People will laugh, but I don’t give a damn. I’ve been saying this for weeks now. We need Shelton to come back motivated & play at a high level. Let’s be pragmatic. A few reasons:
1) Depth - We simply don’t have many options at the position, and NOBODY with his size. Yes, HE HAS SUCKED BALLS ALL YEAR. No denying that. I get it. However, he’s still 6’2 345lbs of man. A space eater, which is ESSENTIAL to BB’s DEF. He is what he is. A healthy rotation of run stoppers are crucial in the playoffs. To be frank, Brown has been as bad or worse than Shelton. Look at the film.
2) Simple Math- The Patriots have allowed more yards per carry since Week 13 — an astounding 7.64 — than in any three-game stretch
since the franchise’s inception in 1960. That mark also is the fourth-worst by any NFL team since the merger. Horrific. It was bad enough when Shelton did play, but this is just flat out debilitating. On a “brighter note” NE has only allowed 7 rushing TDs all year; second only to CHI (5). With Shelton, NE “only” surrendered 4.03 YPR; which is right around league average. Ask yourself; do we want to give up 8 YPR or 4YPR??? You do the math....
3) Motivation- Not sure when/if Shelton will get out of BB’s doghouse, but he’s got to be motivated ala Branch in 2016. Whether it be gameplan, lack of being in football shape, execution etc, I’m sure he is itching to get back out on the field & contribute. I know he hasn’t played well at all, but he’s still a NEP. I’d like to see him execute, play at a high level and help the team win. Dominating wouldn’t be so bad either
Again, Shelton alone isn’t the entire answer, but he helps in regards to interior run defense. Outside zone runs & sweeps are a different beast. We’ll just have to rely on scheme, execution and leverage at that point. Wonder if Obi is ahead of the curve (or at least on track) to help cover some of those sweeps and outside runs that we struggle to cover. His speed would certainly help, but only if he knows what he’s supposed to be doing on the field.
Danny Shelton Needs To Get Back On the Field - Last Word on Pro Football
