Dividends on MICHEL pick starting to pay off EDIT: paid off

[Soliel]

I think i'm ready to drop my belief that Nick Chubb would have been better for this football team than Sony.

I’m dropping my doubts about him as he has looked either elite or close to elite all year and he’s a rookie. I’ve been happy as well with the overall run game 300 percent improved over the course of the year

 

[RayClay]

I always liked him, he just missed some time and was tentative due to injuries. Also loved Lewis but, let's face it, he's too small to be a feature back, plus we have White. We pick at the bottom of the 1st, not the top. Anytime we get a premium talent there, we're doing well.

 

[Coolade2]

Lamah...!!! He's a futah hall of famah..!! He's wicked pissah outside the pokket. and has seveeely quik feet. Yah but who caehs .? It's just a frickin draft pick.

 

[TheRazorsEdge]

It really goes without saying the line and tightends did a wonderful job yesterday. I mean the success of this 2018/19 Patriots run game starts at the Patriots paying Shaq Mason. That was the biggest tipping point to me anyway...that change was coming in offensive philosophy (that and the fact that they invested in the position with keeping Rex around , Keeping Dwayne Allen and signing Jeremy Hill).

With that said...and this is something the mediots from planet felgey and mazz fail to ever talk about when discussing him. Is his ability to find the smallest of creases and exploiting it for extra ydg.. I cant tell you how many times yesterday and this season in general Ive seen him split 2 would be tacklers and finding a lane for an extra 5+yds. Its amazing.

To think hes only going to get stronger is something else... We should be ecstatic.

 

[RIpats88]

Michel might just be the most important player this AFCCG. If he can run like he did against the chargers it will keep Mahomes off the field and allow brady to utilize play action.

 

[varjao]

He also seems like a good kid who says all the right things. For me the pick is already successful, he's helped us win so many games this season.

 

[50-yard-line]

When they drafted Michel, i was ecstatic. i watched every Georgia game I could just to watch that two-headed monster of Chubb and Michel rumble, and I liked Michel more for this offense.

I said when they drafted him that he'd be the best back NE had since Curtis Martin. I've seen nothing yet to make me doubt that. Watch him next year when the game around him gets even slower

 

[TheRazorsEdge]

Was equally as excited. The kid has IT.

When they drafted Michel, i was ecstatic. i watched every Georgia game I could just to watch that two-headed monster of Chubb and Michel rumble, and I liked Michel more for this offense.

I said when they drafted him that he'd be the best back NE had since Curtis Martin. I've seen nothing yet to make me doubt that. Watch him next year when the game around him gets even slower

 

[Coolade2]

When they drafted Michel, i was ecstatic. i watched every Georgia game I could just to watch that two-headed monster of Chubb and Michel rumble, and I liked Michel more for this offense.

I said when they drafted him that he'd be the best back NE had since Curtis Martin. I've seen nothing yet to make me doubt that. Watch him next year when the game around him gets even slower

This week was his best game, not just stats but he was rested healthy, and showed his best stuff. Cutting, speed and power. You like to think he did more than some other Joe would have with the same blocking. (Dimwitted negative felgah theory)...

 

[Patriot Missile]

When they drafted Michel, i was ecstatic. i watched every Georgia game I could just to watch that two-headed monster of Chubb and Michel rumble, and I liked Michel more for this offense.

I said when they drafted him that he'd be the best back NE had since Curtis Martin. I've seen nothing yet to make me doubt that. Watch him next year when the game around him gets even slower

Best back they’ve drafted or the best back they’ve had since Curtis Martin?

Corey Dillon was a ****ing a beast.

Michel is on his way to being something great. How many 20+ yard runs did he have called back because of penalties? Seemed like a fair share.

 

[Wheelman]

Sony has some really good runs, showed good patience and vision.

That's what stands out the most about Sony watching him this season. It's awesome to see!

 

[Wheelman]

OT but still:
Pats drafted Bentley #143. Lots of football to play before “judging“ any of those picks. I like the Bentley pick quite a bit and would actually trust him more in January football than Leonard. Have you seen Leonard in KC game?

Here a play where he gets thrown away from the play like a feather for an easy TD (#53):



Here his overall performance vs KC run:




He had a nice rookie season . but if Pats starting LBs would have a game like that people here would want their head..

Holy crap that was bad! He would have got benched right away for that and if he kept doing that he would be inactive, cut or only play on passing downs.

I also remember another play I saw on a highlight where leonard looked completely lost not knowing who had the ball.

Edit: Not even halfway through the 2nd video and he looks lost on a few more plays. Like he can't see or something. He looks even worse than the chargers DB did against us out there on those few plays where he looks lost.

Edit 2: Holy crap Holy crap Holy ****ing crap!

It took me halfway to find one good play by Leonard where he shot the gap but wasn't strong enough to make it no gain so the chiefs converted on 4th and inches.
But the rest of the plays he wants to play handsies with any o lineman because if the o-lineman engages he can't get off. So he ends up being pushed down the field playing handsies or while enagaged. He freaking made Travis Kelce the wide receiver who can't block look like a blocking tight end on a play.

Every tackle he's making is like 5 yards down the field.

Somebody needs to find out how far down the field his tackles have been. This guy would get benched or cut so fast by BB. Definitely not a BB type linebacker. Can't hold or shed a o-lineman. He's ****ing bad. He does not deserve to be all-pro. Holy ****ing crap. Pro bowl actually got it right not having him. Overrated so badly. He's making his tackles downfield. It don't mean jack.

This is a bad football player, but I also think maybe some bad coaching too where on one play it looks like he's the outside contain guy and he over pursues inside and allows the blocker to get outside of him to block for the outside run.

Anybody who thinks Darius Leonard was a good pick needs to watch that 2nd video posted by long distance.

Holy ****ing crap he looks so bad in that video. So freaking bad.

Sorry for the long post, I couldn't freaking believe this ****. Not all pro, not pro bowl caliber. Maybe a good coverage LB? I don't know, would have to watch more.

 

[maineman209]

It really goes without saying the line and tightends did a wonderful job yesterday. I mean the success of this 2018/19 Patriots run game starts at the Patriots paying Shaq Mason. That was the biggest tipping point to me anyway...that change was coming in offensive philosophy (that and the fact that they invested in the position with keeping Rex around , Keeping Dwayne Allen and signing Jeremy Hill).

With that said...and this is something the mediots from planet felgey and mazz fail to ever talk about when discussing him. Is his ability to find the smallest of creases and exploiting it for extra ydg.. I cant tell you how many times yesterday and this season in general Ive seen him split 2 would be tacklers and finding a lane for an extra 5+yds. Its amazing.

To think hes only going to get stronger is something else... We should be ecstatic.

David Andrews, too.

Baldy has some cut-ups of Gronk's blocking yesterday, with a couple asides praising Andrews. It's often difficult to see how much Andrews does for running plays on the TV broadcast, because he's so far downfield trucking defenders out of the camera shot.

BTW - Gronk's blocking is even more amazing when viewed in isolations. But what's really cool is seeing how much fun he's having with blasting guys like Ingram and Bosa right out of the play. You really don't often see TEs fist-pumping after making a great block on a DE.

 

[SBLIII]

Great take. I was a big fan of the Bentley pick and think he will be a huge boost to the LB group when he is able to take the field next season.

Bentley is a beast. Christian Sam could also be good for depth. Dawson should contribute in 2019.

That's why I think we are going to be very good next year. I know if we lose this Sunday everyone will declare our demise but I'm pretty confident we will be better in 2019 than we are this year.

You draft/sign FA at primarily WR, TE and DL and the team will be strong.

 

[primetime]

I wasn't a fan of drafting Michel where we did. I'm still not sure I like taking a RB there - in a deep RB class - but I will admit I'm really enjoying Michel on the team.

This is how I feel. I think drafting a running back in the first round is a waste (and I think NFL teams focus on the run too much - many statisticians have found that running on first down is detrimental, for example, and quality of offensive line matters a lot more than the back), but I also think Sony's a very good runner and next year I think they're going to start trusting him as a receiver. He's on the team, can't take back the pick.

His best attribute is his intelligence with the ball in his hands. He doesn't have a top gear, nor is he an elite tackle breaker like Dion Lewis, but he knows how to get yards. The ultimate example of this was the touchdown run where he knew to head for the pylon rather than take on the safety, then keep the ball cradled as he dove to avoid a fumble turning into a touchback. I said this in the GDT but he reminds me of a guy like Fred Jackson or, as a ceiling, Curtis Martin. Backs who made their living for a long time on savvy. I also suspect the whole knee thing was bunk invented by noted failure Mike Lombardi.

I'm also very excited to see Wynn and Bentley next year. I think this is going to go down as a good draft when all is said and done, especially if you include JC Jackson as part of it.

 

[borg]

I'm reserving judgement on Sony for several reasons...

-Missed much of Training camp
-Missed 3 games
-had some stinker stat games
-had some great stat games
-has yet to be receiving threat
-worked behind makeshift OL at times

BB has to be thrilled that he can....
- trust this RB (1 fumble)
- lean on this rookie when the scheme calls for it
And I suspect coaches believe Sony will be able to expand his role next year and beyond

Hats off to Ivan Fears for....
- getting this kid up to speed so quickly
-limiting fumbles (1 in 209 carries in 2018 vs. 1 in every 54 carries at Georgia)

Some fans have attached the 1st round label on Sony (#31) and thus expect a tackle-busting franchise RB resembling Barkley (#2), Elliot (#4), Gurley (#10), Gordon (#15) but these body-type/talent/speed RBs almost always get snapped up long before NE drafts.
BB found what I will label the right RB for NE's system: Reliable, efficient, smart, talented...with hopefully much upside even after a great first season.

BB the economics major has to be thrilled with Sony's cost vs production as a rookie and going forward under his rookie contract. NE's starting RB will average $2.4 mill / year under his rookie deal.....Win on the field, Win in the cap game, allowing a deeper roster....BB's goal every year that pays dividends this time of year.

 

[Nunchucks]

I think it is lost that Sony had some really good runs, a couple for TDs and another to put the team in the red zone. These runs were phenomenal and if the team was passing the ball on those downs, could have resulted in incompletes or INTs.

When people say that Sony didn't do much, I look at that long run for the TD and wonder if they have really thought about his impact on the game on Sunday.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

Sony didn't even fumble that much by the end of college. The majority of his fumbles were earlier in his development as a player. By his last year, he only fumbled twice (losing one) in over 160 combined rushes and receptions. The fumble numbers look particularly bad because of the '15 season (5 fumbles on 219 carries and 26 receptions), but notice that he only lost one -- a lot of the fumbles were hits on the sidelines and the ball went out of bounds. He didn't necessarily fumble a lot from poor ball security in the field of play, and that's carried over to the pros. Tough to fault him for the fumble in the Bears game, anyway.





I suspect that if he'd been healthy for training camp and hadn't been injured against Chicago, he would have easily passed the 1000 mark, and may have had a 1200 yard season. Regardless of the raw numbers, he's been a largely reliable, efficient running back who keeps the chains moving and can be leaned on for a heavy workload. I'll take that all day for the 31st overall pick. Could we do better? Sure! Could we do a whole lot worse? Absolutely.

Just look at the next two rounds or so of players taken after Michel, and I think it's clear he's a very solid, safe pick. He may not have the upside of some of the other players, but we also avoided another Maroney or Chad Jackson.


Pick No. Team Player Position School

32 Ravens Lamar Jackson QB Louisville

33 Browns Austin Corbett OL Nevada
34 Giants Will Hernandez G UTEP
35 Browns Nick Chubb RB Georgia
36 Colts Darius Leonard LB South Carolina State
37 Colts Braden Smith G Auburn
38 Buccaneers Ronald Jones II RB USC
39 Bears James Daniels C Iowa
40 Broncos Courtland Sutton WR SMU
41 Titans Harold Landry OLB Boston College
42 Dolphins Mike Gesicki TE Penn State
43 Lions Kerryon Johnson RB Auburn
44 49ers Dante Pettis WR Washington
45 Packers Josh Jackson CB Iowa
46 Chiefs Breeland Speaks DL Ole Miss
47 Cardinals Christian Kirk WR Texas A&M
48 Chargers Uchenna Nwosu OLB USC
49 Eagles Dallas Goedert TE South Dakota State
50 Cowboys Connor Williams OL Texas
51 Bears Anthony Miller WR Memphis
52 Colts Kemoko Turay DE Rutgers
53 Buccaneers M.J. Stewart CB North Carolina
54 Bengals Jessie Bates III S Wake Forest
55 Panthers Donte Jackson CB LSU
56 Patriots Duke Dawson CB Florida
57 Raiders P.J. Hall DL Sam Houston State
58 Falcons Isaiah Oliver CB Colorado
59 Redskins Derrius Guice RB LSU
60 Steelers James Washington WR Oklahoma State
61 Jaguars D.J. Chark WR LSU
62 Vikings Brian O'Neill OT Pittsburgh
63 Buccaneers Carlton Davis CB Auburn
64 Colts Tyquan Lewis DE Ohio State

Pick No. Team Player Position School
65 Raiders Brandon Parker OT North Carolina A&T
66 Giants Lorenzo Carter OLB Georgia
67 Browns Chad Thomas DE Miami (Fla.)
68 Texans Justin Reid S Stanford
69 Giants B.J. Hill DT N.C. State
70 49ers Fred Warner LB BYU
71 Broncos Royce Freeman RB Oregon
72 Jets Nathan Shepherd DT Fort Hays State
73 Dolphins Jerome Baker LB Ohio State
74 Redskins Geron Christian OT Louisville
75 Chiefs Derrick Ndadi DT Florida State
76 Steelers Mason Rudolph QB Oklahoma State
77 Bengals Sam Hubbard DE Ohio State
78 Bengals Malik Jefferson OLB Texas
79 Seahawks Rasheem Green DE USC
80 Texans Martinas Rankin C Mississippi State
81 Cowboys Michael Gallup WR Colorado State
82 Lions Tracy Walker S Louisiana-Lafayette
83 Ravens Orlando Brown OT Oklahoma
84 Chargers Justin Jones DT N.C. State
85 Panthers Rashaan Gaulden CB Tennessee
86 Ravens Mark Andrews TE Oklahoma
87 Raiders Arden Key DE LSU
88 Packers Oren Burks OLB Vanderbilt
89 Rams Joe Noteboom OT TCU
90 Falcons Deadrin Senat DT South Florida
91 Saints Tre'Quan Smith WR UCF
92 Steelers Chukwuma Okorafor OT Western Michigan
93 Jaguars Ronnie Harrison S Alabama
94 Buccaneers Alex Cappa OT Humboldt State
95 49ers Tarvarius Moore S Southern Miss
96 Bills Harrison Phillips DT Stanford
97 Cardinals Mason Cole C Michigan
98 Texans Jordan Akins TE UCF
99 Broncos Isaac Yiadom CB Boston College
100 Chiefs Dorian O'Daniel OLB Clemson

 

[Soliel]

The thing I see with Sony is a legit and at least approaching elite threat. His impact on many games was not so much as the playoffs. That said, the performance was system related so he’s like just another one of those system guys who actually can’t play worth a damn but the system makes them seem as though they can. It’s bizzare! Lol

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Everybody shup w/your logic + your reservations, Sony Michel had a really good game and is a patient runner and is officially now Priest Holmes c. 2005 until proven different.