up spot and Branch is an after thought but for now the Rookie needs to earn his time. Just week 2 and with the comparisons to Wilfork it is not surprising. Wilfork did not play a lot till later in his rookie year.

#7 Sheard - This will be short and sweet. He is as advertised. Has played well both games and will be a big part of the D going forward.

#8 Grissom - He was a fairly big part of last weeks game (took over for Easley and showed pretty well IMO). Though active for this game he was not out there much. I wonder if it is just a scheme thing or was his play not as good as i thought. Maybe they thought he would give up too much vs the run? Anyway only 10 snaps this week.

#9 Harmon - He has showed up both games. This one on limited snaps. I though Richards would beat him out as the year goes on but he is doing pretty well. True, both of his Ints were not really the impressive kind but still in good position and did well. Worth keeping an eye on going forward. Not a probowler but could have taken a minor step up to be reasonably solid. Time will tell.

#10 Dobson - 2 weeks in a row he has been out there almost the entire game though this time it felt like it with how he made his presence known. No one is calling him Julio Jones but he looks about were he left off with this game. A guy in his rookie season with talent who makes a few mistakes but is a good athlete and sudden. Worth mentioning cause he has taken the #2 WR role (snap wise) cause of what he brings. Amendola is clearly the #3 though looking at him you wouldn't think. Until Lafell is back expect Dobson to continue to have 70 snaps a game or so like the past 2 weeks. That being the case we should expect a player with that work load to produce like he did this week. I think week 1 was more of an aberration as he got back into the swing (missed a lot of preseason too) games like this should be more close to the norm for now i think.

#11 Blount - I know it is early but from this one game and preseason Blount just looked slow to be me and not as powerful as last year. I will give him more time but I will be honest the way he looks does not seem right to me and i question our ability to power run with him. I think the Pats will have no choice to stick with Lewis for now (kept him in after the fumbles is un-BB like) just cause Blount is not right currently.

That is all for now!

 

[TBR]

I thought the lack of Mayo was related to him coming back cautiously from injury

Is it something else?

 

[Wheelman]

I thought the lack of Mayo was related to him coming back cautiously from injury

Is it something else?

Mayo played on the punt coverage team like he did earlier on in his career according to Mike Reiss.

 

[deters]

I thought the lack of Mayo was related to him coming back cautiously from injury

Is it something else?

I think it's a mix of that and scheme. His knee injury is a tough one to come back from, so I think they are just getting him some reps casually.

 

[PScottman]

I think this part of this is a DB are just better than Mayo for scheme purposes.

This is the new NFL. 3 WRs and a move TE. Mayo was never the greatest cover LB (he was average, but not great) to begin with and with more, and faster, receiving options out there he's now stuck in base situations, goal line, and rotational duties. If his snap count stays at this level, they will ask him to take a pay cut moving forward.

That said, he's also wonderful injury insurance. If you're only playing two LBs and a guy like Mayo is your third, life is pretty damn good.

 

[Oswlek]

Last week he was on an island with Brown 90% of the time and got beat pretty good. Brown did even better this week though with 50 more yards. This week Butler allowed 0 to 1 catches.

From what I could tell, the difference in production had less to do with Butler and more to do with Pitt having a much better QB/WR combo and superior pass pro.

However I have seen Cannon and he is simply not good enough.

He's looked fine pretty much every time the team has asked him to play significant snaps at one position. I see no reason why he can't be a suitable Vollmer replacement for a while. Oddly, he's a superior starter than a TE/6th OL.

Mayo - He had 11 snaps last week and 16 this week.

After the Pitt game, Butch Stearns was making a big deal about Mayo's lack of snaps. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why he was so confused. Hightower and Collins are better players and the team plays a lot of sub. It really is that simple. Add in that he is returning from a serious knee injury and Jerod only playing a handful of snaps early on was entirely predictable.

I agree that he isn't likely to be around as an expensive part-timer next year.

#8 Grissom - He was a fairly big part of last weeks game (took over for Easley and showed pretty well IMO). Though active for this game he was not out there much.

Grissom's snaps last week were largely match up related. An extra wide body this week means one less DE and he is clearly the first one to come off. I'd go a step further and say that had Flowers been healthy, Grissom may not have even been that active against Pitt either.

True both of his Ints were not really the impressive kind

Harmon's pick of Big Ben was very impressive, IMO.

That said, he's also wonderful injury insurance. If you're only playing two LBs and a guy like Mayo is your third, life is pretty damn good.

Ditto. I just wish EEI would have guys who understand this basic fact on their post-game shows. Is it that hard to find people who can host a radio show and know what they are talking about?

 

[patfanken]

= Is it that hard to find people who can host a radio show and know what they are talking about?

You volunteering Ossie? I'll be your co-host and we can dazzle them with out mutual ********.

 

[BobDigital]

From what I could tell, the difference in production had less to do with Butler and more to do with Pitt having a much better QB/WR combo and superior pass pro.

That was my implication. I was pointing out that Butler's game last week when you look at what Brown/Ben did this week gives some context. Also against one of the weaker QB/WR combos he was lights out.

He's looked fine pretty much every time the team has asked him to play significant snaps at one position. I see no reason why he can't be a suitable Vollmer replacement for a while. Oddly, he's a superior starter than a TE/6th OL.

Yes Cannon has look good at the past (except the guard experiment) when asked to fill in at RT for a long period of time. But that was a while ago. The past 2 years I have not been a fan and I don't just blame the spot duty. I think he might have regressed. Time will tell though. I am just concerned.

After the Pitt game, Butch Stearns was making a big deal about Mayo's lack of snaps. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why he was so confused. Hightower and Collins are better players and the team plays a lot of sub. It really is that simple. Add in that he is returning from a serious knee injury and Jerod only playing a handful of snaps early on was entirely predictable.

I agree that he isn't likely to be around as an expensive part-timer next year.

This is where we disagree. I am not in the camp of thinking at the year goes on his snaps will go up and this is just limiting him until he is 100%. I think this is how it will be cause like you said Collins/Hightower are just better. I don't think we will see Mayo on the field much in general even in December and January.

Grissom's snaps last week were largely match up related. An extra wide body this week means one less DE and he is clearly the first one to come off. I'd go a step further and say that had Flowers been healthy, Grissom may not have even been that active against Pitt either.

You know I have been thinking about this. I think BB might prefer Grissom over Flowers generally for that last spot. IMO Flowers is a superior DE but Grissom has more versatility and he is no slouch either. Considering BB does not seem interesting in a true 3 Man rotation at DE (though maybe a few less snaps than last year) with Shread a lock on game day do they really need another Pure DE or are they better off with Grissom who can play DE/Pass rush DT and emergency LB? Do not get me wrong I like Flowers but as things stand I question how much he will be used. Interesting to watch going forward as i think he was probably good to go this week but they just opted for Grissom.

Harmon's pick of Big Ben was very impressive, IMO.

I well it was more impressive than his last pick but lets be real that was a badly thrown ball that hanged up there. I just don't think it was as impressive. We can agree to disagree though.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Mayo/Amendola are goners during the 2016 offseason. For now they are good, but highly overpaid depth players that provide good leadership.

According to Miguel's cap page we will get about 11 million in cap space by cutting both next year. That will provide a good cap boost.

 

[Oswlek]

That was my implication. I was pointing out that Butler's game last week when you look at what Brown/Ben did this week gives some context. Also against one of the weaker QB/WR combos he was lights out.

Gotcha.

Yes Cannon has look good at the past (expect the guard experiment) when asked to fill in at RT for a long period of time. But that was a while ago.

Cannon was good just this past week. You are putting far too much emphasis on his struggles as a 6th OL last year, IMO.

This is where we disagree. I am not in the camp of thinking at the year goes on his snaps will go up and this is just limiting him until he is 100%.

I'm not sure where we disagree. From the quote you posted:

Hightower and Collins are better players and the team plays a lot of sub. It really is that simple.

I think BB might prefer Grissom over White generally for that last spot.

Who is White? Do you mean Flowers? If so, I do disagree with this one. Grissom is not more versatile than Flowers and Trey has been the better player pretty every time they both set foot on the field. We'll find out if/when both are healthy.

I well it was more impressive than his last pick but lets be real that was a badly thrown ball that hanged up there.

Harmon had to make an immediate read and then range an incredible way to be there. It was an impressive play whether the throw was great or not.

 

[mosi]

Actually watching the game again and two things strike me. The first is that Brady was absolutely on fire that game. In command and deadly accurate. Without question the best QB in the game and by a long shot.

Second, JE is a player. He is aggressive and the perfect match for Brady. Same for Gronk. This offense has the potential to be better than 2007.

 

[patfanken]

Just a few things I feel can be pointed out.#1 Butler - Butler is a player I plan to watch closely every week. Last week he was on an island with Brown 90% of the time and got beat pretty good. Brown did even better this week though with 50 more yards. This week Butler allowed 0 to 1 catches. The one catch he did perhaps allow (the TD) was not his fault imo. He was the lone CB between 2 guys with McCourty there to help as a safety. Basically he had to play the between them and react after the throw. Not a good defense to be in imo. Almost made the play anyway. Still a very good game for him. No one has really talked about it but his Int was the 2nd best play of the game (Amendola's catch was #1 but Butler's was almost as impressive... perhaps more as he is a CB not a WR and it was all based solely on reaction and not a play design. Against non-elite competition he looked fairly dominant. Good sign

Right now all we need to see from Butler are 3 things. 1. That he has the ability to stay with quality WR's in man coverage. 2. That he recovers from catches. The most important asset a CB has is continual confidence. Also known as Kyle Arrington disease It can kill you - a hero in the AFCCG, a goat in the superbowl. If he is going to be great his confidence has to be unshakable. 3 He shows the capacity to improve. Is he coachable?

Well so far we can check all the boxes....for now. Right now what he needs most is experience. The difference in him making those 2 scoring plays was just 2 feet more depth and better spacial awareness. And BD, THAT only, comes from doing it hundreds of times.

Butler will be fine, but the only thing that will likely be consistent from him will be his inconsistency. And WE (you me and all the "experts")have to stop judging his play after every game likes its a final exam. It isn't They are all just short quizzes that will add up to a final grade........for THIS year, and this year only.

#3 Mayo - He had 11 snaps last week and 16 this week. Basically Hightower/Collins are seeing all the snaps and the Patriots would rather have another DB on the field. I think this part of this is a DB are just better than Mayo for scheme purposes. IDK if they plan to play Mayo more than this. This was a game to put a true front 7 out there but it just didn't happen much. Paying 6M to a guy that plays 15 snaps a game is not a good thing if we are being honest and i see no reason to think it will go up unless something happens to Collins/Hightower. He has looked okay (smaller but good enough IMO) in limited snaps getting 4 tackles on the season but seems not as good as he was. Maybe he will improve but i think it is just a scheme thing. This team plans to move on from Mayo in the near future. In BB's opinion the base 4-3 is dead. Long live the 4-2-5. Either way i think he is gone next year.

Wrong on Mayo, plain and simple,....at least for the most part. The simple fact is that LB is a dying breed, especially ILBs. Today's prototype LB's are pumped up SS's like Collins and Shazier. They'll be back when the pendulum turn back a bit on the running game, But for now, for most downs, you only need 2 at most. Add to the fact that he's coming off a serious knee and is working his way back, HE's the guy that needs to go off of the starting 3. Simple as that. It's not about Mayo, its about the scheme. When we go do Dallas, Mayo will get his 50 snaps. count on it, Also remember that Mayo isn't Spikes. He can cover some too.,

Where you ARE correct is on the cap. Bill won't carry that cap number beyond this year.

#4 Fletcher - Fletcher played 19 snaps against the Bills. Only 19. Let that sink it. He was in there less than 1/3rd of the plays. IDK if he was always this bad but he simply is going to cut it. Ryan saw 50 snaps so was promoted to the #3 role it seems (He went from 4 to about 50 snaps this week with Fletcher going from about 50 to 19) but sometimes you need to put a 4th guy out there. They limited his play and exposure as much as they could but he still showed up too much on the end of bad plays. BB should look to make a move if possible. Considering my #3 point... I don't think we should object to Mayo being on the market if it gets us a good CB in here.

Interesting about the snap count. thanks. But I've made my point clear. Fletcher is a guy with a skill set. Like most players, some good, some bad, It is up to the coaches to put him in the positions he can succeed at. In the end we will need his size, and like we did with Browner, we need to protect him deep. When we have to play the Chris Mathews of the world we will be glad we have him

#6 DTs (The bigs) - Siliga had 45 snaps Branch had 25 and Brown had 21. They elected to go with smaller pass rushers this game and i think they will most games. Siliga's workload went up (not surprising as he is getting healthier) as did Branch and Brown's stayed pretty close (26 snaps last week). This will be curious to watch going forward. By the end of the year you would hope Brown is pushing Siliga to a back up spot and Branch is an after thought but for now the Rookie needs to earn his time. Just week 2 and with the comparisons to Wilfork it is not surprising. Wilfork did not play a lot till later in his rookie year.

Since .the Pats are going to be in the "defense for a week" club. it will be hard to judge how a player is performing through snap counts.

This week the plan was to have more DE's than DT's chasing Taylor and it worked well bot to get to him but more importantly, contain him. It will be the same every week. Sometimes the nickle will be a CB, sometimes a S. Sometimes 3 LB's will be the norm, most of the time it will be 2. Who knows when in reality there IS no base D. Hell there hardly any base positions any more.

#10 Dobson - 2 weeks in a row he has been out there almost the entire game though this time it felt like it with how he made his presence known. No one is calling him Julio Jones but he looks about were he left off with this game. A guy in his rookie season with talent who makes a few mistakes but is a good athlete and sudden. Worth mentioning cause he has taken the #2 WR role (snap wise) cause of what he brings. Amendola is clearly the #3 though looking at him you wouldn't think. Until Lafell is back expect Dobson to continue to have 70 snaps a game or so like the past 2 weeks. That being the case we should expect a player with that work load to produce like he did this week. I think week 1 was more of an aberration as he got back into the swing (missed a lot of preseason too) games like this should be more close to the norm for now i think.

Here is the passing hierarchy until further notice

Gronk/
Edelman
Lewis
Dobson
Amendola
Chandler
everyone else

Think about it. In most games Brady is going to have 25-30 completions. 18-20 of them are going to go to Edelman Gronk and Lewis. So unless there is going to be an injury, EVERYBODY else will be looking for scraps. I say this so people have a basic understanding about reality, so when Dobson, DA, etc wind up with only 1-3 catches every week we don't throw 60 times, we won't get 6 threads calling for WR's

The fact is that there is only one ball and a limited amount of reception on average. (ie 60 offensive plays - 20 runs - 40 passes - 30 completions. After you get past the big 3 there isn't much to go around.... and we should expect it, and when game plans come around like they did Sunday, we can expect more. Unfortunately there WILL be fans and experts who will come down on Dobson when this week he has only 2 catches. They will make it HIS fault.

#

11 Blount - I know it is early but from this one game and preseason Blount just looked slow to be me and not as powerful as last year. I will give him more time but I will be honest the way he looks does not seem right to me and i question our ability to power run with him. I think the Pats will have no choice to stick with Lewis for now (kept him in after the fumbles is un-BB like) just cause Blount is not right currently.

REALLY BOB? You are THAT good that you can tell from 2 runs (one a 5 yd gain against a GL defense) that LGB is all done. Now that is good scouting.

Now my observation of Blount in camp was that he looked slimmer and quicker, not slower and weaker. Have patience. Like Mayo and Dobson, and others.their time will come when the situation is right. Sometimes it will be his week, and others not. That is just the way it is the way the Pats are run. Trust me, not to worry about LGB

You also make the mistake of looking at a past BB action and assume it should be that way forever. You have bo idea what BB is doing to cure Lewis of these two fumbles. It's a habit that wasn't there in college where he would get the ball at least 30 time a game. This kid probably hasn't run full speed into a defense 30 time in the last 3 years.....and that includes TC

So maybe its just a matter of getting his body used to the kind of contact again to solve it. Maybe it's a matter of arm technique that once pointed out can be corrected. Or maybe they simply were unavoidable good plays by the defense. Those happen too.

In every game there are fumbles in the NFL. The Pats fumbled 18 times last season and they were the best in the league, but that's STILL one a game. Fumbles happen right along with dropped balls, missed tackles, and other HUMAN failures in every game, You can still be a good fan and deal with those minor aspects of reality and still be tolerant,

That is all for now!

Nice job Bob, I wish I could be so concise.

 

[BobDigital]

Who is White? Do you mean Flowers? If so, I do disagree with this one. Grissom is not more versatile than Flowers and Trey has been the better player pretty every time they both set foot on the field. We'll find out if/when both are healthy.

You know.. that is 2 times I have done that to Flowers. Don't worry though! I have 14 more games to get it straight! LOL

Harmon had to make an immediate read and then range an incredible way to be there. It was an impressive play whether the throw was great or not.

Tell ya what. Just for you I will watch it again

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Now my observation of Blount in camp was that he looked slimmer and quicker, not slower and weaker. Have patience. Like Mayo and Dobson, and others.their time will come when the situation is right. Sometimes it will be his week, and others not. That is just the way it is the way the Pats are run. Trust me, not to worry about LGB

Nice job Bob, I wish I could be so concise.

So say we all, Ken.

As to looking quicker in camp say Hello to JONES GRAY!

All ball-busting aside, great post!

 

[patfanken]

So say we all, Ken.

As to looking quicker in camp say Hello to JONES GRAY!

All ball-busting aside, great post!

"Et tu, Pissah, Et tu..... then die, Patfan

Oh my, I hope DI didn't go out to celebrate yet, I was just kidding

You can't get too much culture and Shakespeare or humor on this board.

 

[Deus Irae]

Some final thoughts?

1. Fletcher's got to go, and this team needs to find a CB3 because Ryan's not good enough either, but CB1 and CB2 are, at the very least, serviceable at the moment.
   
2. Mayo's workload will increase as the year goes on.
3. Blount will get his touches this week, and it'll be the first time we'll be able to start evaluating him.
4. People are overrating the IOL play, which has been helped enormously by the play calling so far this year. And, before people lose their minds about this observation, check out this note from Jeff Howe: "Brady was 21 of 23 when passing within 2 secs of snap. 2 misses were a throwaway and batted ball."
   
5. That being said, the IOL is certainly off to a much better start than last year.
6. As much as I think Gronk is a beast, there may not be a bigger player gap in the NFL this year than there is from Brady/Rodgers to the #3 QB in the league. They're not just on another level. They're in a league of their own.
7. Despite the great early start, this team still definitely needs to get more outside WR production in order to take the pressure off the 'big 3'. That being said, Dobson's got his opportunity to be that guy, and last week was a positive sign. We need to see more of that, and better than that, but it was a start.
8. The interior DL is a weakness right now. Brown's development over the season is going to be important for the playoffs.
9. For anyone who might be questioning the Chandler signing: Tim Wright has 0 catches so far this season, and he was inactive for Detroit's first game. Chandler may not be 'the answer', but he's still an upgrade.
   
10. Please, Mr. Lewis, improve your ball protection so that they'll keep putting you out there.
11. Look for Mason, or someone, to get some more work as the FB this week. This is the time for N.E. to work it into the game.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I'm really excited to see what happens next time someone matches up DBs against the Pats' 3-4TE formation... and the Pats proceed to just run down their throats. The implicit threat of it is what keeps defenses honest and keeps LBs on the field, and we all know it's coming eventually. And when it does, we're going to see some DBs get annihilated on blocks.

 

[ALP]

Blount looks old and done

I'd give him another couple of games to make it official, but we need to start running w someone other than Lewis who has power to complement him

 

[Deus Irae]

Blount looks old and done

I'd give him another couple of games to make it official, but we need to start running w someone other than Lewis who has power to complement him

Why are you trolling about Blount? He's only had 2 carries.

 

[zydecochris]

# REALLY BOB? You are THAT good that you can tell from 2 runs (one a 5 yd gain against a GL defense) that LGB is all done. Now that is good scouting.

Now my observation of Blount in camp was that he looked slimmer and quicker, not slower and weaker. Have patience. Like Mayo and Dobson, and others.their time will come when the situation is right. Sometimes it will be his week, and others not. That is just the way it is the way the Pats are run. Trust me, not to worry about LGB

You also make the mistake of looking at a past BB action and assume it should be that way forever. You have bo idea what BB is doing to cure Lewis of these two fumbles. It's a habit that wasn't there in college where he would get the ball at least 30 time a game. This kid probably hasn't run full speed into a defense 30 time in the last 3 years.....and that includes TC

So maybe its just a matter of getting his body used to the kind of contact again to solve it. Maybe it's a matter of arm technique that once pointed out can be corrected. Or maybe they simply were unavoidable good plays by the defense. Those happen too.

In every game there are fumbles in the NFL. The Pats fumbled 18 times last season and they were the best in the league, but that's STILL one a game. Fumbles happen right along with dropped balls, missed tackles, and other HUMAN failures in every game, You can still be a good fan and deal with those minor aspects of reality and still be tolerant,

Ken, speaking of the Pats running game, I was wondering if you could explain or attempt to explain something that has confused me:

It seems as if the Pats have made number of moves on offense designed explicitly to improve their running game. They drafted Tre' Jackson who is a big kid and a very strong run blocker (his draft profile at NFL.com said "He'll earn his paycheck primarily as a run block specialist". They also drafted Shaq Mason who everyone knows is a fabulous run block specialist (he hardly had to pass block at Georgia Tech). They drafted Stork last year who has good size for a Center and is good at both pass protection and blocking. Last year they drafted Fleming who is a 330 lb run blocking specialist. They brought in Mike Williams who is effectively an OT at the TE position and a fabulous run blocker (note the AL running game during their 2011 and 2012 championships with Williams starting).

So: a bunch of moves that would appear to be designed to develop a power running game to complement their already spectacular passing game. This seems like a really smart move, the amount that was put on Brady's shoulder's last year was unprecedented for a 37 year old quarterback. However, it is hard to imagine how any team could invest less draft and financial resources than the Pats have in the RB position. They let Ridley and Vareen go (and Gray, although it isn't like he was snapped up by another team). They only have Blount on a cheapie non-guarenteed contract and Dion Lewis for an ever cheaper non-guarenteed contract (he has done well in the first two games, but he seems too small to withstand a pounding over an entire season). I guess they did invest a 4th round pick in White in 2014, but he hasn't done much. Can you explain or surmise why the Pats have done so much to improve their running game at the Interior Line and TE positions without bothering to really significantly upgrade the RB position, especially with so many available in the 2015 draft?