I have no quibble with those who say BB won't take Leonard higher than his assessed value to the team. We'll get a better feel for Leonard's potential value to the team as Free Agency develops. Evans isn't affected too much at this point. Leonard is a younger Patrick Pass, except the coaches will warm to him much faster.
Pass plays Utility Back at 235, Leonard played FB his last two seasons at 238, but that was a "take one for the team" move to allow RB sensation Ray Rice run over everybody. Leonard tested at 4.56/40 for the Senior Bowl and weighed in at 224 since he was trying to market himself as a RB, the position he played before Rice came along. He can bulk back up and still be shifty enough to make a tackler miss in the hole or bounce a play outside. He's an excellent receiver out of the backfield (had over 50 catches his first three years at Rutgers) and a good lead blocker who can get better. Like most college players he needs work on blitz pick-up but he still gets good grades on my pay site. The one thing they emphasize with him, he is the type of player defenses need to account for, if you watched the Senior Bowl he showed you why.
Pass is faster, the problem rearing it's head for him is his recent injury history, not the foot surgery, the hamstring. We've seen how hamstrings don't like to fade away, Pass lost his best chance at improving his stock when he went down against Buffalo in 2005. He was tentative coming back in 2005 then reinjures himself after coming off PUP 2006. He's a Free Agent who is a known commodity for the Pats, including his hammy.
Evans is making the conversion to FB under Fears' coaching. Playing in the 250-ish range he's got the build to be a traditional FB while still having enough speed to break long gainers if he surprises a defense (see Minnesota). He's a good receiver out of the backfield and good on Special Teams. He can also take reps at TE if needed. He has also shown some locker room leadership from what I'm reading and seeing on the field.
We have another RB (Quadtrine Hill 6-2 228 - Miami) under a future's contract who saw time on the Practice Squad to end the season. Arguably he's competing for that Utility Back position of Pass'. He got a decent write-up coming out of Miami in 2006, but he's no Brian Leonard if the draft service evaluation is to be believed. Evans can fill in at the Utility Back role, he can take some of the short yardage runs to spell Dillon and Maroney as needed. Hill has the size to take some of those reps too, if he makes the roster.
Mills is a question mark, we assume he is going to fall into a Chris Cooley/Dallas Clark roll, more of a receiving TE/slot receiver type. He's smart and tough enough to learn Pass' Utility Back role, the one area he lacks experience is running the ball in traffic. Leonard brings that skill to the equation, as does Hill. Mills was also a LB in High School and College,long snapped, and was a Special Teams whiz. Hill gets high marks for Special Teams. Leonard was also a LB in High school but didn't get used on Special Teams with all his offensive reps at Rutgers.
One other thing, Leonard is a cold weather player from Northern NY.
Questions to ask going forward:
- What is Dillon's health status? What are his intentions? (I don't care what they pay him, that's BB's call.)
- Does shifting to a "zone blocking" scheme improve Maroney's field vision and blocking reads? Will his production improve? Does he become the "starter?"
- Does changing the blocking scheme disrupt the entire O-line/RB/FB/TE equation given the available personnel?
- What is Faulk's health status? Are there durability issues developing for him given his current role?
- Does drafting a younger receiving RB this season make sense behind Faulk? Does it make sense to get one who can develop in a (presumed) new zone blocking scheme?
- Assuming Mills is to be used as speculated, would having a Utility RB who can be used in the same manner be useful?
- Does liking an excellent college talent and wanting him for the Pats make me a bad draftnik?
