Patriots sign Rex Burkhead

[Rdforty2]

You guys are nuts. No way in hell this guy is a lead back. He paid him more because of his versatility. Maybe he has taken his hatred of the RB position to the next level. But I would be shocked if even Bill went into a season with three third down backs.

This is why I say I think we're looking st a back in the draft to round out the group.

Burkhead is not a lead back imo. But, someone like Blount isn't coming here at 1/2 to 1/3 the money of his backup. And I don't think Bill is paying Blount $3mill.

So where do you get a potential lead back that is cheap and will accept earning his keep? The draft.

Burkhead may be forced into a certain amount of carries but we also get a youngster along with him to get carries when ready. If the kid isn't up to the task, at least we have Burkhead and the receivers. It's better than asking Bolden to have to step up.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Whether Burkhead or Blount is the lead back next year, hard to say that Brady will be playing with one arm tied behind his back. I think all the RB snaps will be open for competition in TC - White, Lewis, Burkhead, Blount (if back), Foster, ? draft pick - are all going to be competing.

Pats ran the ball 482 times last year. I expect a similar number.

If we want to try and guess how the carries are divided up...

Rex- 150
Lewis-100
White-50
Everone else- 70 (Brady, JE11, etc)

Unless they think Rex is a 250 carry guy, thats still 100+ carries to account for.

I do not think BB was happy with our trouble converting 3rd and 1's on the ground. Burkhead's advantage is that he is both a legitimate run and catch threat - a better runner than White or Lewis.

BB has said when the line blocks well Blount is very good.

These numbers show LG was decent on 3rd and <2

LeGarrette Blount

 

[FoxboroFlyer]

You guys are nuts. No way in hell this guy is a lead back. He paid him more because of his versatility. Maybe he has taken his hatred of the RB position to the next level. But I would be shocked if even Bill went into a season with three third down backs.

Dude you're delusional.
I'm not gonna argue, the contract speaks for itself.
The guy IS more than capable of being a lead back.

 

[Rdforty2]

Dude you're delusional.
I'm not gonna argue, the contract speaks for itself.
The guy IS more than capable of being a lead back.

Considering he's had a whopping 87 carries in 4 years and has never carried it more than 74 times in one season, I'd say it's a stretch to say he is more than capable of being a lead back.

He might be able to be a lead back, but he certainly has not proven he is more than capable of such a role.

 

[Thelonious]

It'd be weird, huh, if our only black RB were named "White." ESPN's head would explode, which would be the best part of all. And Goodell would ding us a pick for having so many RB's with names ending "head." I'm sure it's a CTE risk or something.

 

[Thelonious]

Dude you're delusional.
I'm not gonna argue, the contract speaks for itself.
The guy IS more than capable of being a lead back.

The guy's contract stipulates that he be "more than capable of being a lead back," eh? Those lawyers are clever, aren't they? He'll end up playing for free if dafoe is right!

 

[Thelonious]

If they dump Blount, they're gonna miss the smell of patchouli in the locker room.

 

[Thelonious]

Am I missing something about Burkhead here? Why is this good news?

He's a white runt with a crazy look in his eye. When has THAT not worked out for us?

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

re. Blount

BB plan to pay low but keep LGB: Allow Pittsburgh to sign LGB giving him a good singing bonus, on Pitt LGB scores plenty of the other green for repeated marathon bong hit sessions, LGB gets released by Pitt mid season, BB re-signs LGB paying only the remaining pro rated salary, back on the Patriots LGB steps it up for the PO run.
Everyone who matters is happy....

 

[Deus Irae]

Seems like an overpay, at first blush. I wonder if this is more about him playing in the slot.

 

[manxman2601]

I keep reading this, but I don't understand it. He was 215 coming out of college, and is rumored to play at 220. How is that small?

Well he's not Eddie Lacy

 

[maineman209]

Pats ran the ball 482 times last year. I expect a similar number.

If we want to try and guess how the carries are divided up...

Rex- 150
Lewis-100
White-50
Everone else- 70 (Brady, JE11, etc)

Unless they think Rex is a 250 carry guy, thats still 100+ carries to account for.




BB has said when the line blocks well Blount is very good.

These numbers show LG was decent on 3rd and <2

LeGarrette Blount

Agree, in principle. But 54 of those 482 "attempts" were from the QBs. Plus Blount carried about 70 more times than average for a Pats lead RB during the past 8 years.

Total RB attempts in 2016 were actually 410. Knock off another 50 for Blount's unusual workload (by Pats' standards), and you're down to accounting for about 360 or so RB carries.

So, with a "healthy" Lewis potentially accounting for 120 carries (7.5/game when he averaged 9.1/game in 2016), and White covering 40, Burkhead only needs to come in around 200 carries. And Foster or a rookie or even Blount could easily chip away a lot of that.

 

[fightingirish595]

Touchdownn burkhead

 

[VJCPatriot]

I honestly never heard of Burkhead before today.
But checking out his numbers, he appears to offer the versatility that BB covets - can catch the ball some and run the ball some as well.

LGB hopefully will be brought back too because Burkhead doesn't appear to be a power back by any means.

Or if LGB doesn't return we can always look for a new lead RB in the 2nd-4th rounds. That's the one position that even good talent tends to fall until later.

 

[maineman209]

I'm already tired of typing "Burkhead". His twitter handle is "RBrex". Maybe we should just go with that?

 

[RobertWeathers]

Agree, in principle. But 54 of those 482 "attempts" were from the QBs. Plus Blount carried about 70 more times than average for a Pats lead RB during the past 8 years.

Total RB attempts in 2016 were actually 410. Knock off another 50 for Blount's unusual workload (by Pats' standards), and you're down to accounting for about 360 or so RB carries.

So, with a "healthy" Lewis potentially accounting for 120 carries (7.5/game when he averaged 9.1/game in 2016), and White covering 40, Burkhead only needs to come in around 200 carries. And Foster or a rookie or even Blount could easily chip away a lot of that.

Thats a better take than mine.

Rounding up thats about 13 carries a game for Burkhead. Its sounds like not much, but there will be some games he'll go over 20+ and that is something he has never done before.

 

[mikey m]

He's a white runt with a crazy look in his eye. When has THAT not worked out for us?

Lmao





Edit: I know hogan is no runt but..those eyes

 

[Minitron]

Thats a better take than mine.

Rounding up thats about 13 carries a game for Burkhead. Its sounds like not much, but there will be some games he'll go over 20+ and that is something he has never done before.

Well he has. In College (yeah i know) and in the Week 17 game of last season (29 touches, 27/2).

 

[maineman209]

Thats a better take than mine.

Rounding up thats about 13 carries a game for Burkhead. Its sounds like not much, but there will be some games he'll go over 20+ and that is something he has never done before.

Meh. BB's Boot Camp will toughen him up.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Meh. BB's Boot Camp will toughen him up.

Well see. 200 carries is helluva lot more than what he's done.