opinion on dillon going into 07

[koolaid23]

from what i heard, they are installing more zone blocking which is what maroney has had experience with in minnesota. i dont think we need a big bruising back. if you remember, in the first half of the year maroney had no problem punching it in from the goal line. i mean look at guys like LT, Gore, Portis, Parker, or Marion Barber, none of these guys are big bruising guys, but they get the job done..goal line or not. and with the way kevin jones could be out until mid season, i could see dillon being a perfect plug in for them until/if he gets healthy. mix that with 2 first round picks, a trade and little bit of fantasy land, i can see us staring at calvin johnson at the 2 spot....then i wake up.

 

[Kdo5]

How old is he? Turning 31? Or is he 31? Thats not too old especially since he does not have to carry all of the load and he can be a goal line guy for us next year like he always has been. 13 TD's in a season is impressive, he could still score at least 10 if he comes back. Its pretty big having a few games when he scored 2 TD's and even 3 TD's as was the case in the game against the Lions. I want him to return very much, maybe a pay cut should happen though.

 

[satz]

I am disappointed that even though dillion got 24 more carries how most of the long freaking long runs have been dillion`s .

please i would love an explanation on how a goalline back is having all this long runs....dispel my ignorance.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

How old is he? Turning 31? Or is he 31? Thats not too old especially since he does not have to carry all of the load and he can be a goal line guy for us next year like he always has been. 13 TD's in a season is impressive, he could still score at least 10 if he comes back. Its pretty big having a few games when he scored 2 TD's and even 3 TD's as was the case in the game against the Lions. I want him to return very much, maybe a pay cut should happen though.

Dillon's 32, and will be 33 in October. But we have not had that much of a dropoff in his regard, and his battering ram capabilities are doing just fine. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry, and scored 13 rushing touchdowns (his highest total in his career.)

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1681

He's had better years, and he is unlikely to return to the form that saw him reeling off long runs regularly, as he did in 2004. I do use the word "unlikely" advisedly, however, and I do not use the word "impossible."

I see value in transitioning from one featured back - Dillon - to another (Maroney.) In the process, our 2007 backfield was the most effective we've ever had. Time does not stand still, but I see a future in which Maroney takes over from Dillon, not a future in which we permanently install a goal-line back.

PFnV

 

[Brady'sButtBoy]

Yeah, Dillon was a contributor but forming expectations for next season based on his performance this year overlooks the truth that older players, especially running backs, most often lose all of their skills very, very quickly; that's why there aren't a bunch of 33 year old backs hanging around the league even for goal line duty. Dillon's speed was diminished this year and his days of juking defenders appeared long gone.

I agree with the poster who pointed out that the Pats really overpaid for Dillon two years ago, but now they are hung with it. Though BB surprises me often, I can hardly conceive of Dillon being paid $4.4mil for next season. Dillon restructures or he's gone. He'd cost the Pats about $2mil in dead money (according to figures I've read) but we should be able to sign a darn good younger and faster FA RB for the balance of $2.4mil, or pay the the bonus and salary of late second round draft pick. The second year of dead money would fall under another likely raise in cap limits easing the pain of that hit.

I love Dillon but he's at the very end of the line, unless he's the Satchel Paige of football.

 

[Kdo5]

Yeah, Dillon was a contributor but forming expectations for next season based on his performance this year overlooks the truth that older players, especially running backs, most often lose all of their skills very, very quickly; that's why there aren't a bunch of 33 year old backs hanging around the league even for goal line duty. Dillon's speed was diminished this year and his days of juking defenders appeared long gone.

I agree with the poster who pointed out that the Pats really overpaid for Dillon two years ago, but now they are hung with it. Though BB surprises me often, I can hardly conceive of Dillon being paid $4.4mil for next season. Dillon restructures or he's gone. He'd cost the Pats about $2mil in dead money (according to figures I've read) but we should be able to sign a darn good younger and faster FA RB for the balance of $2.4mil, or pay the the bonus and salary of late second round draft pick. The second year of dead money would fall under another likely raise in cap limits easing the pain of that hit.

I love Dillon but he's at the very end of the line, unless he's the Satchel Paige of football.

Is he really at the end of the line? He was still our best running back last year. If you have someone who can easily score 10-12 TD's than I'd say he is still a good contributer. A pay cut is needed but I still would like him to return for another season. And really, Dillon made the biggest plays from scrimmage of all the RB's and problably some of the recievers too. He had a few 20+ yarders and some catches that went for very long, one was like 50 yards on a catch and run. I think he still has another year left in him for sure.

Maroney was good but not great. Another year splitting carries with Dillon or even a new RB would be good. Whether it had to do with bad blocking or injuries to Maroney or combined I would like to see more consistancy from him before we stick him as the #1 RB and give him the majority of the carries.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I can agree that they might press him to restructure, and his cap hit really is getting up there.

I do not agree that they'll be out shopping for another running back, although I am constantly surprised by BB as well. Faulk is fine in his role - you could especially see it in the playoffs, when Dillon was hit or miss and Maroney was dead in the water. As for the role of 3rd down/goal line back, I don't expect the Pats to carry that guy -- they expect every back to make every run, and that's for a reason. You can only carry so many specialists. Heath Evans already does that for the Pats, to the extent they use a goal line/3rd down guy. The Pats are pretty well stacked at the position, despite opinion here to the contrary. I think opinion is to the contrary here, because Maroney had a so-so first year, in aggregate. I expect Maroney to be a capable featured back.

One exception I could see happening: I do not know how long the 'Skins signed TJ Duckett for, but he's now trapped on a roster with Ladell Betts having exploded in the absence of Clinton Portis. Duckett came into the league as a bruising tailback, and ended up as a goal line/3rd down vulture down on his luck.

Don't know much about what he'd cost, whether he's available, whether he's an undesireable in some way, whatever... but if all those factors sort out to the positive side of the ledger, he'd fit the role you're talking about, bringing that 3rd down/goal line skill set he shares with Heath Evans, as well as the potential to push for every-down duties. In that scenario, I think Heath goes bye-bye.

For now though, we have CD still chugging through defensive lines, and Maroney still learning at his no doubt soon to be surgically repaired knee. And behind that tandem we have an excellent change of pace man, and a good goal line/3rd down option... It looks like a case of creating a problem to fix it, rather than fixing a real problem.

PFnV

 

[zippo59]

I can agree that they might press him to restructure, and his cap hit really is getting up there.

I do not agree that they'll be out shopping for another running back, although I am constantly surprised by BB as well. Faulk is fine in his role - you could especially see it in the playoffs, when Dillon was hit or miss and Maroney was dead in the water. As for the role of 3rd down/goal line back, I don't expect the Pats to carry that guy -- they expect every back to make every run, and that's for a reason. You can only carry so many specialists. Heath Evans already does that for the Pats, to the extent they use a goal line/3rd down guy. The Pats are pretty well stacked at the position, despite opinion here to the contrary. I think opinion is to the contrary here, because Maroney had a so-so first year, in aggregate. I expect Maroney to be a capable featured back.

One exception I could see happening: I do not know how long the 'Skins signed TJ Duckett for, but he's now trapped on a roster with Ladell Betts having exploded in the absence of Clinton Portis. Duckett came into the league as a bruising tailback, and ended up as a goal line/3rd down vulture down on his luck.

Don't know much about what he'd cost, whether he's available, whether he's an undesireable in some way, whatever... but if all those factors sort out to the positive side of the ledger, he'd fit the role you're talking about, bringing that 3rd down/goal line skill set he shares with Heath Evans, as well as the potential to push for every-down duties. In that scenario, I think Heath goes bye-bye.

For now though, we have CD still chugging through defensive lines, and Maroney still learning at his no doubt soon to be surgically repaired knee. And behind that tandem we have an excellent change of pace man, and a good goal line/3rd down option... It looks like a case of creating a problem to fix it, rather than fixing a real problem.

PFnV

What do you mean? When did Maroney get a knee injury?

 

[koolaid23]

i dont see us drafting another back. i mean a 1st round pick has to get on the field. maroney needs 20-25 touches a game. we get some sort of a vertical threat and watch the 8-9 men in the box drop to 6-7 real fast, especially with brady slinging it. if that happens then maroney can be a top 5 back. he can take it the distance from wherever. i love dillon but 33 is 33. you dont draft someone in the 1st round to share carries with anyone. you expect him to make all the plays.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

What do you mean? When did Maroney get a knee injury?

No no no. Just playing with the phrase "learning at [a mentor's] knee." If this were real injury news, the "his" in that sentence would mean Dillon's. It is not, in fact, real injury news, just a reference to Dillon's age and the mentoring relationship.

PFnV