Two Major Issues Have Been Solved

[Jangles]

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Are you unaware that the subject of this thread is that the issue of Running Back and NT have been solved?

That's not moving the goalposts. That's you lacking any sort of comprehension of what's being discussed.

 

[RayClay]

Still doesn't make Bolden into Gillislee's "near-equivalent" at RB.

Anyway, in 2016, Slater had 52 snaps at WR, and Bolden had 13 at RB. In 2017, that was more or less reversed - but then, Slater missed nearly half the games with a bad hammy.

When you're comparing Bolden and Gillislie as a big back, you know you haven't solved anything.

 

[Joey007]

If we sign Asanthe Cleveland, we’ll have three major issues solved.

The 4th string, “one catch all season” TE role has been seriously lacking since Lengel left.

 

[RayClay]

And then there's BGE, Blount (when he first came to the team), Bolden (in his first two seasons), Sammy Morris (when Maroney was lost to IR in 2008) ...

And Gillislee, when Burkhead suffered his rib injury while Lewis was still rounding into form during the first few games of 2017.

Thanks for making my point. Obviously Blount turned into a top back here, in fact he would instantly be our top back now, if he came back. Nice to be versatile, but there's a reason you ned to force yourself out of the middling category. And you forgot Mike Cloud.

 

[tasmlab]

Gill Develin and Bolden are all below average runners. White is a pass catcher..

We need to find a down hill threat at RB

Blount? Seems to collect super bowl rings every where he goes.

 

[mgteich]

If we sign Asanthe Cleveland, we’ll have three major issues solved.

The 4th string, “one catch all season” TE role has been seriously lacking since Lengel left.

Cleveland would be a replacement for Hollister or even Allan. He might be just camp fodder and inexpensive insurance. If we cut Allan, I think it likely that we sign or trade for another TE. Thus we would replace Allan and Hollister with Cleveland another, and save a bit of cap room. Also, as I recall, Cleveland is a 3rd TE is jump sets. We need someone for that role if Fleming isn't re-signed.

Finally, signing bottom of the roster players isn't sexy. However, such transactions shouldn't be avoided just because fans want Belichick to spend $8M on a starter whose name we recognize.

 

[maineman209]

Are you unaware that the subject of this thread is that the issue of Running Back and NT have been solved?

That's not moving the goalposts. That's you lacking any sort of comprehension of what's being discussed.

Okay. I'm confused.

 

[Ivan]

Blount? Seems to collect super bowl rings every where he goes.

Most here complained long and loud about Blount when he was here.

 

[Wozzy]

Still doesn't make Bolden into Gillislee's "near-equivalent" at RB.

Anyway, in 2016, Slater had 52 snaps at WR, and Bolden had 13 at RB. In 2017, that was more or less reversed - but then, Slater missed nearly half the games with a bad hammy.

Gillislee was handed the starting job out of camp, was given every opportunity to be the man... he couldn't take it and run with it.

 

[Tony2046]

Are you unaware that the subject of this thread is that the issue of Running Back and NT have been solved?

That's not moving the goalposts. That's you lacking any sort of comprehension of what's being discussed.

OK. Gotcha.

Signing a NT doesn't solve our running back problem. And signing a Running Back doesn't solve our NT problem.

Therefor no issues were solved.

 

[mgteich]

Gillislee was handed the starting job out of camp, was given every opportunity to be the man... he couldn't take it and run with it.

Yes, Gillislie was expected to start. Lewis and Bulkhead beat him out. They showed that they are better players. It doesn't mean that Gillislie isn't capable of starting. It simply means that Lewis and Bulkhead were more capable.

We are team that has a 3 RB rotation (or 3 roles, depending on how you want to look at it). So, 3 are active, and the 4th is inactive. We could have had a player was capable of bing one of the three.

Alternatively, Belichick may have decided that Gillislie just can't cut it, in which case hw will be replaced, perhaps even in the next couple of days.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

Absolutely correct....but talk about a rule honored in the breach......

I consider many member friends however I may never meet them.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

Yes it will look different. I think it may show in the win Collumn too

To be determined.

 

[Wozzy]

Yes, Gillislie was expected to start. Lewis and Bulkhead beat him out. They showed that they are better players. It doesn't mean that Gillislie isn't capable of starting. It simply means that Lewis and Bulkhead were more capable.

We are team that has a 3 RB rotation (or 3 roles, depending on how you want to look at it). So, 3 are active, and the 4th is inactive. We could have had a player was capable of bing one of the three.

Alternatively, Belichick may have decided that Gillislie just can't cut it, in which case hw will be replaced, perhaps even in the next couple of days.

It tells you what the team thinks of him, he was the last guy in the rotation and only played due to injuries to everyone in front of him.

IMO we can do better with a value vet, a draft pick or even UDFA. Gillislee is too one dimensional, he can't catch like a receiver therefore telegraphs run whenever he's out there.

 

[maineman209]

When you're comparing Bolden and Gillislie as a big back, you know you haven't solved anything.

I was responding to a post that contended that Bolden was roughly the equivalent of Gillislee.

I contend that Bolden is a core special-teamer (first and foremost) and a dire-emergency reserve RB (as Slater is for WR). As a core special-teamer, Bolden (like Slater) will be active every week that he's healthy , regardless of his "prowess" (or lack thereof) at RB.

I contend, also, that Gillislee was (in 2017) the #4/bench-reserve RB, and that one of the four "real" RBs will be inactive every week, regardless how good (or not) they all are.

As it stands, the RBBC consists of White, Burkhead and Gillislee. All of them are NFL-experienced and more than sufficiently competent to make solid contributions to the RBBC unit, each in their own way. The 2018 cap hits of White and Gillislee are very low compared to the 2018 cap hits created by the new contracts granted to most of the UFA RBs this season (we don't know about Burkhead's new contract yet).

That's a solid RB base to work from, and the unit has only one spot to fill. That's really the extent of the "problem" that currently needs to be solved, and it's not as big a problem as having two spots left to fill.

There are several ways in which filling that final spot that can be accomplished, and I think the odds are high that the Pats will try (or at least, investigate) all of them thoroughly. Whatever happens, whatever "new guy" ends up being selected for the final-53, because there's already a solid base in place, he won't need to immediately produce at the level that Lewis did for the last ~2/3rds of the 2017 season, nor should he be expected to.

 

[Joey007]

Freddy Taylor isn’t running though that door, and neither is Joey Galloway.

 

[maineman209]

If we sign Asanthe Cleveland, we’ll have three major issues solved.

The 4th string, “one catch all season” TE role has been seriously lacking since Lengel left.

LOL!

If the Pats sign Asante Cleveland, all it means is that they'll have a cheap, but NFL-experienced TE on the 90-man off-season roster who will be competing with Allen and Hollister (and whatever rookies are acquired) for the two TE spots behind Gronk on the final 53. No more, no less.

 

[Joey007]

LOL!

If the Pats sign Asante Cleveland, all it means is that they'll have a cheap, but NFL-experienced TE on the 90-man off-season roster who will be competing with Allen and Hollister (and whatever rookies are acquired) for the two TE spots behind Gronk on the final 53. No more, no less.

I don’t believe you.

 

[maineman209]

Yes, Gillislie was expected to start. Lewis and Bulkhead beat him out. They showed that they are better players. It doesn't mean that Gillislie isn't capable of starting. It simply means that Lewis and Bulkhead were more capable.

We are team that has a 3 RB rotation (or 3 roles, depending on how you want to look at it). So, 3 are active, and the 4th is inactive. We could have had a player was capable of bing one of the three.

Alternatively, Belichick may have decided that Gillislie just can't cut it, in which case hw will be replaced, perhaps even in the next couple of days.

Agree with 99%.

"... Gillislie was expected to start." was most certainly a fan expectation (mea culpa), and a media expectation. But it may not have been how the Pats coaches saw things at all. It's entirely possible that they had a much longer view of the situationand that things played out pretty much as they had expected (aside from injury interruptions).

 

[maineman209]

Gillislee was handed the starting job out of camp, was given every opportunity to be the man... he couldn't take it and run with it.

"Handed the starting job"? He had two "starts" all season.

Gillislee didn't even come close to seeing the majority of RB snaps in any game last season, including week-1 (when he got 3 TDs without even getting the majority of the carries).

He only saw the majority of the carries for a couple of games while Burkhead was out with his rib thing, but never saw the majority of RB touches. Even before Burkhead came back, Lewis had rounded into shape enough to begin taking the majority (or near majority) of the carries.

Frankly, I think Gillislee's biggest problem is that he failed to fulfill elevated fan expectations that may have been unwarranted in the first place.