Patriots bringing in Samkon Gado for a tryout

[TeamPats]

Guys if we are talking about a 4th RB then he better have some Special Teams ability. The fraility of Kevin Jones leads me to believe a Special Teams role may not be the best spot for him. Heath Evans, while has his faults, is a very good Special Teamer and BB values that a lot more then spot duty when we talk about 4th string RB.

 

[tombonneau]

Guys if we are talking about a 4th RB then he better have some Special Teams ability. The fraility of Kevin Jones leads me to believe a Special Teams role may not be the best spot for him. Heath Evans, while has his faults, is a very good Special Teamer and BB values that a lot more then spot duty when we talk about 4th string RB.

I disagree that a 4th RB needs to play ST in 2008. 2007, likely. But BB has ostensibly brought in two guys (Aiken, Slater) almost exclusively for their ST play. I think there will be plenty of warm bodies (that are not a RB) who can play on ST.

Musa Smith is intriguing ... he's a guy I always expected more from; would be a great 4th RB. And might even play ST.

 

[PatsDeb]

Does anybody else find it curious that the Pats are targeting this position given what we have? I wonder if Faulk is starting to wear down? Or if Morris hasn't healed back to form? The curious thing is that these guys don't seem to be a "Faulk" or a "Morris" type player. They seem like a Maroney-type player. Maybe we are just stocking a 4th back in case one of the other 3 (excluding Evans, whom I agree, is different from these guys and not likely to be replaced by them). Of course, it could just be having everyone in for a look in case we need a mid-season replacement, but it just seems odd they are targeting these particular players.

 

[TeamPats]

I disagree that a 4th RB needs to play ST in 2008. 2007, likely. But BB has ostensibly brought in two guys (Aiken, Slater) almost exclusively for their ST play. I think there will be plenty of warm bodies (that are not a RB) who can play on ST.

Musa Smith is intriguing ... he's a guy I always expected more from; would be a great 4th RB. And might even play ST.

I suppose in the interests of keeping this football related...I think I respectfully disagree. Each year come training camp I find it more and more difficult to determine who makes the 53 man team, let alone the 45 man active roster. With such limitations, it is difficult to have a Special Teams that is made up exclusively of Special Teams specialists ... Larry Izzo, Willie Andrews, I suppose Kelley Washington. Slater may be ready to dethrone Andrews on the roster but who's roster spot will be cut to make room for Aiken? (Sort of the Garret Mills problem)

Each time a 4th stringer type does not play Special Teams, someone like Mike Vrabel may have to, which could hurt this team due to injury. Even our 2nd RB (well 2b with Kevin Faulk 2a), was brought on board because of his excellent Special Teams work as well as his running ability.

 

[VJCPatriot]

With the bringing in Gado & Jones, looks to me like BB wants to have a legit RB to rely on if Maroney & Morris are both hurt.

Evans can't get it done on his own and neither can Faulk. I'd be all for keeping an extra back in KJ, or just replacing Evans with one of them.

Agreed. Either Jones or Gado could be helpful in a backup role. Jones has the talent, the question is the injury. And Morris showed that he fit in beautifully, the question again is how well can he come back from his injury? Good to see the depth of competition. IMO the 2 back system is here to stay in the NFL. Every NFL team needs to have at least 2 good RBs that you are comfortable with putting out there every week.

Now, for the running back stuff, does anybody else find it curious that the Pats are targeting this position given what we have? I wonder if Faulk is starting to wear down? Or if Morris hasn't healed back to form? The curious thing is that these guys don't seem to be a "Faulk" or a "Morris" type player. They seem like a Maroney-type player. Maybe we are just stocking a 4th back in case one of the other 3 (excluding Evans, whom I agree, is different from these guys and not likely to be replaced by them). Of course, it could just be having everyone in for a look in case we need a mid-season replacement, but it just seems odd they are targeting these particular players.

I'm not surprised at all actually. I've already done the numbers analysis that show, in general, that Maroney seems to be less effective when he is not sharing the load.
Maroney might be the 1A back but the Pats need a 1B back to keep him fresh. Maroney played in a 2 back system in Minnesota, and that may explain why he seems to be more effective when sharing the load.
Besides the background, you only have to look at Maroney last season to see the results. When Morris was healthy and playing second fiddle, Maroney did quite well.
When Morris get injured, Maroney's numbers slumped midseason. He did not get his 'mojo' back until he got the chance to feast on the #30 and #32 ranked run defenses in football respectively (Jets and Dolphins).
However he carried momentum into the playoffs until he got stonewalled by the Giants defense in the Superbowl. But then again the entire Pats OL played badly that day, so I'm not sure how much to attribute to Maroney, and how much to the OL.

Because of these factors and the uncertainty concerning Morris, I would not have been surprised if the Pats had taken a RB as early as the 3rd round. I had Kevin Smith out of UCF targeted, but he went on the very first pick of the round. I think that it is rather interesting/telling that BB is going after 1B guys, that could turn into 1A guys in case of injury. But it's hard to know what these guys have to offer until they actually compete in camp. All I know is that competition and depth is a good thing. And imo Maroney will be able to hold up better over the season if he has a legit 1B back sharing the load. And I'm not overlooking Faulk here, clearly he's the 3rd down back. But that's not the same as a 1B back.

 

[tombonneau]

t is difficult to have a Special Teams that is made up exclusively of Special Teams specialists ... Larry Izzo, Willie Andrews, I suppose Kelley Washington. Slater may be ready to dethrone Andrews on the roster but who's roster spot will be cut to make room for Aiken? (Sort of the Garret Mills problem)

I believe Brown was essentially "cut" to make room for Aiken. Look at it this way: Pats seem to keep 3 ST guys. Last year it was Andrews, Izzo and Washington.

This year, it will be Aiken, Slater & Izzo. IMO, Washington with be the #5WR and will likely get a bit more action at WR but will still play ST. I think this will create roster spot flexibility at another position such as RB.

 

[Ungeheuer]

Where the Pats would really be in trouble is with an extended injury to Maroney. Nobody else on the roster is really an every-down tailback type of back. Morris is a tweener, so is Evans. Faulk is a third-down guy. They need a guy who can pick up the blitz, run inside and outside, and carry the ball six, seven times in a series. Morris is seviceable but most teams have a young player buried on the depth chart who can give you something at tailback. Look at the Giants with Ahmad Bradshaw.

That said, there's just no way we can afford to sign a guy like Kevin Jones. Whose roster spot does he get? Already we have six receivers you'd really want to keep (Moss, Welker, Washington, Aiken, Jackson and Gaffney). We've got a gazillion corners and a ton of linebackers now. We even have the full complement of quarterbacks. This team is going to have trouble cutting guys at the bottom of the roster; there's no way we can afford five running backs, and unless you want to ditch Heath Evans, who's been a consistent, healthy performer on special teams, you can't add another runner.

 

[VJCPatriot]

That said, there's just no way we can afford to sign a guy like Kevin Jones. Whose roster spot does he get? Already we have six receivers you'd really want to keep (Moss, Welker, Washington, Aiken, Jackson and Gaffney). We've got a gazillion corners and a ton of linebackers now. We even have the full complement of quarterbacks. This team is going to have trouble cutting guys at the bottom of the roster; there's no way we can afford five running backs, and unless you want to ditch Heath Evans, who's been a consistent, healthy performer on special teams, you can't add another runner.

Can we say goodbye to Kyle Eckle? I sure could. Seriously.
Maroney is starter. Morris is backup, IF healthy. Faulk is the 3rd down back.
Let's be honest, Heath Evans is a FB, not a RB.
The Pats have more than enough room to let these new tryout guys such as Gado and K Jones COMPETE. May the best man win in training camp. It's as simple as that.

 

[bradmahn]

I'm not surprised at all actually. I've already done the numbers analysis that show, in general, that Maroney seems to be less effective when he is not sharing the load.
...
When Morris get injured, Maroney's numbers slumped midseason. He did not get his 'mojo' back until he got the chance to feast on the #30 and #32 ranked run defenses in football respectively (Jets and Dolphins).
However he carried momentum into the playoffs until he got stonewalled by the Giants defense in the Superbowl. But then again the entire Pats OL played badly that day, so I'm not sure how much to attribute to Maroney, and how much to the OL.
...

Do you leave out the games against the Jags and Chargers because it invalidates your point or is there another reason?

Can we say goodbye to Kyle Eckle? I sure could. Seriously.
Maroney is starter. Morris is backup, IF healthy. Faulk is the 3rd down back.
Let's be honest, Heath Evans is a FB, not a RB.
The Pats have more than enough room to let these new tryout guys such as Gado and K Jones COMPETE. May the best man win in training camp. It's as simple as that.

Exactly. Sammy Morris has not proven to be above upgrading... whether or not Kevin Jones could be the better backup remains to be seen, but there is no harm in bringing him in for a look-see.

If I'm not mistaken, doesn't Morris also have experience at FB? Evans isn't a dominating run blocker, either, but I don't know if Morris is even comparable as a lead blocker. He could certainly fill Evans's shoes in every other aspect of the game, though.

People need to keep in mind free agents don't always make the team. Take Aiken, for instance. He's going to have to prove to be better than Andrews (a very good special teamer) for him to win his spot. The same would be true of Jones or Gado if they came in, so let's worry about finding regular season roster spots in August and September, not May and June.

 

[VJCPatriot]

The answer to your question was one of the very sentences that you quoted.

However he carried momentum into the playoffs until he got stonewalled by the Giants defense in the Superbowl.

Do you leave out the games against the Jags and Chargers because it invalidates your point or is there another reason?

 

[Leave No Doubt]

It's a losing battle, Patsox. I've determined not to read the spygate stuff anymore and not worry about it. I feel better all ready.

Now, for the running back stuff, does anybody else find it curious that the Pats are targeting this position given what we have? I wonder if Faulk is starting to wear down? Or if Morris hasn't healed back to form? The curious thing is that these guys don't seem to be a "Faulk" or a "Morris" type player. They seem like a Maroney-type player. Maybe we are just stocking a 4th back in case one of the other 3 (excluding Evans, whom I agree, is different from these guys and not likely to be replaced by them). Of course, it could just be having everyone in for a look in case we need a mid-season replacement, but it just seems odd they are targeting these particular players.

I'm sorta glad they are-Maroney can be a beast if he gets in the right situation but RB's such a tough position to play that you never know- Morris' injury was freakish in a way-I think his loss hurt. And we know what Maroney's injury did to us and losing the 04 Corey Dillon hurt too. I hope we do sign another RB, just in case.
The Colts just got Rhodes back, who if healthy and stays out of trouble, will be a killer addition to Addai.

 

[captain stone]

I prefer Kevin Jones.

So do I. Maroney and Jones would be 1A/1B, Morris would be Short Yardage/FB/STer, Faulk would be 3rd Down/Returner, and Evans and Eckel could battle for FB/STer.

Damn Roger Badell for stealing our own 1st-round pick. That could have been CB Brandon Flowers, and our 2nd-rounder could've been used for UTexas RB Jamaal Charles.

I wish that the FO had signed Mewelde Moore this year. He could have been our Returner/#2 3rd-Down/#4 (at worst) RB, and Faulk's eventual replacement.

Then again, if the FO had drafted one of Selvin Young, Ahmad Bradshaw, DeShawn Wynn, Darius Walker or FB Jason Snelling at the end of the 6th round last year, our need to consider a FA RB would be somewhat - if not greatly - reduced.