Maroney is more of a disappointment than a BUST

[cmasspatsfan]

Screw running... turn Maroney into a outlet receiver. He is not the power runner I expected to get from Minnesota.

Fortunately what you expect doesnt matter, BB put this team together and all that matters is thats he is that he does what BB expects.

 

[zeke mowatt]

Maroney is an average run of the mill NFL talent.........who is too fragile. I can't believe there are people out there who actually get worked up over the criticism. Bust is too harsh, he's serviceable, productive at times.........Just like any number of lower $ FAs the pats have had over the years. He'll never be a dominant back. Comparisons to Dillion are laughable. And don't kid yourself, if this guy was a good as some of you seem you believe, he'd see more carries.

He could disappear from the roster and the pats wouldn't miss a beat IMO.


Given his draft status, yeah, he's a disappointment.

 

[zeke mowatt]

Fortunately what you expect doesnt matter, BB put this team together and all that matters is thats he is that he does what BB expects.

Yeah, Belichick knows what to expect which by now ain't too much.......

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

It's a completely made-up argument that has absolutely no basis in reality, but that's pretty much standard for the poster that you quoted.

Here is 'reality' for you,If Maroney does not shine as the main RB until the other two come back ....'reality' says you may have to become a fan of the next team Maroney is on - I think its a near certainty its do or die in the next 5 games because he is in the spotlight at his position.

7 Carries for 6 yards won't cut it against the big boy fronts coming up.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Maroney is an average run of the mill NFL talent.........who is too fragile. I can't believe there are people out there who actually get worked up over the criticism. Bust is too harsh, he's serviceable, productive at times.........Just like any number of lower $ FAs the pats have had over the years. He'll never be a dominant back. Comparisons to Dillion are laughable. And don't kid yourself, if this guy was a good as some of you seem you believe, he'd see more carries.

He could disappear from the roster and the pats wouldn't miss a beat IMO.


Given his draft status, yeah, he's a disappointment.

:agree:
Now THATS 'REALITY' - great post and perfect to what most us us who don't drink the kool aid in huge kegs see.

Whenever he gets 7 carries for 6 yards its excuses galore in here saying no one beats the Ravens defense who BTW just happened to give up 120 yards to Cedric 'Freaking couldn't make the Bears team' Benson - I guess Cedrick Benson is really Jim Taylor and the Bengals OL is all world.

 

[DaBruinz]

he will never be a dominant runner........ I expect him to be consistent and he cannot do that. Running Backs especially need to be consistent.

Screw running... turn Maroney into a outlet receiver. He is not the power runner I expected to get from Minnesota.

So, let me get this straight. Because your expectations had no basis in reality, that is Maroney's fault? NONE of the draft guides had Maroney as a POWER BACK.

Maroney was NEVER a power runner like his teammate Marion Barber. There is a difference between being a power runner and being someone who can run with power. Barber is a North/South Power Back. Maroney is a cut back runner. They were extremely different in how they played. But that is part of what made them so effective in Minnesota's running game. That and the fact that Minnesota insisted on running 3 or 4 backs per game.

If the O-line isn't consistent, even the great runners will have trouble. Including guys like Walter Payton and Barry Sanders. Even the Adrian Petersons of the world. And no, Maroney was never in their class as a runner.

 

[ausbacker]

:agree:
Now THATS 'REALITY' - great post and perfect to what most us us who don't drink the kool aid in huge kegs see.

Whenever he gets 7 carries for 6 yards its excuses galore in here saying no one beats the Ravens defense who BTW just happened to give up 120 yards to Cedric 'Freaking couldn't make the Bears team' Benson - I guess Cedrick Benson is really Jim Taylor and the Bengals OL is all world.

Now now PATRIOTSFANINPA, do believe that Maroney is a good back, not a great career back, but Benson is having a career season and has been running over everyone.

Let's tread a little lightly here.

 

[DaBruinz]

Here is 'reality' for you,If Maroney does not shine as the main RB until the other two come back ....'reality' says you may have to become a fan of the next team Maroney is on - I think its a near certainty its do or die in the next 5 games because he is in the spotlight at his position.

7 Carries for 6 yards won't cut it against the big boy fronts coming up.

Reality says that you're gonna keep harping on this regardless of what Maroney does on the field because, like Maverick with McDaniels, that is all you can do.

Reality is that even the best RBs have trouble when their O-line play is inconsistent. Including the Vaunted Adrian Peterson.

Miami and New Orleans are going to be the three tough games. Miami because they are a division oppoinent and New Orleans because of their vaunted passing attack, which opens things up for the run.

BTW, of the 6 other games, not a single one is rated in the top 10 in Run Defense.

 

[BradyFTW!]

:agree:
Now THATS 'REALITY' - great post and perfect to what most us us who don't drink the kool aid in huge kegs see.

Whenever he gets 7 carries for 6 yards its excuses galore in here saying no one beats the Ravens defense who BTW just happened to give up 120 yards to Cedric 'Freaking couldn't make the Bears team' Benson - I guess Cedrick Benson is really Jim Taylor and the Bengals OL is all world.

Wow, every time I think you've said the dumbest thing that you're capable of saying, you go and do something like claiming that the top rusher in the NFL is a crappy RB:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/stats/2009/rushing/0_byRUSH_YDS.html

In fact, Benson/Maroney is a great comparable imo. Benson's another RB who got labeled a bust by all of the local idiots because he didn't perform to mammoth expectations, and it never occurred to anyone that maybe he didn't forget how to run on the plane trip from Texas to Chicago.

BTW, did you happen to see BJGE's stat line on Sunday, against the Bucs' 31st-ranked rush defense? That's right- 7 carries for 6 yards. I'm sure that it still hasn't occurred to you that the common denominator is that our OL kinda sucks at run blocking, but FWIW it's clear to anyone with basic observational and analytical skills.

 

[zeke mowatt]

Ummm... Cedric Benson is one of the best RBs in the NFL right now. Do you even *try* to know what you're talking about?

BTW, did you happen to see BJGE's stat line on Sunday, against the Bucs' 31st-ranked rush defense? That's right- 7 carries for 6 yards. I'm sure that it still hasn't occurred to you that the common denominator is that our OL kinda sucks at run blocking, but FWIW it's clear to anyone with basic observational and analytical skills.[/QUOT

What do your basic observational and analytical skills tell you when an undrafted FA's stats match a highly touted first rounder?

 

[BradyFTW!]

What do your basic observational and analytical skills tell you when an undrafted FA's stats match a highly touted first rounder?

Are you talking about BJGE? Which of BJGE's stats match Maroney's? He has way fewer carries, fewer YPC, and a higher rate of negative carries.


Also, as a quick observation on the original point, disappointment is a completely relative term. It depends entirely on what you expected from him coming in. If you expected a workhorse 1200 yd/yr back, then of course he's a disappointment. Personally, my standard for guys picked in the latter half of the first round, in particular, is that the guy should develop fairly quickly into a capable starter. As Pats fans, we're spoiled, because by that standard Belichick has never missed on a first rounder, but very, very few teams can make that claim. Most teams, if you look back over the last decade, you'll find a player drafted pretty high in the first round who did absolutely nothing for them. Think Gaines Adams, Troy Williamson, DeWayne Robertson, Robert Gallery (he's become a serviceable guard, but at #2 overall...) etc etc etc. There are at least 5-10 of these guys every year, they're far from uncommon. Maroney split carries as a rookie, and he's started every year since. I'm disappointed that he busted his shoulder during his rookie season, but other than that? Nah- I'm fine with Maroney as a draft pick. Hasn't been amazing, hasn't been bad- he's our starting RB. It's the same defense that I used against the Watson-bashers right up until week 1 of this season.

 

[zeke mowatt]

Are you talking about BJGE? Which of BJGE's stats match Maroney's? He has way fewer carries, fewer YPC, and a higher rate of negative carries.

My bad, I mis-read a previous post.

Like I said before, to me Maroney is not a player to get worked up about one way or another. Just another forgettable player rolling through the backfield. I remember having similar conversations with dudes fired up about J.R. Redmond.


Would I be correct in assuming your Happy/satisfied with Maroney's production thus far?

 

[BradyFTW!]

My bad, I mis-read a previous post.

Like I said before, to me Maroney is not a player to get worked up about one way or another. Just another forgettable player rolling through the backfield. I remember having similar conversations with dudes fired up about J.R. Redmond.


Would I be correct in assuming your Happy/satisfied with Maroney's production thus far?

Relative terms, but sure. I'm not dissatisfied with it. I don't expect every first round pick to become an all-pro. Especially guys picked in the 20s, since they have very reasonable contracts. As long as they're starting and holding their own, I'm happy.

 

[zeke mowatt]

He may technically have "started" a few games. To most he's just a replaceable part in and underwhelming RB corps. Not talented enough and far too fragile to ever really win the job.


Most fans typically hope for more from first rounders. Although you do make a good point.

 

[BradyFTW!]

He may technically have "started" a few games. To most he's just a replaceable part in and underwhelming RB corps. Not talented enough and far too fragile to ever really win the job.


Most fans typically hope for more from first rounders. Although you do make a good point.

I agree that most fans expect more, but IMO that's an unreasonable expectation.

Pro Bowlers by draft year, picks 11-32 (20-32):
1999: 7 (3)
2000: 7 (1)
2001: 10 (5)
2002: 6 (3)
2003: 6 (4)
2004: 7 (2)
2005: 5 (2)

In a typical year, about 1/3rd of players picked between 20 and 32 overall will end up playing in even one pro bowl. I get hoping for it, and every player should have that potential, but as far as expecting it? That's unreasonable. What I expect from a first rounder is that we'll get good production out of him and he won't be a bust. Maroney's given us that.

I hesitate to use pro bowls as a statistic, since it credits someone like Dan Morgan as a "win" and ignores a lot of good players, but it's a starting point at least. In the range where Maroney, Wilfork, Watson, Meriweather and Mankins were picked, You've done well if you've drafted a good player, and if you can get a star, then rock on. On the whole, I'd say that the Pats pretty much kill it in that area, and if Maroney's disappointing to Pats fans, then it's only because they're spoiled by the fact that the Pats have never had a real first-round miss under Belichick.

 

[Deus Irae]

This argument never ends because the Maroney bashers just can't stop. Here are the first round picks from 2006:

2006 - Round 1
Sel # Player Position School Team
1 Mario Williams DE North Carolina State Houston Texans
2 Reggie Bush RB USC New Orleans Saints
3 Vince Young QB Texas Tennessee Titans
4 D'Brickashaw Ferguson T Virginia New York Jets
5 A.J. Hawk OLB Ohio State Green Bay Packers
6 Vernon Davis TE Maryland San Francisco 49ers
7 Michael Huff SS Texas Oakland Raiders
8 Donte Whitner SS Ohio State Buffalo Bills
9 Ernie Sims OLB Florida State Detroit Lions
10 Matt Leinart QB USC Arizona Cardinals
11 Jay Cutler QB Vanderbilt Denver Broncos
12 Haloti Ngata DT Oregon Baltimore Ravens
13 Kamerion Wimbley OLB Florida State Cleveland Browns
14 Brodrick Bunkley DT Florida State Philadelphia Eagles
15 Tye Hill CB Clemson St. Louis Rams
16 Jason Allen DB Tennessee Miami Dolphins
17 Chad Greenway LB Iowa Minnesota Vikings
18 Bobby Carpenter LB Ohio State Dallas Cowboys
19 Antonio Cromartie CB Florida State San Diego Chargers
20 Tamba Hali DE Penn State Kansas City Chiefs
21 Laurence Maroney RB Minnesota New England Patriots
22 Manny Lawson OLB North Carolina State San Francisco 49ers
23 Davin Joseph G Oklahoma Tampa Bay Buccaneers
24 Johnathan Joseph CB South Carolina Cincinnati Bengals
25 Santonio Holmes WR Ohio State Pittsburgh Steelers
26 John McCargo DT North Carolina State Buffalo Bills
27 DeAngelo Williams RB Memphis Carolina Panthers
28 Marcedes Lewis TE UCLA Jacksonville Jaguars
29 Nick Mangold C Ohio State New York Jets
30 Joseph Addai RB Louisiana State Indianapolis Colts
31 Kelly Jennings CB Miami (Fla.) Seattle Seahawks
32 Mathias Kiwanuka DE Boston College New York Giants

Reggie Bush as the #2 overall pick
Vince Young at #3
D'Brickashaw Ferguson at #4
A.J. Hawk at #5
Vernon Davis at #6
Michael Huff at #7
Donte Whitner at #8
Matt Leinhart at #10

That's 8 players in the top 10 that are either disappointments or outright busts. Frankly, when I factor in what the Patriots' needs were at the time, I'm not sure I'd take a single one of them over Maroney, and I'm positive that I wouldn't take any of them + the contract over Maroney + the contract.

 

[ausbacker]

Retrospectively that is an absolutely **** house first round to this point in time.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

finally, reason is entering into our Maroney discussions.

some of us, myself included, have found ourselves over the last couple of years in the position of defending him against ill-informed and overly harsh (why so harsh i just don't know) criticisms, while at the same time recognizing that he has been a disappointment given where he was drafted and the hype surrounding him when he entered the league.

Let's just accept the guy for who he is. solid. sometimes very good. injured more often than I would like (but i'm not going to criticize that until i've laced 'em up and stepped between the lines on a Sunday). would benefit from better blocking and schemes, but who wouldn't. apparently a good guy. not going to get premier back money but a player whom i hope we keep.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

finally, reason is entering into our Maroney discussions.

where did you get that idea??

 

[Synovia]

7 Carries for 6 yards won't cut it against the big boy fronts coming up.

Fantastic, seeing how thats what BJGE put up this week.