Maroney best goal-line back in AFC East

[signbabybrady]

Maroney obviously hasn't developed to what many of us had hoped, but go back and look at the first round of that draft if you're still suffering from the delusion that he was a horrible, atrocious bust of a pick.

I was backing you up man. I think I would have liked more out of a first rounder but if I assumed he was picked in the 7th I would be happy with his production. And really it isn't fair for a guys draft status to be the barometer of his success.

Although I think this year will be it for him as a Patriot I would have no problem bringing him back so long as we continued to try and find another young back who hopefully could be our bell cow.

 

[stinebot]

(you can't gain 3 yards on 3rd and 1)

So on 3rd and 1 at the 3 yard line you expect the RB, regardless of who it is, to run for one yard then sit down because it is impossible to go farther than the one yard needed for a first down?

 

[BradyManny]

I think if you look at the how first round picks have historically panned out, you'd find that simply isn't the case.

I understand your point - but to me, a failed pick is a failed pick, even if the league average is that only 50% of Day 1* picks stick in this league, which I think is what it is.

*The old Day 1.

Maroney was also the 21st spot in the draft - here are some other guys drafted at 21 in recent memory - Alex Mack, Sam Baker, Reggie Nelson, LoMo, Matt Jones, Vince Wilfork, Jeff Faine, Dan Graham, Nate Clements. So the 21st pick provided 2 studs (Vince, Clements); a bunch of career starters [or guys headed on that path] (Faine, Graham, Mack, Baker), a headcase (Jones), and two guys who are frustrating their fanbase (Maroney, Nelson).

So looking at the #21 pick over the last decade, Maroney is probably in the bottom tier, success-wise.

Then you can look at it in terms of the Patriots...Maroney is arguably the worst pick this team has made in the 1st round this decade. Obviously, the only other pick who has disappointed is Watson. Like Maroney, he teased us with flashes of athleticism, but ultimately gave inconsistent production. But, with Watson, he was the last pick in the first round, and did give us 6 years of service, and contributed well as a blocker in his last few years.

Don't get me wrong - I like Maroney. He's a solid NFL running back with some nagging problems (inconsistency, injury). When he's healthy, up to this point in his career, his metrics show he's on the verge of becoming a top tier RB. Unfortunately, his anti-clutch play & his injury woes have derailed that from happening. What it comes down to is that we likely could have grabbed a player in the mid-rounds who would have produced in a similar manner as Maroney. Philosophically, I think RB isn't worth it in round 1 unless its a sure thing.

 

[BradyManny]

Prior to a very small stretch of games this past season where he fumbled several times, ball control was one of Maroney's strengths. Anyone who's followed the game can tell you that fumbles will sometimes come in batches, as players begin to think about it too much and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy, as well as some of it just being a matter of the odds evening out.

All of that is true. But it doesn't change that Maroney's most consistent stretch (production-wise) of his career ended with his benching due to fumbling. I agree that for most his career he's been sure-handed. But analyze the situations in which he has put the ball on the ground - they're almost all high-leverage, dating back to the 2006 AFCCG.

 

[JackBauer]

I was backing you up man. I think I would have liked more out of a first rounder but if I assumed he was picked in the 7th I would be happy with his production. And really it isn't fair for a guys draft status to be the barometer of his success.

Although I think this year will be it for him as a Patriot I would have no problem bringing him back so long as we continued to try and find another young back who hopefully could be our bell cow.

No, I know. I was just making the point generally, not addressing it to you specifically. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Maroney, Plus Moroney is being used as the short-yardage back (you can't gain 3 yards on 3rd and 1) and Morris is used on draw plays where the average carry is much higher.
.

Damn that Polian. Another new rule, ruining the game!

 

[signbabybrady]

"Maroney scored eight goal-line touchdowns, 1.65 more than the decade average would suggest. That was the division's best differential. Maroney also converted three more first downs than the average in short-yardage situations, third-best in the AFC East."

First off last time I checked the AFC East only consists of four teams and he was tops in one catergory and 3rd out of 4 in another.

Last time I checked most teams carry more than one RB and I also believe all 4 teams in our division split carries and dont have a "feature back".

So it is more like 3rd out of 8 or even more.

 

[edgeofepic]

So our bust of a first round draft pick is a good goal line runner. Isn’t this what good running backs do near the twilight of their career? So perhaps Maroney skipped the whole 5-8 productive years of 1,000 yard seasons and fastforwarded right to the end of his career? Yes, I know for a while the Pats were all about passing. But still, he went through a dancing phase, then an injured phase, now a fumbling phase. What’s next? He seems like a nice kid who stays out of trouble but I never sensed he was a good fit in New England.

By the way, perhaps LM is good at gaining the short yards when they are needed. The problem is he also gains short (or none, or negative) yards when 5-6 yards is what's needed.

Here are his stats, not bad for a rb in the rotation. Only problem is he was drafted to be the feature back:
Laurence Maroney

 

[Deus Irae]

All of that is true. But it doesn't change that Maroney's most consistent stretch (production-wise) of his career ended with his benching due to fumbling. I agree that for most his career he's been sure-handed. But analyze the situations in which he has put the ball on the ground - they're almost all high-leverage, dating back to the 2006 AFCCG.

Actually, the 'stretch' you're talking about was nowhere near Maroney's most consistent (production-wise), as he was far better at the end of 2007 just as one example, but people were happy with it because he looked as if he was running hard, even though he wasn't being particularly productive while running that way.

Instead of demanding that Maroney force holes where none exist, the Patriots should try designing plays where the offensive line actually opens up holes for the running backs. Lord knows that Morris would have appreciated that over the years every bit as much as Maroney would like to see it. Maroney's not a head down runner in the NFL, and that's necessarily not a bad thing. When the fans, and the team, smarten up enough to accept that, they'll all be happier. His running mate from Minnesota is a head down runner, and his career may already be in decline, as he's rumored to be losing his starting job.

 

[irishman3620]

Not if you are counting fumbles he isn't. How many times last year did he fumble the ball into the damn endzone.

 

[billdog3484]

so i guess they dont take away for 4 fumbles inside the 1 yard line

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

How is "average" only the AFCE? The problem here is that you didn't read the linked article, yet you're still commenting on this.



There are holes in the analysis, as Dryheat was pointing to in his incomplete response to my earlier question (I asked for career numbers in response to a poster's comment; Dryheat only pointed to last season), but the holes aren't what you're pointing to.

You're right, I didn't read the article, I read the yahoo reader version from my yahoo home page. I was responding to the OP who said to the Maroney bashers "put this in your pipe and smoke it" like this info suddenly makes Maroney a better RB. I just don't think a statistic like expected TD's means a damn thing when talking about individual play in a sport totally dependent on the other 10 players on the field.

 

[Deus Irae]

You're right, I didn't read the article, I read the yahoo reader version from my yahoo home page. I was responding to the OP who said to the Maroney bashers "put this in your pipe and smoke it" like this info suddenly makes Maroney a better RB. I just don't think a statistic like expected TD's means a damn thing when talking about individual play in a sport totally dependent on the other 10 players on the field.

If you pick and choose what "means a damn thing", you can make pretty much any player look good or bad. As I noted, the analysis has holes. However, were you cracking out that "means a damn thing" line when Brady was setting the touchdown record and Moss was breaking the receiving TD record?

 

[Fencer]

Eyeballing the numbers, it looks like what mattered most was the overall team (Miami and NE more effective than NY or Buffalo), not the individual RB.

That just says that OL + QB + receivers + coaches had more effect on the rushing stats than the actual rushers, which seems pretty plausible to me.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

If you pick and choose what "means a damn thing", you can make pretty much any player look good or bad. As I noted, the analysis has holes. However, were you cracking out that "means a damn thing" line when Brady was setting the touchdown record and Moss was breaking the receiving TD record?

I said that in reference to a made up stat like "expected TD's" not when talking about actual statistics.

 

[patriotscpfc]

Maroney obviously hasn't developed to what many of us had hoped, but go back and look at the first round of that draft if you're still suffering from the delusion that he was a horrible, atrocious bust of a pick.

I'm still fuming about Chad Jackson busting out.

Never am I going to be that high on a pick, ever again

Maroney has given us the value of a 4th round pick so far. But in that draft, there are some shocking players in the early rounds. At least Maroney has produced on some level. I'd still rather have him than Addai :bricks:, And Maroney is nearly 2 years younger than DeAngelo Williams and Addai. I'm all for giving him one last chance.

 

[PatsFaninME]

I don't know why anyone would want to be a first round pick of the NE Patriots. Half of the fans are morons. Maroney has improved in almost every area each season. He was asked to improve his blocking and he has. He was asked to improve his hands/catching, and he did. Considering though that his is only 24 and has been a consumate team player, I don't see why everyone wants to ride him out of town and then draft another RB in the late first round. What's to say the next guy will be any better.

Also, how many other backs will excel on a passing team that gives their backs 10-12 carries a game. Let's face it. Although he's not likely a hall of famer, RB is not a huge hole on this team. Add a TE and WR and re-build defense and we'll be challenging for title every year that Brady is tossing balls.

GO Pats!

 

[patsinthesnow]

so i guess they dont take away for 4 fumbles inside the 1 yard line

+1

Wow, the king of the 1 yard TD. That doesn't mean he's a good goaline back, he fumbles in that area. 1 yard TDs aren't hard to accomplish.

 

[muzz]

From Reiss's blog:

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Maroney bashers.

Here is the link to the article.

Which AFC East RBs grind it out best? - AFC East Blog - ESPN

Does it have an award for idiotic fumbles at the goal line too, or do they not want to give the "the best" award twice in one story?

 

[SyN65]

LOL. I don't care about stats. Maroney got the majority of the carries at the goal line, and I don't remember him ever fighting into the end zone, he basically walked in - something any RB can do.

I'm not saying cut Maroney - but we need a "main" guy that can carry the ball 20 times a game and stop the RB committee BS.