-- what do they do if Taylor gets hurt?
They sign a free agent. Look, I realize most of you have never been in a locker room when a young professional athlete has been traded for the first time. But often one of the first things a player does is excuse himself, go somewhere in private, and starts crying. Professional athletes are generally a very highly insecure bunch of people. Love and hate for them swings on a fragile balance from day to day, from snap to snap, from at bat to free throw. Being traded the first time is a traumatic experience for a drafted player who knows no other team. It's also difficult for a player's wife and children who must then relocate. Two of the most stressful situations in a person's life is a big move from one geographic location to another and the process of divorce. This kind of "divorce", a public first one, is one of the most grueling for a player. ( This would be the basis of a good NFL article, Chase Stuart, if of course you could be convinced to put down your worn out calculator. I just realized if I wanted to see good sportswriting out of you son, I have to start giving you the subject matter on a plate. ) What a trade means, in real life to a real franchise, is we would rather be without you compared to our worst available option. Otherwise the team wouldn't have traded him. Again, running backs in the current NFL, given the implications of the salary cap, the shift towards a QB dominant league ( which changes the role of the 3rd down COP back) and the double ended candle nature of the position ( Burns at both ends, the light that shines brightest burns half as long) means they are disposable. What is the current status of the Patriots O line? That will have more to do with the success or failure of a RB signed as a FA if Taylor gets hurt than if Maroney could have outplayed a replacement. Hell, I'm an old man and I could probably hobble for 800 yards behind Steve Hutchinson and Walter Jones in their prime. Admit your mistakes early and let them go. Angry Bill could do it with O'Connell, couldn't seem to do it with Maroney. ( He should read MoneyBall again) Marginal production for marginal pay is not value. Winning teams have players outperforming their first contract, that's actual value. It's why the Ravens and Colts are consistently competitive ( look at their draft records, esp in the lower rounds) It's not just the money spent on the contract or the use of a draft pick, it's time, time invested in the player to learn the system and build a rapport with his team mates. Angry Bill wasted time with Maroney. People should stop looking at Maroneys draft status. That's like looking at a kids major in college when he's looking at his third full time career oriented job since graduation. The only thing his draft status determines is his first contract. His performance is measured against that, not his draft status. As for free agent backs who people think are washed up. Maybe they are. But they are getting something most people aren't looking at. They are getting rest and time to rehab their lingering injuries. Maybe not a long term solution, but fresh legs at the end of a grinding season can make a difference. There is also a level of unpredictability with a FA RB down the stretch. It's not like defenses have a ton of history with a guy likely from another division or how the new team will use him. This is not like WR or OL, where timing and rapport are essential within a unit framework. A RB is a plug and play unit on the field as long as he can actually block. The Patriots will be fine without Maroney. They however WILL NOT be fine if they can't hit the QB and if they can't find a way to establish a power running game when needed. This is a "shootout" team. The Pats are three steps away from having Mouse Davis run that offense. The Colts proved it in the last SuperBowl again and the Iggles prove it every year ( Relax Jason Wood, we aren't filming a western, you can slide back into your armchair and continue to second guess GM on the yellow brick road) that you can't win in the playoffs unless you have an effective ground assault. Good God, for all the things I really love about Angry Bill's approach to football, he's like an old lady with coupons and thirty cats when it comes to his pass rush. For the love of the football gods man, stop waiting for a sale and use some assets to get an actual pass rusher. It's like the guy is trying to build a log cabin smack dab on top of the second round of the NFL draft. Or did he suddenly forget that the Giants, serious underdogs, were able to beat his undefeated team because they were able to batter Tom Brady around? Who cares about Maroney. Let him cry in private and then shuffle over to Denver. The Pats need someone who can beat the living hell out of an opposing quarterback.
Off the top of my head; Merriwhether, Mayo, Edelman, Chung, Butler, Vollmer, Tate, Spikes, McCourty, Gronkowski, Hernandez are all guys taken in the last few drafts and looking like they will be playing significant minutes. And all the while they have managed to keep stockpiling picks. That looks like a pretty good record of late to me.
. I have no probs with the other 99% of posters, many of whom I dissagree with. I didn't mention any names, all I did was ask everyone that might be interested in a reasonable discussion to be on the lookout.
