Green-Ellis - Why or Why Not?

[crowell33]

If Green-Ellis would now make the team, given our current roster, then Belichick will be bringing another running back to replace him after final cuts or a week thereafter. He's that good.

Thats awesome. Never gets old.

 

[crowell33]

And yet, when this competition occurred last year, Green-Ellis got almost no reps as a running back, when one or even two of these running backs were injured.

Your point is correct. The mountain should not be a tough one. Even a JAG running back, with well-below average skills, should have had lots and lots of reps last year, given the injury situations.

However, Belichick has a strange philosophy. He plays the best players at the time of the game. The reality was that it was better to have NO ONE as an alternative when folks were injured. than to have Ben-Jarvis.

Green-Ellis couldn't beat out the unstoppable NO ONE last year for reps. Maybe Belichick will keep five again, so that Green-Ellis will have the same competition for reps during the year as he did last year.


What many posters here argue is that if Green-Ellis is to make this team, he needs to convince Belichick that he is better than Fred Taylor OR Maroney OR Faulk OR Morris. Personally, I think that if one of the four were to retire (certainly a live possibility), Green-Ellis would not be able to step up and beat out NO ONE. Belichick would likely add a free agent running back before Game 2.

Thats awesome. These quotes are pure gold ! I can't wait till the upcoming offseason to read next years roster quotes.

 

[eagle eye]

We all found out the week that Maroney was cut that he wasn't a hard worker. We also found out that week that BJGE is a real hard worker and is always looking to improve and listens to everybody that offers him advice.

This is all about attitude, BJGE has it, Maroney doesn't.

If you could get a guy with Maroney's undoubted talent and lawfirm's work ethic you would have a superstar for sure.

I don't think lawfirm has reached his full potential yet, a guy that works as hard as he does and listens so intently will get better and better for a number of years.

 

[Fencer]

BJGE has been superior at avoiding bad plays (fumbles or even TFL).

He has been no-apologies adequate at running the ball in general.

He hasn't been special at blocking or moving the pile or receiving or anything else I can think of other than avoiding bad plays.

I'm fine with a guy like that starting, but I'd want his backup to be approximately as good (at least), and hence to have a chance of surpassing him.

Actually, if we assume Taylor's problem is rust, that standard is met.

 

[DarrylS]

We all found out the week that Maroney was cut that he wasn't a hard worker. We also found out that week that BJGE is a real hard worker and is always looking to improve and listens to everybody that offers him advice.

This is all about attitude, BJGE has it, Maroney doesn't.

If you could get a guy with Maroney's undoubted talent and lawfirm's work ethic you would have a superstar for sure.

I don't think lawfirm has reached his full potential yet, a guy that works as hard as he does and listens so intently will get better and better for a number of years.

This is the hallmark of this team, in the past and the present it is not so much where you are drafted or your pedigree, but how hard you are willing to work on this team.

Early on in the season remember an interview with Fred Taylor on the radio, and he intimated that Maroney was not a dedicated worker.. while BJGE was one of the hardest workers on this team.. overall this team has 21 UDFA's.. that is significant.

 

[NEGoldenAge]

BJGE has not fumbled this year. Given the type of offense that the Pats now run, I would say that makes him an excellent fit for this team. Props to BJGE, he has far exceeded my expectations.

 

[Haley]

Wow, there are a lot of really rude posts early in this thread. I think there are a number of people that owe Armen an apology. I'll never understand why people get so mean when just discussing differing opinions. You'd think we weren't all supporting the same team sometimes...

 

[alamo]

One of the things that wasn't as clear before the season is how much superior Green-Ellis is with ball security. Maroney had major fumbling issues last season, was even benched for it, and I am sure was told he needed to work on that for the offseason. When TC came and he still had issues the writing should have been on the wall.

We've heard recently how GE hasn't fumbled in a game that counts since high school, that's something that wasn't well known before and might have changed some minds earlier.

 

[BTTA]

If BJGE could be the answer, don't you at least want to find that out?

Isn't that what pre-season is for?

Apparently, it is what the season is for, too.

Binky Post of the Year. Armen, you are the man!

 

[Patspsycho]

BJGE has been superior at avoiding bad plays (fumbles or even TFL).

He has been no-apologies adequate at running the ball in general.

He hasn't been special at blocking or moving the pile or receiving or anything else I can think of other than avoiding bad plays.

I'm fine with a guy like that starting, but I'd want his backup to be approximately as good (at least), and hence to have a chance of surpassing him.

Actually, if we assume Taylor's problem is rust, that standard is met.

His blocking will get better with time as he learns to recognize certain schemes. The one big problem he has now is to be ready to release from an initial block quick enough for the delayed blitz. In the Bills game he was so focused on blocking the lineman who had sacked Brady the previous play that he completely whiffed on an interior A gap blitz that got Brady slammed to the turf. I am sure he got a cussing out in the film room over that, and will not forget anytime soon.

 

[Simkin]

1.) I'm happy with RBBC. Apparently, so is BB.

2.) Maroney is not a bust

3.) If you really think so poorly of Maroney, Taylor, and Morris, then what can that possibly say about BJGE, given that he's had plenty of opportunities where he could have seen the field, yet was kept off by the coaching staff. Gosh, I wonder why they're so intent on sequestering this superlative talent.

lol 10 10 10

 

[olschool]

Apparently, it is what the season is for, too.

Binky Post of the Year. Armen, you are the man!

Armen, you are Karnak the Great.

I thank the football god's every day, that Baloney Maroney is now a hated Bronco, and wasting a spot on their roster, instead of ours.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

That makes sense AJ....just don't think that BJGE would be unemployed long.
KC and Denver know what he brings to the table.....not sure how they are set for depth at RB, but BJGE might be an upgrade for one or both as depth.

Great prescience way back in August!

 

[Caspir]

BJGE has not fumbled this year. Given the type of offense that the Pats now run, I would say that makes him an excellent fit for this team. Props to BJGE, he has far exceeded my expectations.

He was on 98.5 not too long ago, and they asked about this. He hasn't fumbled the ball since he was 15 years old. Incredible stat.

 

[tobias funke]

The funny thing about this thread (to me) is that even though a number of of people:

- Pretend to know without a doubt who is a good football player and who isn't.
- Have now been shown to be very very wrong about the quality of play a consistent improver like BGJE can provide.

...those same people will very likely have no problem continuing to pretend to know what they're talking about when it comes to roster decisions and talent evaluation, based on the scope available to them from the limited viewing angle watching games on TV.

I don't have a problem with people voicing an opinion, and stating it as such, but some people in this thread (including some moderators, who IMO should attempt to set a good posting example) really embarassed themselves in my eyes. Stating things they can't possibly know for sure as "fact", and then getting angry with others when disagreed with.

Really poor form, people. And those of you I'm talking about surely know who you are.

Why is it so hard to accept that we, as fans, don't have access to the information required to claim to know these things? Even the media, who gets 100x more access than we do, can barely figure this stuff out unless an employee of the team specifically tells them.

It's really too bad that even when faced with insurmountable evidence to the contrary, many posters on this forum will continue to insult certain players, judge their talent level, and then claim "factually" that X player sucks and shouldn't be on the team.

Honestly, you would think the story of Benny would be much more appreciated by fans of this team, because he hasn't done anything differently than someone we all come close to worshipping (Brady): he worked his ass off every day until he got a shot, and then did his best to make the most of it.

 

[TruthSeeker]

He was on 98.5 not too long ago, and they asked about this. He hasn't fumbled the ball since he was 15 years old. Incredible stat.

Well, he fumbled in a pre-season game this year so that's not quite true.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Why was this thread revived? Just to say I told you so? Come on now guys.

It's pretty evident that BJGE is a solid NFL RB now and a vast improvement over Maroney who just never 'got it' and appears like he never will. Benny is a hard worker, minimizes negative plays, and hits the hole hard and without 'dancing' or hesitation. Just the types of qualities that you look for in a BB RB. I think he has some room to improve but I'm not sure if BJGE would be your traditional 'feature back'. I think I would still like to see the Pats draft a RB in say round 2-4 in 2011 to serve as a backup and successor to BJGE in case of injuries, etc.

Besides RBBC seems to be the new trend for the NFL and it makes senses because it saves wear and tear on the main RB. The days of the 250-300 carry feature back are long over. And it's probably a good thing because that helps extend the careers of one of the shortest lifespan positions in the NFL - RB. These guys fall off a cliff quickly because of accumulated wear and tear on the body. Reducing the carries extends the lifespan of your RBs. Ever think why 3rd down RBs like Megget had such long careers, it's because they had fewer carries/touches per season than 'feature' backs.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

I would still like to know what it was that made people defend Maroney to the level they did, his weaknesses were always painfully obvious. Some of the comments in this thread are pure comedy gold.

 

[VJCPatriot]

I would still like to know what it was that made people defend Maroney to the level they did, his weaknesses were always painfully obvious. Some of the comments in this thread are pure comedy gold.

I really don't know either. I think people just got 'entrenched' in their opinions and acted defensively the more apparent it became that Maroney was turning into a bust.

 

[JMarr]

I would still like to know what it was that made people defend Maroney to the level they did, his weaknesses were always painfully obvious. Some of the comments in this thread are pure comedy gold.

Obviously because, we are completely ignorant when it comes to how BB and the coaches see on game film, what goes on in practice, and how they really evaluate these players. Every poster here is basically in the same boat--throw strong opinions out there, and you're going to be right roughly 50% of the time. (I will say that it appears now that even BB waited way too long to realize he was a bust).

Plus, I think people really wanted to see Maroney succeed for a number of reasons--for me, mainly because he struck me as a guy who struggled to "get it", yet I never heard that he wasn't a hard worker or had a bad attitude. Frustrating to watch for sure, but you kind of felt bad for the guy.

Back on point, BJGE is right up there with all the improbable success stories in Patriots history. Who really can predict such things consistently except BB.