Best pass catching back out of the backfield in the TB/BB era?

[NYPatsFan]

Kevin Faulk
Shane Vereen
James White
Danny Woodcock
Dion Lewis

 

[1960Pats]

During the lead up to the 2001 SB I remember being told by Rams fans that we didn't have a Warner or a Faulk. My response was Faulk you we don't. Check our roster. Faulk only got better from there and is an easy winner.

Heck, I even liked his backup/fb, but probably as much for having the greatest Patriot name in history. That would be Pat Pass, who also managed to sneak in some plays on the way to 3 SB rings.

 

[Le Numéro Douze]

No love for Laurence Maroney?

If it were a thread titled "Most likely to win Dancing with the Stars", he would win in a landslide.

As for the topic discussed here: My heart says Kevin Faulk. My brain says Dion Lewis based on sheer abilities. But my brain, probably influenced by my heart, also thinks that longevity and impact on the team has to count so... Faulk!

 

[signbabybrady]

I'd put it like this:

1 game at his peak: Lewis. Those moves. I feel he's the only one to be a threat to run or catch for 100 yards in a game.
His whole career: Faulk. The durability. The dependability. The unselfishness.
Now, the interesting question might be which one would you sign to a three year contract at his peak? Faulk in 2003? James White now? Vereen in 2013? Woodhead in 2010? Lewis DQed by injury history?

1 game at his peak and you don't go White? that 1 game that he peaked might be the best pass catching performance from a RB ever especially given the stage.

Faulk is easily the best all around player of the group as a STer, blitz pick up, receiver, and runner.

But as just a pass catcher it's got to be Vareen or White. I'll go with White just out of recent things being the card.

As a runner I probably go Lewis.

Specific to the draw play I'd go Woodhead.

They all have been great for us and I think each has had the all around skills needed but oddly they all seem to excel at different aspects of that job.

 

[Todd Bradley]

Easily Faulk

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

What no love for J.R. Redmond? Without J.R. the Pats never get in position to win SB36.

The answer is Faulk, the guy was so clutch for so long, I can't even count the number of third and whatever he converted.

Veeren was great in the 2014 playoffs, and who can forget him out running the entire Jets defense on a flair out for 80 yards in the infamous buttfumble game.

Obviously the offense calls for and needs a third down back and as long as the Pats run this offense, whoever fills that role will make a lot of plays.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Woodhead is special for the little money he walked away for it was a huge question mark to not resign him.

I love Lewis and I like White but lets not pretend Woodhead is a jag because he's not here.

To this day I wonder why they let him walk for so little (they were paying Kevin Faulk $3M a year when the cap was significantly lower).

 

[ChessToCheckers]

For me, it's Kevin Faulk, hands down. However, White is on pace to surpass Kevin in a few more years and his ball security thus far is better than Kevin's. Should be fun to watch!

 

[patsfan13]

Faulk #1 easily, with 1 more good year White will be number 2, caught 60 balls in the regular season, more than Shane Vereen had an outstanding SB like Vereen, better pass blocker than Vereen, Danny Woodhead for me get downgraded a bit due to his blocking, willing but just overpowered too often.


Lewis explosive runner, perhaps not as good a blocker as Faulk not quite as goood a route runner.

 

[tasmlab]

Fun fact: Vereen, Faulk and Woodhead were all on the same Patriots roster at some point (2011). Imagine if they were all at their peak? (hypothetical impossibility, just for fun).

Vereen and White were also on the roster together.

 

[jri37]

Vereen had more range to his game. As good as he was running routes out of the backfield he was just as good at spreading out and running routes out from the spread formation. Now if you said all around it would be Faulk.

 

[holyredeemer]

To this day I wonder why they let him walk for so little (they were paying Kevin Faulk $3M a year when the cap was significantly lower).

The team didn't let him walk. He just didn't want to be here. Negotiating is a 2 way street, not sure why it always falls on the team for not getting it done. Either way, I miss the lil' guy too. He was great for this team.

 

[BKapatsfan]

Kevin Faulk

 

[Simpelton]

The team didn't let him walk. He just didn't want to be here. Negotiating is a 2 way street, not sure why it always falls on the team for not getting it done. Either way, I miss the lil' guy too. He was great for this team.

White reminds me of Woodhead in a lot of ways. He has the same lateral quickness and the same great hands. I think Woodhead was probably better at dodging tackles, and was maybe a little more explosive in cutting through a defensive line, but White can break tackles better, so that's all good.

 

[Kontradiction]

Faulk
Woodhead/White
Lewis
Vereen

If not for White's Super Bowl, I'd probably have had him rated below Vereen. But Faulk takes the cake.

 

[captain stone]

The team didn't let him [Woodhead] walk. He just didn't want to be here. Negotiating is a 2 way street, not sure why it always falls on the team for not getting it done. Either way, I miss the lil' guy too. He was great for this team.

The team did indeed let him walk.

 

[holyredeemer]

The team did indeed let him walk.

I thought the same thing, and i was a bit more emotional than a grown man should be about a team letting a player walk, then I read this.
Letter to My Younger Self | The Players' Tribune

 

[bbobbo]

longevity: faulk
reliability: white (0 fumbles in career)
best averages: woodhead (4.8 yards per carry, 10.7 yards per reception)

 

[captain stone]

I thought the same thing, and i was a bit more emotional than a grown man should be about a team letting a player walk, then I read this.
Letter to My Younger Self | The Players' Tribune

Interesting. I hadn't heard that the Pats had made Woody an offer and he was about to take it just as SD was calling his agent. Too bad that they didn't wait another day before calling. I don't think that the difference in offers was that great anyway, but it does seem that he was going to take the somewhat larger offer and start another adventure with the Chargers. I stand corrected.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Faulk with woodhead a close 2nd. Might been different if woody spent more than 3 seasons here. Both had a great combo of durability,blitz pickup, clutch ability, and ability in between the tackles with woody being slightly more explosive.

All the others except lewis lacked at least the ability in between the tackles, and lewis thus far hasnt had the durability.