Crying over spilled milk: should've drafted DeMarco Murray over Ridley or Vereen

And one thing I'll add is that a RB isn't worth anything if he's not healthy for the playoffs. And right now Murray is 0/1 on being healthy at the end of the year.

My guess for why the Pats preferred Shane Vereen over DeMarco Murray, and/or did not properly evaluate the necessity to trade up from the Stevan Ridley pick to nab him:

DeMarco Murray played in a college spread offense. Shane Vereen played in Tedford's pro-style offense, and Stevan Ridley was the battering ram in LSU's power running system.

Do you think Belichick might have disvalued Murray's tape because he was constantly running against five and six in the box? I do.

Vereen has all the tools to be the next Ray Rice, very similar in the way they play the game.

Murray has Shawn-Crable-chicken-legs. Before we cry over it, let's see if he can play a full healthy season.

So after reading the responses on this thread, the lot of you guys still prefer Vereen/Ridley over Murray even with hindsight?

Murray had a good game. One game does not make a season. Not ready to put him in the Hall of Fame just yet.

shmessy said:

Let us take this moment to remind the OP of the patently obvious - - that even the Greatest QB in History could be passed over 198 times in a draft (including 6 times by the team that finally took him).

Click to expand...

Sorry but this is an inaccurate analogy. It would only be genuine if every team drafted TWO QBs before Brady went.

The OP is saying that this is particularly upsetting him because BB drafted 2 RBs - its not like he just passed over the Sooner but he actually went in another direction twice.

jbb9s said:

Sorry but this is an inaccurate analogy. It would only be genuine if every team drafted TWO QBs before Brady went.

The OP is saying that this is particularly upsetting him because BB drafted 2 RBs - its not like he just passed over the Sooner but he actually went in another direction twice.

Click to expand...

Again, this is simply untrue. Murray was drafted before Ridley. One more time: Murray was drafted BEFORE Ridley.

So let's talk about the actual decision, which was Vereen vs. Murray in the 2nd round. The overwhelming factor in Vereen's favor was durability. Vereen never missed a game due to injury in his entire college career. (See how hard it is to have 20/20 foresight?)

Murray had struggled with: a dislocated kneecap, a ruptured hamstring, a sprained ankle, turf toe and more. He had a far worse injury history than the much-maligned Ras-I Dowling. And sure enough, he ended his rookie season on IR. (Can you imagine the reaction on this board last season if they actually had spend 2nds on both Dowling and Murray, as you feel they should have, when BOTH of those injury machines ended up on IR?)

But now Murray has had a whopping one good NFL game, and a few posters here are pronouncing that the Patriots not only "made a mistake," but that it was a glaringly obvious mistake and inexcusable. This is the very worst kind of hindsight.

Avenger said:

Vereen has all the tools to be the next Ray Rice, very similar in the way they play the game.

Click to expand...

erm not really...they're pretty much two completely different backs...Vereen is much more of a speedy quick back (in the mold of a Sproles) while Rice is a bowling ball like MJD.

Spergon Wynn said:

erm not really...they're pretty much two completely different backs...Vereen is much more of a speedy quick back (in the mold of a Sproles) while Rice is a bowling ball like MJD.

Click to expand...

They have the same stature, within an inch of each other in height and within five pounds of each others weight. Vereen did the best out of all the running backs at the combine in the bench press too so he has the strength. They both have home run speed, and both are threats running and receiving. Strong enough to run inside fast enough to run outside.

Vereen and Rice are completely different? I'm not sure how you got that. They aren't the same, but more similar than different. I thought Vereen looked fairly good running inside this preseason, despite horrific blocking. He just needs to get over this injury bug he's had the last two years.

condon84 said:

So after reading the responses on this thread, the lot of you guys still prefer Vereen/Ridley over Murray even with hindsight?

Click to expand...

Where is the hindsight at? This is the beginning of the season, no?

Wait until the end of the year to have a better hindsight.

condon84 said:

So after reading the responses on this thread, the lot of you guys still prefer Vereen/Ridley over Murray even with hindsight?

Click to expand...

I don't think it's a matter of preference, but just an argument against an unrealistic standard being levied against the decision to draft Vereen over Murray. Murray may end up the better player, he may not, but the vitriol with which the OP railed against the Pats front office is unjustified. That's the point being made here.

Sicilian said:

All I can think of is "water under the bridge", but no idea if I'm right.

Click to expand...

To me that picture represents opening the flood gates, but I don't know if that is in reference to his saying you're crying, he's crying too (you made him open the flood gates), or your bringing it up is only going to lead to a mass cry fest....one of the three, I think.


Back to lurking....lol

Sicilian said:

I don't think it's a matter of preference, but just an argument against an unrealistic standard being levied against the decision to draft Vereen over Murray. Murray may end up the better player, he may not, but the vitriol with which the OP railed against the Pats front office is unjustified. That's the point being made here.

Click to expand...

Exactly. Draft DECISIONS and draft OUTCOMES are not the same thing. The OP is looking at a (very incomplete) outcome and demanding that Patriots personnel staff should be fired for the decision -- ignoring the info available on draft day in favor of pure hindsight.

patchick said:

Again, this is simply untrue. Murray was drafted before Ridley. One more time: Murray was drafted BEFORE Ridley.

So let's talk about the actual decision, which was Vereen vs. Murray in the 2nd round. The overwhelming factor in Vereen's favor was durability. Vereen never missed a game due to injury in his entire college career. (See how hard it is to have 20/20 foresight?)

Murray had struggled with: a dislocated kneecap, a ruptured hamstring, a sprained ankle, turf toe and more. He had a far worse injury history than the much-maligned Ras-I Dowling. And sure enough, he ended his rookie season on IR. (Can you imagine the reaction on this board last season if they actually had spend 2nds on both Dowling and Murray, as you feel they should have, when BOTH of those injury machines ended up on IR?)

But now Murray has had a whopping one good NFL game, and a few posters here are pronouncing that the Patriots not only "made a mistake," but that it was a glaringly obvious mistake and inexcusable. This is the very worst kind of hindsight.

Click to expand...

But Murray had a good game on National TV. Surely fans are allowed to then say they knew we should have drafted him, and go look up where to aim the criticism.
Imagine if Dez Bryant has Ogletree's game that night?

Peter Pat said:

I know I have written this before, and I know there is nothing the Pats can do about this now, and this is just bringing up the past.

But.....

How can the Pats scouting department and BB, look at Steven Ridley and Shane Vareen, and think either one was a better prospect than Demarco Murray. This screw up cannot be overlooked. can you imagine the dimension he would have brought to the Pats offense.

When you watch him run, and you watch Ridley run, I can't help but ask the Pats, what were you thinking!!!!, and saying that over and over again. There is no excuse for such a lapse in scouting judgement. I mean this was a no brainer, one guy is clearly superior to the other two guys in every facet of the game. he must of scored low on a Wonderlic test or something.

Can some reporter ask the Pats what they saw in the 2 backs they have chosen over Murray? ,and also outside of BB if the person or people who help make the call, were fired, or at least reprimanded by the team.

Click to expand...

Sunday September 8, 2012, 3:50pm EST.

Any more questions, genius?

Oh man, bet the OP wishes he had this one back.

Bella*chick said:

Oh man, bet the OP wishes he had this one back.

Click to expand...

The awesomeness of this post has taken new meaning at this point.

Bella*chick said:

Oh man, bet the OP wishes he had this one back.

Click to expand...

Couldn't answer that question after one game, maybe not even after another season.

One thing for sure, is that the Pats won't need Ridley as much as the Cowboys will need Murray this year, so stats won't tell the story.