Vereen - stay or go?

[RayClay]

Interesting situation. first off, i like Vereen, always have. Good combination of smooth receive, breakaway runner and decent RB to give you that option.

There's always a number , if a team really wants a guy and he wants to play there, but sometimes it's a stretch, so...do the pats stretch if they need to, to sign vereen?

I say no and I don't care particularly about James White.

1. His production simply isn't that good. That huge break out season has not come. Fine Super bowl, but could another 3rd down back have made a lot of catches? i think so. They were there. He took over a couple games a year or two ago, but his production and potential have not matched.

2. Can James White get 40-50 catches and run against passing defenses? Probably, or at least close. Does that mean we're doomed if White is a bust? Hardly. There must be a million undersized receiver/rbs looking for a shot. Maybe smaller, less of an RB, but maybe better, quite frankly. Again, look at Vereen's production and look at historic little guy 3rd down backs. There isn't a shortfall of quick, small players looking for a break.

I'd like to keep him, but not if it costs us at a position that's harder to replace.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

I like him and want to keep him and I think the team will make him a very respectable offer to keep him. BUT there are teams out there with cap space that will outbid the Pats in hopes of transferring the magic. Does he take the most money and make the most of his time (e.g. David Givens) or does he stay? I think the odds are that he is gone and I wish him nothing but the best (unless his new team is playing the Pats).

 

[crownontherocks]

ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss reports three years and $10.5 million may be the starting point for free agent Shane Vereen's next contract.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-...-15?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter


Say vareen goes. Would you want the patriots do go after spiller for replacement?

 

[Zuma]

I think they think James White has the potential to fill Vereen's role...with help from Blount and Gray. That's my opinion.

 

[sambam94]

when a player is making under 3m, I can see him wanting to maximize his earnings. 2m vs 3m is a huge difference compared to say 10m to 12m. I like Vereen and think a very good 3rd down back is more important in this offense than the starter. I hope they can sign him. Sure, you can get away with a decent back against the average joes of the league, but up against the tough defenses, a back like Vereen is VERY important.

 

[Brunitus]

I see verren a going to either the Colts or giants

 

[JMC00]

Say vareen goes. Would you want the patriots do go after spiller for replacement?

Spiller is going to cost just as much maybe even more than Vereen

 

[MassPats38]

Sadly, Vereen's success in the last game may up his stock enough that he finds an offer the Pats cannot match. The Pats tinkered with him at wideout in 2013, so the man has skills other teams can use.

I still don't know what James White represents at this point, so I cannot call him a fallback plan for Vereen. I know that he was touted to be a Vereen-type player when drafted, but I haven't seen much to persuade me of that in his limited appearances.

 

[RayClay]

I'd like to see them bring in some wr/rb/kick returners for competition.

There's not a lack of undersized RBs who can catch.

 

[zipster9]

ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss reports three years and $10.5 million may be the starting point for free agent Shane Vereen's next contract.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-...-15?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter


Say vareen goes. Would you want the patriots do go after spiller for replacement?

Vereen stepped up in the playoffs and in the SB. He is our Faulk. I think he still has 2yrs left.
My guess is Vereen wants to stay. What better situation can there be? Yes, NFL is a business.
I hope something gets done with Vereen. I'm not confident White or Gaffney can do what Vereen
can do, otherwise they'd be doing it.

I dont care about Ridley. IMO.

 

[Froob]

I'd like to see them bring in some wr/rb/kick returners for competition.

There's not a lack of undersized RBs who can catch.

Not too many that are as good of route runners as Vereen though. Hopefully James White learned a thing or two from him.

 

[zipster9]

Not too many that are as good of route runners as Vereen though. Hopefully James White learned a thing or two from him.

I'm hoping Jonas Gray can morph to a Vereen, if Vereen does not come back...

 

[sambam94]

I'm hoping Jonas Gray can morph to a Vereen, if Vereen does not come back...

that is not possible

 

[Brit patriot]

Someone is going to take the hit in Free Agency, and considering that we have to up the wages of a few other lads, I can see him going for good money elsewhere.

If he does, I will miss him. He is always doing something productive, and is a major reason we have Ring number four. For anyone to say that anyone could do that job is false. Vereen is a smart player, and one we will miss I imagine.

But business is business...and I would rather not be in salary cap hell

 

[convertedpatsfan]

I humbly disagree, and I think we've been absolutely spoiled over the years by Kevin Faulk, then Danny Woodhead, and now Vereen.

Woody was cut by the Jets, so it's easy for us to overlook how important the position is. But there aren't a lot of these guys, and they tend to be undervalued by the league in general.

Barnwell had a nice piece on the position here:

Darren Sproles is the NFL's extra value meal

The pass-catching running back is an undervalued asset in football, a player who often spends his career moving around the league and reestablishing himself as a worthwhile talent in each stop. They often sign short-term contracts in free agency for less money than their numbers warrant. Take the most similar player to Sproles, Danny Woodhead. After signing Woodhead off waivers from the Jets, the Patriots used him in a limited role as their backup halfback from 2010 to 2012, during which he averaged 4.8 yards per carry and 10.7 yards per catch on 7.6 touches per game. With a ready replacement in Shane Vereen, the Patriots let Woodhead leave in free agency, where he got a two-year, $3.5 million deal from the Chargers. All he did there was produce 1,034 yards from scrimmage on 182 touches in 2013, scoring eight touchdowns in the process. Any team in football could use that for $1.75 million.

It’s not just Sproles or Woodhead, though. It’s their comparables from the past, guys like Eric Metcalf (seven teams in 13 seasons), Terry Kirby (four teams in 10 seasons), Amp Lee (four teams in nine seasons), and even a fullback like Larry Centers (four teams in 14 seasons). The one real pass-catching halfback who stayed in one spot for his entire career was Kevin Faulk, who had Bill Belichick at the helm from his second season onward. Nobody does a better job with player valuation in football than Belichick, and it’s no surprise he’s had Faulk, Woodhead, and Vereen on his rosters.​

There are a handful of guys who are lead backs and catch a lot of passes (Forte, Bell, Murray, Lacy, Charles), but not a lot of Vereen types. Woody would be an obvious choice except for being injured this year, and then you've got Sproles, maybe Bush (he seems to be falling out as the lead back), Ellington, and I don't know...Bernard in Cincinnati...and after that...well...

The Seahawks had Robert Turbin as their 3rd down back, and the 19 passes he caught in his first season are his career high for catches. The Colts have pretty much nobody at RB as a whole, the Ravens kept Forsett on the field because they didn't get much out of Pierce, and while he caught a lot of passes, he only averaged 6 yards a catch. The Broncos kept Anderson on the field once he started, as did the Steelers and Bell. Bernard in Cincinnati is probably closest, although that was after he got benched from his starting role.

And these are play-off teams. The dregs like the Jaguars have...I don't even know. Denard Robinson? Although he was kind of their starter too. Maybe Jordan Todman? The Titans have Dexter McCluster, but their overall terribleness sucked the talent out of him somehow. The Raiders had nobody emerge until late, but Murray has potential.

But there really aren't a lot of these guys in the league, and they tend to be much cheaper than other position players with similar production.

That doesn't mean we should pay a king's ransom. But I don't think the position is going to be easy to replace either. Hopefully James White can be that answer, but if he's not, we saw how much this team missed that role when Woody signed with San Diego and Vereen was injured.

 

[memento]

Vereen is an excellent 3rd down back that can run it all three downs if we want him to. I say that's worth 3million. As always, it's up to Boss Belichick weighing costs and benefits and value, but I'd be happy with Vereen on the roster for 3 million a year. He's proved himself capable and reliable. He played Super Bowl 49 for us like he was Deion Branch in Super Bowl 39.

I still have some bad memories of him dropping passes the year he played with a cast, but he played that year with a cast on his arm and acted like he should be a star backfield receiver anyway. That tells me something about his toughness. Bring him back if we can.

 

[Brit patriot]

You never know. He may actually like it here, so doesn't ask for a crazy contract. Deals can always be done!

 

[patsfaninpa]

I think we may not decide on rb until after the draft. If we draft one early, may not need one. By early, I mean 1-3 rounds. Before March 10th I think we'll extend Revis. Sign McCourty to a long-term deal. Release VW. Tag Gostkowski.

That gives us a little wiggle room once free agency starts. And, we haven't restrucured guys like; Mayo, Amendola, Arrington, Vollmer and Solder. See what's out there. Maybe, shop around for a DT or RB. See what Ayers is going to get. Sign some of our own cheaper guys such as; Casillas anc Branch.

 

[mgteich]

You never know. He may actually like it here, so doesn't ask for a crazy contract. Deals can always be done!

This is Vereen's first non-rookie contract. He will try to make some money. Is 3/$10 a lot money? I don't see Vereen signing for less before becoming a free agent. Perhaps, Vereen would benefit from contract by teams in the last three days of the season.

I want to keep Vereen. I just don't think that we are willing to pay.

 

[Nunchucks]

Vereen flashed skills in his rookie season...White has looked terrible in every opportunity.

I would like to see Vereen resigned.