Is Corey Dillon too old and washed up?

[PATSNUTme]

All during the later part of the season last year and most of the off season we have been hearing and seeing comments that Corey may be washed up.

He did not have a very good year last year and everyone knows it. That includes the people who put together the ranking of the NFL running backs for Pro Football Weekly.

Once again , I will post from Pro Football Weekly's NFL 2006 Preview issue who has Corey ranked as the 9th best running back in the NFL.

Personally , I think Corey is going to have an excellent year. He will provide us wil the power running and blitz pickup as he has in the past. I do think that he has lost that break away speed but I would hate to be on the recieving end of his stiff arm.

With Maroney, it will give us a RB combo that we haven't seen for years. It will make Tom's play action even more affective.

Does anyone, except trolls, disagree with his being ranked so high?

 

[ghostPatsfan]

I don't have a problem with that ranking. It's kind of tough. I mean, the last time he played a full season (well, full minus one) he ran for over 1,600 yards. Last year he was hurt. Would he have duplicated another 1,600 yard season if healthy? Was the reason for injuries in fact his age and not just normal wear and tear?

I honestly don't know. I have no earthly idea what to expect from Corey this year. I'd expect a 1,400 yard season no more or less than an 8 game, 600 yard season.

One thing we all know, even the greatest running backs reach an age where the drop off in production is jarring in regards to past performance. Is Corey at the crest of the hill? On the downside already? The proof will be in the pudding this year.

 

[flutie2phelan]

Sure hope you're correct.

But an affirmative answer to your question ... cannot yet be excluded.
At WORST, a dilapated Dillon should be better than Antowain.

 

[CrazyDave]

Sure hope you're correct.

But an affirmative answer to your question ... cannot yet be excluded.
At WORST, a dilapated Dillon should be better than Antowain.

Dilapadated? Damn! What a word. lol
If CD could hear you.

 

[patsox23]

I'd like at least one more year of watching Corey punish people. It was a joy watching that in 2004.

 

[Remix 6]

ranked 9 is too high in my opinion. you got guys like LT, LJ, Portis, Barber, Edge,Brown, Williams and so many more. Hes a top 15-17 RB. Obviously not what he was but not washd up as much as people think. I think he'll come back with a strong 1200 yard year and 10-14 TDs

 

[BradyManny]

Keep in mind Corey's season before he came to us...

Games 13
Attempts 138
Yards 541
YPC 3.9

Very similar, also injury plagued. He bounced back for 1600 yards, I think he can bounce back again in a similar fashion. Maroney is going to be a big help to Dillon. The two will work together real nicely.

 

[CrazyDave]

I'd like at least one more year of watching Corey punish people. It was a joy watching that in 2004.

I could'nt agree more.

 

[spacecrime]

ranked 9 is too high in my opinion.

In 2004 he came with 60 yards of winning the NFL rushing title. And he only played 15 games.

Last year he was hurt. Do you think his injury was permanent?

If not, then he still should be up there in the top ten.

 

[Remix 6]

i think with Maroney here..it will take some of his carries away..hes not as young as he was before he came here and bounced back from an injury to get 1600 yards. 1600 yards is a real hard task but i see anywhere from 1150-1300 yards .

 

[miDeuce]

I think Maroney's presence will give Corey another 2 years of solid production. Not only to push him but to keep him from having to carry the ball 25 times a game. And from a team standpoint, Maroney will be a much better change of pace back than Faulk, (who lost the "fumble that ended the dynasty" according to NFL Films recap of the playoff loss) so that will help Dillon as well.

 

[Brady'sButtBoy]

To answer the question - Yes.

Maroney is the first running back drafted by BB higher than what, the sixth round? So BB suddenly takes a 1ST ROUND RB to back up Dillon? Makes sense to me...

How many RB's in recent memory have reversed a steep decline in performance after age 30, let alone 32? Virtually none, except a HOF'er like Q-Mart. No amount of Corey's effort will turn back the hands of time.

Dillon lost significant playing due to injuries for the first time in his career in 2006. This kind of trend almost always acclerates in aging players.

If Dillon gets 800 yds it will be a victory for him and the team.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Unknowns:
Whether Corey can bounce back close to 2004 form. (He could, conceivably, have 3 good years left... he could, conceivably, know deep in his bones the answer in 3 months is gonna be, "now, mf, who's dilapidated now?" It could just be a matter of time.

We could also have already seen the last of his 1000-yard seasons.

Knowns:
We (likely) have the best running back college football could produce in 2006, with the exception of Reggie Bush (a once-a-decade aberration.) We definitely have the best one by the Patriots' reckoning, with the exception, of course, of the aberrent Bush.

In other words, Maroney's a great insurance policy, and God willing, will have a small role because CD doesn't give him a chance to take more than 5-10 carries a game throughout this season (and the next.)

Sure, in terms of individual numbers, this "hurts" CD, unless of course we are counting the NUMBER of rings he's got. CD came to the Pats because he understood that concept -- do what the team needs to get the ring -- and was sick of seeing his stats pile up to no avail in Cinci. He's also taken a great attitude about mentoring (and of course I love that he used "schmuck" twice in the interview, even if it did get USA-Todayized into "[jerk]" somewhere along the way.)

I can't rank CD, to give you a real answer. I can, however, rank the Pats' running game... and I'd put it behind the amazing running teams like Denver, SD, and KC, but above the rest of the pack (i.e., no 20-TD backs, but the running game will do better than the field, after you take out the AFC West and Seattle factor.)

Happy camper here... now Corey, show us you're not ready to ride into the sunset, and I'll be that much happier. I can bear not opening up the new toy for another Christmas or two.

PFnV

 

[Mike the Brit]

Hard to disagree.

Remember the Buffalo game. Of course, he shouldn't have been playing (if he wasn't injured, would they have started Pass?). He came in when Pass went down and he ran hard. What's more, in line with Patriots policy not to discuss injuries, there wasn't the ego massage in front of the press afterwards that there would have been if he'd have been playing for Herm or **** Vermeil.

So here are four questions.

1. Does he have the desire? Yes

2. Is he still injured? No

3. Is he now more injury-prone? Possibly -- all running backs take hits. But Dillon hasn't been particularly fragile in the past.

4. Has he entered the down side of his career? Perhaps -- but last season is no evidence one way or the other.

 

[RayClay]

If he's washed up, the reason is he played on an ankle that should have been in a cast for six weeks to win games for your New England Patriots.

Doing this, he possibly critically injured his leg.

The other answer; He is greater than the ninth best if healthy.

He is pretty high on the list of all time great running backs. I don't know who else active is, (Faulk?).

A high ankle sprain isn't being "dinged up". It's a season ending injury.

 

[satz]

I understand RB is a hard position , but the man had 1 bad season where he played injured and is recovered.I give him the same chance i give rodney of jumping back , the same i gave for teddy .Unless they get in and play its all speculations which is worth absolutely nothing.

Dillion has 2-3 yrs left barring big injuries and a few back ups[maroney is a rookie so i will not count him this year] .faulk ,pass and evans ingood health should hold the fort and give us appx 2000yds at the RB position[Pats are a position team].

 

[PATSNUTme]

I really don't care how many yards Corey gets. I'm more concerned that he gives us the effective power running game. If he and Maroney can get 1800-2000 yards, then we will have a hell of an offense.

One of Corey's strong suits is blitz pickup. He does that better or as well as any back in the league.

 

[Patriotic]

I envision that by mid-season Corey becoming our Jerome Bettis, i e, third and one, goal line and 4th quarter clock killing. Running back is a position where a rookie can make an impact and Maroney appears to have the tools. And with an upgraded OL, lots of 2 TE sets and a shortage of proven WRs, both Maroney and Dillion will get a healthy amount of carries.

I'm aware this is a rosy scenario but Corey could give us a good 2/3 years in this role.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Threads like this make it clear that the media truly has done Corey Dillon a disservice by failing to make clear that he was playing injured last season.

If he had sat out nearly the entire 2005 season with an injury would we be questioning whether he was too old and washed up?

Of course not - we'd be expecting that once healthy he'd have similar production to 2004.

But since Dillon returned to play less than 100% (even though he earlier stated he would not do so) because the team needed him, everyone's now questioning whether he's too old and washed up.

The media, knowing they've got lots of fodder for stories on that very subject, is content to let that question hang in the wind rather than remind fans that he played on only one good ankle for most of last year, and could not cut to the left, giving defenses a significant upper hand against him.

Even some of the "better educated" fans on this board and on this thread don't seem to realize that he played injured last year.

Ultimately, there's no telling what kind of a seson Dillon's going to have - but the fact that we don't see threads titled "Is Rodney Harrison too old and washed up?" or "Is Matt Light too old and washed up?" tells me that lots of people aren't up to speed on Dillon's situation.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Threads like this make it clear that the media truly has done Corey Dillon a disservice by failing to make clear that he was playing injured last season.

If he had sat out nearly the entire 2005 season with an injury would we be questioning whether he was too old and washed up?

Of course not - we'd be expecting that once healthy he'd have similar production to 2004.

But since Dillon returned to play less than 100% (even though he earlier stated he would not do so) because the team needed him, everyone's now questioning whether he's too old and washed up.

The media, knowing they've got lots of fodder for stories on that very subject, is content to let that question hang in the wind rather than remind fans that he played on only one good ankle for most of last year, and could not cut to the left, giving defenses a significant upper hand against him.

Even some of the "better educated" fans on this board and on this thread don't seem to realize that he played injured last year.

Ultimately, there's no telling what kind of a seson Dillon's going to have - but the fact that we don't see threads titled "Is Rodney Harrison too old and washed up?" or "Is Matt Light too old and washed up?" tells me that lots of people aren't up to speed on Dillon's situation.

The thread title was made to stick it in the eye of those who have said those things.

The fact is that Pro Football Weekly ranked him #9 of the 30 running backs that they ranked. This is in spite of the sub par year that he had last year ( injuries and a patchwork OL for most of the season).

So, in their opinion and in my opinion, Corey is not too old and not washed up.