The simplistic knee-jerk view of Corey Dillon...

[patsox23]

I am growing weary of reading posts about how Corey Dillon is "done" because of last year's subpar performance. Now I grant you, he had a down year, he's getting older and he suffered some injuries. Perhaps those nagging injuries are a sign of his age. Perhaps, though, they are...well...nagging injuries. We won't truly know until the upcoming season, but my eyes told me that Corey was:

1) nicked up

2) running behind a ravaged and inconsistent OL

3) running pretty hard against Denver

So I'm thinking, YES, by all means, draft his heir apparent. Maybe even select a LenDale or a DeAngelo in round one of this draft. But for the love of God, can the simpletons PLEASE stop piling on. It seems to be coming from the same foot-stamping, breath-holding "why won't the Patriots sign anyone yet?!" crowd, and those of us with a bit more perspective are getting kind of sick of it.

Relax. They're gonna draft a running back. But Corey is not necessarily as "done" as you think he is. Now. Allow me to step down off my soap box. Good evening.

 

[BradyisGod]

I don't think it's a lock that they sign an RB early though. I am pretty sure BB thinks you can get value late on Running Backs.

 

[CrazyDave]

Thanks, I needed that. i for one, really like Dillon, and i have'nt given up on him yet. There appeared to be a serious lack of holes to run through last year.

 

[R_T26]

I like Dillon too, but history shows that there is a better chance to digress then to improve.

 

[jczxohn1]

Nothing wrong with Corey that an interior line of Mankins, Mawae and Koppen wouldn't cure.

 

[Ring 6]

Here is my opinion.

We do not need the Dillon of 04 to win SBs. (But it helps)

We have won as much with mediocre, or worse, RBs than studs.
I attribute almost zero of last years failure to win it to the RB position, and almost 100% to the injuries to the secondary and OL.

Problem is, we are almost inadequate right now at the RB postion behind Dillon.

Faulk is a good player, but with his injury history, age and size cannot be reiled on as a #2 that will always be there reliably to fill in.

You have an injury risk (age and last year) as #1, and an injury risk as #2. Plus that 2 is limited in what he can do, taking parts of the game away when he plays.

We need to get, draft or sign, a 'solid' backup. A guy who can do everything a starter does, if not remarkably well. He should be young, so there is less injury risk at a postionn with a lot of it. He hopefully could be the heir aparent, but thats a plus IMO.

 

[patchick]

history shows that there is a better chance to digress then to improve.

That's a history of discussions on this board, right? :blahblah:

 

[patsox23]

Agree that we don't have to draft a RB in the first round. And also agree with AJ that we do need a capably productive back-up RB, however we get it. I'd love to see one more year of Dillon being (basically) his 2004 self. I don't think that's impossible at all, but I do appreciate that it might be a step down from that.

 

[smg93]

YES, by all means, draft his heir apparent. Maybe even select a LenDale or a DeAngelo in round one of this draft. But for the love of God, can the simpletons PLEASE stop piling on. It seems to be coming from the same foot-stamping, breath-holding "why won't the Patriots sign anyone yet?!" crowd, and those of us with a bit more perspective are getting kind of sick of it.

Yes, I agree. I've said for a while now that Corey doesn't have to run for 1500 yards for us to get back into the Superbowl. A. Smith was never a dominant back and we won two with him. One bad year for Corey due to injuries and a new and ever changing O line should not be the reason to condemn him as yesterdays news.

You're right, it is a knee jerk reaction to what happened last year. But I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt and at least wait another year to see how his health is holding up. If you want to draft an RB, go ahead. It only makes sense to try and get younger or more talented each year of your football team. But to say that we have to draft or sign a new RB because Corey's done is totally unfair to him and his skills.

 

[Joker]

Relax....Dillon was severely injured last season...when he came back he never ran to his left...the rest of the season. The Patriots don't release information on injuries so of course every single Nervous Nellie, of which there are about a hundred on THIS site, started honking their geese beaks sounding false alarms. Just look back through the archive.

Bottom line, if Dillon has fully healed up he'll STILL be a first rate RB. Now no one will be able to tell until camp, but it looks like the Patriots are satisfied he'll be 100%.

 

[patsox23]

agree, joker. By the way, it's JC from the Beast site.

 

[Joker]

10/4 JC

Personally, I feel Dillon played when almost any other RB wouldn't have last season...he's one tough S.O.B and I respect that

 

[BionicPatriot]

I don't but all the excuses. Pass didn't struggle as bad behind the line, neither did Faulk. They BOTH had better burst. Dillon had to be injured, or he truly has regressed. He didn't hit defenders as hard, nor did he hit the holes as hard. I think it's very likely we'll see a young RB to step in next year and split time with Corey. I DON'T think Dillon is done, he's just not the same stud he used to be.

 

[patsox23]

I don't but all the excuses. Pass didn't struggle as bad behind the line, neither did Faulk. They BOTH had better burst. Dillon had to be injured, or he truly has regressed.

Who on here is arguing that Dillon wasn't injured? Of course he was. We are saying that, while aging happens and he's getting up there, it's perfectly plausible that, now that he's healthy again, he can play football very well again. He didn't have "that burst" because he was injured.

 

[fgssand]

Dillon will be very productive for at leat 2 more seasons. His injuries severely limited his effectiveness last year, a fact that so many choose to ignore.

If Lendale White is available, we will draft him, no question in my mind - otherwise we will take a RB much later.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

I don't completely disagree with the original post. But the word simplistic could also be applied to the school of thought that ignores Corey's age and blames all of his problems on the OL and his "nagging" injuries.

That's the thing about nagging injuries. They tend to nag a lot more as you get older.

 

[patriotsrule]

If Dillon was fighting injuries, why did BB run him 26 times against the Jets in a meaningless game late in the year? Either Dillon wasn't as hurt as we think or BB is a dumb coach because you don't run a back who is hurt that many times when you could rest him for the playoffs. Like I said, either Dillon wasn't really hurt or BB is stupid. Take your pick. I side with Belichick.

 

[BionicPatriot]

Who on here is arguing that Dillon wasn't injured? Of course he was. We are saying that, while aging happens and he's getting up there, it's perfectly plausible that, now that he's healthy again, he can play football very well again. He didn't have "that burst" because he was injured.

Where was that burst in weeks 1, 2, and 3? Nowhere to be seen, and that's before he got hurt. Do you REALLY think he can possibly return to the 04 form? Take off the glasses and see the sun my friend. Dillon is not all the way done, but his days as being a horse are.

 

[BionicPatriot]

If Dillon was fighting injuries, why did BB run him 26 times against the Jets in a meaningless game late in the year? Either Dillon wasn't as hurt as we think or BB is a dumb coach because you don't run a back who is hurt that many times when you could rest him for the playoffs. Like I said, either Dillon wasn't really hurt or BB is stupid. Take your pick. I side with Belichick.

Exactly. And that was a game where we knew going in we wanted to get our running game going. despite reaching 100 yards, we STILL struggled.

 

[hwc]

Patsox23:

I'm on the same soapbox. I don't understand all the hatin' on Corey Dillon at all. It was so obvious he was injured all last year. He took himself out of the game after just about every run.

The O-line was such a disaster last year (missing three opening day starters to injury), that I don't think Jim Brown could have run the ball.