Patriots give Lorenzo Booker Private workout

[FSUPatsFan]

Hey everyone. Take this for whats its worth, but I've been told by a lot of people who are subscribers to www.warchant.com that Lorenzo Booker wrote is his draft diary that the Patriots are giving him a private workout and have expressed interest in him. They are coming to Tallahassee to give him the workout. I would provide the link, but there is no point since you would all only be able to read the first sentence since no one is a subscriber and I can't provide the quote because I myself am not a subscriber.

I for one would think Lorenzo Booker would be a good 3rd round pickup and would be a better version of Kevin Faulk. He's a little bigger, a little faster, has much better hands and has never lost a fumble his entire career at FSU. His numbers won't overwhelm you mostly because of bad offensive lines and a bad system. He did show flashes of brilliance during his career, especially in big games such as the ACC championship game, Orange Bowl, and Emerald bowl.

For comparison sake he had a very similar career at FSU to Leon Washington who was a very solid rookie for the Jets last year. He's faster than Washington and most people at FSU think he's has more talent. I think in the right system (which I think the Pats are with the way they use Faulk) he could flourish.

I was just curious as to see what you guys think of the Pats picking up a guy like Lorenzo Booker to go with Maroney. I am biased, but I for one think it would be a great pickup.

 

[zippo59]

As soon as I saw him play I knew he would be great candidate to be the next Kevin Faulk.

 

[BelichickFan]

I like Booker, I'm just not sure I want to get "the next Kevin Faulk" until Faulk is gone or has no more than one year left and it looks like Kevin has 2-3 years left at this level.

 

[PATRIOT64]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvPumoZFpl4

Enough said about his talents..Looks like a young Barry Sanders on that play.

 

[zippo59]

I like Booker, I'm just not sure I want to get "the next Kevin Faulk" until Faulk is gone or has no more than one year left and it looks like Kevin has 2-3 years left at this level.

Faulk does have several good years left but if te right guy comes along you can't pass him up. I'm not saying Booker is the right guy.

 

[PonyExpress]

I like Booker, I'm just not sure I want to get "the next Kevin Faulk" until Faulk is gone or has no more than one year left and it looks like Kevin has 2-3 years left at this level.

BF,
I disagree in this respect: while Faulk's talent is intact, his durability is bound to deteriorate even more. The hope is that Welker may lessen his special teams duties, but Faulk has become so brittle (see AFCCG) that I no longer see him as reliable. I wanted the Pats to pursue Mewelde Moore, but the 4th rd compensation is prohibitive if the Pats want to keep the ability to move up or down on draft day. Booker could be a cheap alternative going forward, though I am not as impressed with his quickness as some.

 

[Don Kipines]

Booker, the Notre Dame kid, or even a Garrett Wolfe type would be a good pickup for the Pats. Someone with some special teams ability and receiving skills. We've got two bigger backs in Maroney and Morris already, and Evans weighs 250.

 

[patsacolachick]

I would love to add a 'Nole to the team :rocker:

 

[Brady'sButtBoy]

BB has expressed admiration for Faulk but PonyExpress is right that if Faulk can't stay on the field then the Pats need to be thinking about a replacement. That would only be doing "what's best for the team," as BB insists is his only motivation regarding personnel.

I disagree that "it looks like Kevin has 2-3 years left at this level." Besides injuries, Faulk is right at that magic age when the switch can just go off overnight, especially for backs who rely on quickness.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Hey everyone. Take this for whats its worth, but I've been told by a lot of people who are subscribers to www.warchant.com that Lorenzo Booker wrote is his draft diary that the Patriots are giving him a private workout and have expressed interest in him. They are coming to Tallahassee to give him the workout. I would provide the link, but there is no point since you would all only be able to read the first sentence since no one is a subscriber and I can't provide the quote because I myself am not a subscriber.

I for one would think Lorenzo Booker would be a good 3rd round pickup and would be a better version of Kevin Faulk. He's a little bigger, a little faster, has much better hands and has never lost a fumble his entire career at FSU. His numbers won't overwhelm you mostly because of bad offensive lines and a bad system. He did show flashes of brilliance during his career, especially in big games such as the ACC championship game, Orange Bowl, and Emerald bowl.

For comparison sake he had a very similar career at FSU to Leon Washington who was a very solid rookie for the Jets last year. He's faster than Washington and most people at FSU think he's has more talent. I think in the right system (which I think the Pats are with the way they use Faulk) he could flourish.

I was just curious as to see what you guys think of the Pats picking up a guy like Lorenzo Booker to go with Maroney. I am biased, but I for one think it would be a great pickup.

I have liked Lorenzo Booker and MJD last year as future replacements for Kevin. But don't kid youself, Kevin still holds lots of all time SEC rushing and all offense records that made him a high pick his year.

Only MJD has any possibility of being better than Kevin Faulk at being Kevin Faulk, and the Jags got him in the second round last year.

Booker is smaller than Kevin, but perhaps could over time beef up without losing speed or shiftyness.

If he is 75% of KF he woud be a good pickup, in the late 3rd or 4th, but I suspect that he is long gone...

 

[NE39]

I like Booker. However, he may catch the ball well but he doesn't have better hands than Faulk. Faulk has great hands, probably the best on the Pats.

I'd have no problem with the Pats picking Booker as an eventual replacement to Faulk. Kevin has made a ton of big plays for the team over the years, but he will turn 31 this summer and has cap number over $3M for the next 3 seasons. If Booker can provide some of the same skills in a younger player at a cheaper price, it makes sense.

 

[BelichickFan]

Kevin has made a ton of big plays for the team over the years, but he will turn 31 this summer and has cap number over $3M for the next 3 seasons. If Booker can provide some of the same skills in a younger player at a cheaper price, it makes sense.

We'd only save $500K but cutting him and most of that goes away from his replacement. I still say this isn't the time, although the time's not too far away.

 

[NE39]

We'd only save $500K but cutting him and most of that goes away from his replacement. I still say this isn't the time, although the time's not too far away.

If he is designated a post-June 1 cut, some of that acceleration is deferred. Miguel notes he has a $500K roster bonus, I wonder when that is due?

However, I agree with you that it isn't quite time. They could draft Booker this year as a replacement for Faulk down the road, if they think he has that kind of ability. He can help on ST as a backup until he is ready to step in for Kevin in a year or two.

I like Kevin a lot, but he can't play forever and he has always been more quick than fast. If he loses a step, the drop-off might be sudden. I'm willing to bet the Pats want to be prepared when that happens.

 

[FSUPatsFan]

I have liked Lorenzo Booker and MJD last year as future replacements for Kevin. But don't kid youself, Kevin still holds lots of all time SEC rushing and all offense records that made him a high pick his year.

Only MJD has any possibility of being better than Kevin Faulk at being Kevin Faulk, and the Jags got him in the second round last year.

Booker is smaller than Kevin, but perhaps could over time beef up without losing speed or shiftyness.

If he is 75% of KF he woud be a good pickup, in the late 3rd or 4th, but I suspect that he is long gone...

Just because Kevin holds a lot of SEC records doesn't make him a better running back. What players do in college hardly ever translates into what they do in the NFL. I could use the argument that Booker was the number 1 overall recruit in the country coming out of high school so he's better, but that doesn't make much sense. Booker isn't really smaller than Faulk. He's 10 pounds lighter, but he has a bigger frame (5-11 as opposed to 5-8) so he should be able to put on more weight. He's also faster than Faulk. And believe me, his hands may not be as good as faulks but they are real good. He also doesn't fumble.

The only thing everyone here hated about booker was that he tended to dance in the backfield too much instead of hitting the hole. But, by the time he got the ball there were already 2 or 3 defenders in the backfield so he really didn't have much choice. If he's in the right system with the right coach, he could be a great pick up. I think he could have a better rookie season than Leon Washington did.

 

[drewdagreat]

How was Booker suppose to put up big numbers playing in that offense?

 

[sebman2112]

Here is Albert Breer on the subject, and part of Booker's Diary entry:

March 14th, 2007
Pats to work out Booker
Posted by Albert Breer at 10:08 am

On his diary at Warchant.com (Rivals subscription required), Florida State RB Lorenzo Booker said that he’ll work out privately for the Patriots on Friday morning, following the Seminoles Pro Day tomorrow.

Booker added that it’ll be the only private workout he’ll do, since he’s returning to his home state of Calfornia thereafter and teams are only allowed to put prospects through the individual paces in the state in which they attended college before the in-house visits begin. A versatile scatback, Booker is not unlike former Seminoles Warrick Dunn, Travis Minor and Leon Washington, in that he’s not big (5-10, 191) but can bring a lot to an offense. He ran a 4.46 at the combine and could fit as a multifaceted threat alongside Laurence Maroney.

“I’m going to workout at receiver so they know that I can run routes and make me more valuable,” Booker wrote in the Warchant entry. “Hearing something and seeing it are completely different things. I’m going to show them what I already know. They never got to see me run routes. I know most of them will be looking at me because having a guy on the team, Reggie (Bush), Leon, (Brian) Westbrook are invaluable. You can’t find those guys under a rock.”
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Here are his measurables:
Height: 5'11" Weight: 191lbs 40 Time: 4.4

Here is the Scouting report (keep in mind we want him as a change of pace/3rd down receiving back):

Scouts Grade: 70

Strengths:
A versatile running back prospect with homerun potential as a runner, receiver and return specialist. He shows outstanding initial burst and overall quickness. Explodes through the line of scrimmage and will quickly bounce inside runs to the outside. He displays the speed to consistently turn the corner as an outside runner. His vision as a runner is above average. He is extremely elusive and will consistently make defenders miss in space. He has great experience as a receiver. Shows good instincts and route running skills. Does a very good job of separating from coverage, as well as coming back to his quarterback when necessary. He displays soft hands and the ability to adjust to the poorly thrown ball. Can pluck on the run and is extremely dangerous when he catches the ball on the move in space. Is aggressive and technically sound as a pass blocker.

Weaknesses:
Is undersized. Lacks ideal height and possesses marginal bulk. Is taken down too easily and fails to consistently generate yards after initial contact. Below average inside runner; will not push the pile. Has never carried a full load and does not project as a fulltime starter in the NFL. Will get overwhelmed at the point of attack as a blocker and will struggle to consistently match up in that facet of the game at the next level. Durability is a long-term concern due to marginal size and past injuries (ankle, knee) that kept him out of games in 2003. He also was limited by a deep thigh bruised suffered vs. Boston College (10/21) as a senior in 2006.

Overall:
Booker was redshirted in 2002. As a redshirt freshman in 2003, Booker played in 10 of FSU's 13 games and missed three games with a sprained knee ligament and sprained ankle. He finished the year with 62 carries for 334 yards (5.4 average), three touchdowns and caught 19 passes for 86 yards. Booker appeared in all 12 games and made two starts in 2004 amassing 887 yards rushing on 173 carries (5.1 average) and four touchdowns. He added 24 catches for 160 yards in the passing game including at least one catch in each regular season contest. Booker played in all 13 games and made three starts in 2005 leading FSU in rushing attempts (119), yards (552), and rushing touchdowns (four) while averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He also caught 38 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns.

Booker has never proven capable of being the premier back in college and he clearly lacks the size and strength to handle a full load at the next level. However, Booker's versatility remains his greatest asset. He possesses the speed, elusiveness and hands to contribute as a third-down back and return specialist in the NFL, which is why he could still come off the board late on Day 1 despite failing to live up to expectations at Florida State.

* Player biographies are provided by Scouts Inc.
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Personally I think Booker is faster than KF, and is much more elusive once he gets to the second level. Booker is simular to Faulk in that he has the receiving skills of a WR, but his footwork, and cutback ability remind me of DeAngelo Williams. Obviously he is not as strong at the point of attack, as DW, but their footwork is simular. Oh, and his not registering a single fumble his entire college career makes him a very good replacement for Kevin Fumbles

Youtube.com video of Booker taking it to the house:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlsnDcoNKtI

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

Booker is one of the running backs I suggested the Pats should take in this year's draft. Booker is a multi-dimensional back who has a lot of upside. Also, he doesn't have a lot of mileage on him because he didn't receive many carries in his stint at Florida State. However, if the Pats want him, they will probably have to take him in the third round. I just don't think he will last any longer than that. I would love to see him in a Pats uniform but with pressing needs on defense, I don't see it hapenning. Who knows?

 

[spacecrime]

I like Booker, I'm just not sure I want to get "the next Kevin Faulk" until Faulk ... has no more than one year left

That would have been 2002. His last good year was 2003.

 

[Brady to Brown]

Maybe his agent is smart and none of this is true.

 

[BelichickFan]

That would have been 2002. His last good year was 2003.

Well he didn't get a lot of regular season carries but he averaged 4.9 plus 4.7 in the playoffs and he had 47 catches for about 8 yards a carry. For his role I think he had a perfectly good season.