My Pats draft list had two RBs on it until Dan Vitale was signed -- AJ Dillon and Zack Moss. I've since dropped Dillon.If the Patriots want to be a run-heavy team would it make sense to spend a late day 2 or early day 3 pick on a potential starter upgrade over Sony or an untested Harris?
I think someone like AJ Dillon or Zack Moss makes a lot of sense for what they run in the 4th. Just curious if anyone has an appetite for potentially upgrading that spot and if so when.
Also offers ST versatility. Super elusive as a runner. I have him ranked highly in my board as a third day rotational player and good STer. He is my favorite of the receiving backs this year and is an elusive runner but as you implied he is not an every down back.I'm very intrigued by Darrynton Evans from App. St. Little small (5'10" 205) but has 3 down skillset if he's in a rotation. Great speed, and other measurables, and impressively didn't fumble once in 482 carries.
Testing for RBs matter sure but that is one of the few positions where unless a guy completely bombs it I am not concerned. Running backs need elusiveness and vision and body coordination which isn’t easily measured with conventional athletic testing. I think it’s funny that the three guys I liked a lot for the Pats are three you mentioned. I have some other draft crushes but those 3 and Michael Warren, and Darius Anderson are my day 3 favorites so far.My Pats draft list had two RBs on it until Dan Vitale was signed -- AJ Dillon and Zack Moss. I've since dropped Dillon.
Moss is very intriguing. Ran a 4.65 at the combine at 223 lbs, then a 4.52 (at 219) at a mini pro day. He runs with power, has great hands, and can pass protect. Potentially a replacement for James White, who's on the last year of his deal -- and who'd free up $3.6M if traded.
Text: With his pro day canceled, Utah RB Zack Moss had a private workout today in which he was electronically timed at 4.52 in the 40. Had run an official 4.65 at the Combine.
Good points, though I thought Moss's 4.65 forty at the combine was pretty close to bombing! 4.52 would make him the fastest guy in the RB room:Testing for RBs matter sure but that is one of the few positions where unless a guy completely bombs it I am not concerned. Running backs need elusiveness and vision and body coordination which isn’t easily measured with conventional athletic testing. I think it’s funny that the three guys I liked a lot for the Pats are three you mentioned. I have some other draft crushes but those 3 and Michael Warren, and Darius Anderson are my day 3 favorites so far.
That's one reason Evans is so intriguing, he has that 4.41 speed. which is a real difference in terms of just big play breakaway potential that we don't have right now, the guy who if you get him past the first level he's not getting caught.Good points, though I thought Moss's 4.65 forty at the combine was pretty close to bombing! 4.52 would make him the fastest guy in the RB room:
Sony Michel: 4.54
Damien Harris: 4.57
James White: 4.57
Dan Vitale: 4.60
Branden Bolden: 4.66
Rex Burkhead: 4.73 (!)
Note: Combine numbers. James Develin wasn't invited to the combine but apparently has clocked a 5.03.
Davis ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash with a 6.77-second 3-cone drill and 4.01-second short shuttle coming out of Texas Tech as an undrafted free agent in 2013.
He’s started five career games on defense and has 82 tackles, eight pass breakups and two interceptions in seven NFL seasons. He’s led the Jaguars in special teams snaps in each of the last two seasons.
BB looking at his offense and is like, yeah, better make the ST units elite.View: https://twitter.com/DougKyed/status/1242153235399532555
The Patriots signed safety/special teams standout Cody Davis on Monday, according to his agent. http://nesn.com/?p=1058541
From article:
By a year over Edelman, yes.Is Slater our longest tenured player?
Yep. I've advocated going with a rookie kicker. Blankenship is a good bet. I'd love it if the Syracuse kicker decided to go pro. That dude never misses.Not surprised on Ghost. Good kicker, high cap number but a health question going forward.
I will be interested in the other ways they will use to create space.View: https://twitter.com/patscap/status/1242174022747664384
After accounting for Gostkowski's release my Patriots salary cap space number=$7,153,834. Have 63 players on roster. Because of Top 51 rule the salaries of bottom 12 players are not counting against cap
Szmyt is a true soph. Can’t happen. Easily my K1 for next year’s class which looks bleak.Yep. I've advocated going with a rookie kicker. Blankenship is a good bet. I'd love it if the Syracuse kicker decided to go pro. That dude never misses.
After a series of tests in February, it was reported that Andrews is on track to play football again in 2020, as he feels like he is in "excellent condition physically". That good news for a Patriots team that just lost out on center Ted Karras, who started the entire 2019 season in place of Andrews but signed with the Dolphins in free agency this offseason.
2020 continues to suck ass. Ghost was one of my favorite players.
39-44 (89%) in playoffs. Vinatieri was 56-69 (82%). Went like a decade before missing an XP in the playoffs and then had some issues there last few years but, all in all, an incredibly reliable kicker. Didn’t have any Vinatieri moments but had lots of tough kicks that he converted.Loved Ghost. He never really had THE KICK, though, did he? Not a ton of game-winners or super clutch, big time, pressure kicks. Maybe I'm taking him for granted because he was so, so steady for so long but he seemed to miss at little more frequently in the playoffs, SB. Especially in the past 3-4 years.
It’s the life of a kicker. Everyone remembers the Denver missed XP because they lost by 2. Ditto for Eagles SB. In SB 38, Vinatieri chunked one and had another blocked. But he drained the game winner so those are forgotten.Yeah. I think I was doing him a disservice. Prob recency bias. Gonna miss him. Great kickoffs too.
edit: clarity
Agreed. I feel like with really good offensive teams that he was often on, this skill was even more important than FG makes and misses when they were rolling.He was excellent at kickoffs almost all the time -- an under-appreciated skill.
That decision was so dumb. Freaking dome kick. C’mon Bill.We really do remember all of the high profile misses. 2015 AFCCG, 2016 AFCCG and SB, 2017 SB, 2018 SB. For better or for worse.
Of all the misses the one that hurts the most isn’t a miss. It’s when BB passed on a 47 yard FG indoors to go for 4th and 13 or whatever in the Scottish Game.
TOO SOON!We really do remember all of the high profile misses. 2015 AFCCG, 2016 AFCCG and SB, 2017 SB, 2018 SB. For better or for worse.
Of all the misses the one that hurts the most isn’t a miss. It’s when BB passed on a 47 yard FG indoors to go for 4th and 13 or whatever in the Scottish Game.
see: Slater and the McCourtys (so far), Hightower is still here, Jules for now. Locker room has a decent number of Patriots Way-ish types.For those that are advocating more veteran turnover to save cap money, don't the Pats run the risk of losing the identity in the locker room with so much turnover? It's the veterans that set the tone for how the team carries itself. If they cut too deep into that, isn't there a risk (especially with Brady absent on the offensive side of the ball)?
Still waiting for the Edelman or Thuney shoe to dropJules for now.
Sounds like maybe just the third/alternative uni. I would hope not to the primary home and away unis. They became an iconic franchise in those, MFY, Packers, Steelers, Celtics, HABS, etc. Those need to stay.A new Patriots uniform?
I may be in the minority but i love the blue color rush jersey.Sounds like maybe just the third/alternative uni. I would hope not to the primary home and away unis. They became an iconic franchise in those, MFY, Packers, Steelers, Celtics, HABS, etc. Those need to stay.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/boston.cbslocal.com/2020/03/24/report-patriots-making-uniform-change-in-2020/amp/