C. Dillon

[gatorbait7391 0]

This guy was on NFL Total Acess last night and he was bragging about how good he is and how theres no way he even has to compete for a job. He was upset because he thought reporters were disrespecting him despite his respectable nfl career. Reporters read all of his past stats and he kept on lauging saying "do you want to hear it again!" when they asked his questions about Marooney or splitting carries.. I dont know how productive this guy is gonna be but in his eyes hes a first round pick......

[famousb 11]

Kevan Barlow is the best RB in the game according to Kevan Barlow...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

if he fell to his ADP of 3.10, i'd definitely spend my pick on him though... (Corey, not Kevan). Even if he does wind up splitting carries, it won't be that much at the beginning of the year, and Dillon will most likely be the one getting the GL carries...

[gatorbait7391 0]

Kevan Barlow is the best RB in the game according to Kevan Barlow...

[TD Ryan2 316]

there's a lot of background/history to Dillon's actions at camp yesterday.

 

Dillon hasn't really spoken to the NE media since last year.

Yesterday, coming off of the field, he pulled a copy of his bio (from the NE media guide) out of his back pocket and handed it to a reporter saying something to the effect of: here, read this out loud for us first, THEN I'll talk to you guys.

The reporter stood there a bit uneasy and confused, and read Dillon's bio and accolades aloud as media members took notice and gathered.

 

What's notable is that the reporter was none other than Michael Felger; a well know Boston talking head who makes a living off of being the contrarian talking-head.

Felger is frequently on local sports radio and I kid you not when I tell you he is referred to as "doochbag".

There's 2 takes on the events:

1. Felger and those in his camp want to portray Dillon as a malcontent. They will try to push his buttons every chance they can.

2. Those outside of the Felger camp thought Dillon's stunt was pretty amusing and they were happy that Corey finally talked to them as he was honest and forthcoming with his statements (stuff about health and helping Maroney along).

 

 

There's no question that Dillon isn't a choir boy.

But yesterday's uproar was more about Dillon and his personal battle with a reporter that's kinda been a jackass than about Dillon and the Patriots.

 

here's a decent read on the topic:

Curran article_LINK

[Boston 0]

Dillon has a huge chip on his shoulder right now. There's no question about it. Yet, there's also no question he sucked last year. So the million dollar question is does this chip translate into a repeat of 04 or does it not matter that he has the chip because he's hitting the wall. I could easily see both scenarios happening and until I see him run live in week 1 I just don't know what to expect.

 

By the way, i just stopped by the Pats Pro Shop in Foxboro to pick up a hat. Ended up BSing with some of the guys there. They were saying the buzz there is Maroney's looking very good. It would not surprise me one bit if he ends up being the go to guy as the season progresses. Hopefully it's a best case scenario and Maroney's the real deal and Dillon is rejuvanated. If that happens than the Pats could have a very nasty ground game.

[famousb 11]

Dillon has a huge chip on his shoulder right now. There's no question about it. Yet, there's also no question he sucked last year. So the million dollar question is does this chip translate into a repeat of 04 or does it not matter that he has the chip because he's hitting the wall. I could easily see both scenarios happening and until I see him run live in week 1 I just don't know what to expect.

 

i completely agree, could go either way, and we just have to wait and see...

 

By the way, i just stopped by the Pats Pro Shop in Foxboro to pick up a hat. Ended up BSing with some of the guys there. They were saying the buzz there is Maroney's looking very good. It would not surprise me one bit if he ends up being the go to guy as the season progresses. Hopefully it's a best case scenario and Maroney's the real deal and Dillon is rejuvanated. If that happens than the Pats could have a very nasty ground game.

i love homer insight - stuff we can't hear not being near the camps.

We know if it's not Maroney, then it'll be someone next year cause CD is getting old, and NE isn't going to continue to pay him well if they can find a cheaper replacement.

[TD Ryan2 316]

I'd imagine the BB has told them there'll be enough pounding to go around for both of them.

 

If Maroney catches on quick (and BB has already commented on Maroney being a smart kid... that's big praise from Belichick) it'll preserve Dillon a bit. Usually, if a rookie RB does well, he hits that wall around week 10 - 11... at which point, a rested Dillon can pick up more of the load.

[tampa_fan_01 0]

This thread makes me feel better about spending the #4 pick in our rookie draft on Marooney. I think he could be a really good RB with his skills, but CD standing in his way always worries me... I have always been a fan of Dillon, and he runs hard, but he has taken alot of hits. This may be his last productive year, IMO, and next year the job will be Marooney's, a la Steven Jackson / Marshal Faulk situation two years ago.

[Gepetto 1,367]

When I saw Kevin Barlow and pick 3.10 I immediately checked the date of the post ... and it said Today. Amazing. I thought it might be a couple years old.

[gatorbait7391 0]

When I saw Kevin Barlow and pick 3.10 I immediately checked the date of the post ... and it said Today. Amazing. I thought it might be a couple years old.

if you read on you would see famous said he meant dillon.

[hipcheck 0]

Felt good about Hand-Cuffing DILLON (RB3) & MARONEY (RB4) in a 12 Teamer on Yahoo! earlier today.

[famousb 11]

if you read on you would see famous said he meant dillon.

 

 

thank you for clarifying that for me!

[Boston 0]

A sidenote concerning Maroney...

 

The word is the Pats are very happy with his hands. If that is the case it bodes very well for him both short and long term. Short term it gives BB another way to get him on the field should Dillon get his act together. Long term it gives him that much more value. If you look at the two best fantasy seasons for a RB under BB it was Antowain in 01 and Dillon in 04. In both cases both backs were very limited in the passing game. If Maroney becomes a solid contributor in that area to go along with his rushing ability he has the chance to become a big time fantasy producer. Tack on some solid receiving stats to both Smith and Dillon and they would really have blown up.

[shovelheadt 71]

I see Dillon having that chip, which forces him to bust ass the first few games, which leads to an injury or him wearing down earlier than he normally would...which will lead to Maroney being the man by the last 3rd of the season.

 

Just a thought.

[9-Route 0]

i read maroney and cjax were working exclusively with the return teams---not 1st or 2nd string offenses.

 

looking good hitting holes with the 1st team and looking returning are 2 very different fantasy draft scenarios (like rd9 versus rd never).

[Boston 0]

i read maroney and cjax were working exclusively with the return teams---not 1st or 2nd string offenses.

 

looking good hitting holes with the 1st team and looking returning are 2 very different fantasy draft scenarios (like rd9 versus rd never).

 

That would be the first time I have heard that info...please post a source. Preferably a local one.

 

A quick snippet from today's Boston Herald:

 

The rookie skill position players had an excellent camp, particularly third-round pick Dave Thomas. The Texas tight end displayed excellent hands throughout the camp. Running back Laurence Maroney and Chad Jackson also brought fresh legs and good skill. Brady went repeatedly to Jackson at the back of the end zone during red-zone drills.

 

In many ways Jackson has been the talk of the spring camps, but Brown said to take it slow with the rookie.

 

"Time will tell," Brown said. "Right now I can’t really say (how good Jackson will be), and it’s not my job, either. You can’t really say who is going to do what - because someone might be able to run and jump, but just have to go out there and play ball."

 

 

From Patriots.com:

 

· The rookies were very impressive. Laurence Maroney looked good catching the ball and has a burst that no Patriots running back has had in quite some time. He will be a nice complement to Corey Dillon’s bruising running style. Chad Jackson and David Thomas simply don’t drop the football. Both players catch virtually every ball thrown their way. We still have to see how they beat jams at the line and run routes but one thing is for sure: Jackson and Thomas can both catch the ball. After a slow start, Garrett Mills came on late in mini-camp. Mills is adjusting to learning some new things at the moment, so he doesn’t look as polished as Thomas. However, Mills made some nice catches on Wednesday and Thursday and I expect to see a big improvement in him once training camp rolls around. After an early read on this rookie class, it looks like Tom Brady is going to be a happy quarterback for years to come.

[9-Route 0]

not sure, but i am confident i read it here by one of the pats guys (maybe thin spirit?) and source was boston.com??

[Boston 0]

not sure, but i am confident i read it here by one of the pats guys (maybe thin spirit?) and source was boston.com??

 

As someone who reads every bit of local info I can say that I have not seen that reported. If it was it was only said by one publication and not reported by anyone else which I would find to be very odd.

[9-Route 0]

As someone who reads every bit of local info I can say that I have not seen that reported. If it was it was only said by one publication and not reported by anyone else which I would find to be very odd.

 

mine wasnt a rhetorical or specious response---i was just curiously trying to clarify whether all the info was true. i mean, yeah, it always makes sense for skill position guys and corners to be working with return teams and stuff early on---most do so.

 

i guess im trying to pull some more lean from you (which in our history is very hard to do!) on whether dillon has juice for this yr. im not thinking he will post 1600-13 again (if so, great for him). i think 1100-1300 and 10 are very feasible; on the other hand, i personally wouldnt mind getting 60-2 every oher week and his totalling out at another 700-12.

 

i have him in a lerger dynasty, and am getting the feeling the longer i can hold out, the more info i can get and perhaps it will help his market value and a continued hb option, albeit for 1-2 more yrs, as opposed to 'done', as a lot of ffers are holding to now in light of the maroney drafting.

[SayChowda 0]

A sidenote concerning Maroney...

 

The word is the Pats are very happy with his hands. If that is the case it bodes very well for him both short and long term. Short term it gives BB another way to get him on the field should Dillon get his act together. Long term it gives him that much more value. If you look at the two best fantasy seasons for a RB under BB it was Antowain in 01 and Dillon in 04. In both cases both backs were very limited in the passing game. If Maroney becomes a solid contributor in that area to go along with his rushing ability he has the chance to become a big time fantasy producer. Tack on some solid receiving stats to both Smith and Dillon and they would really have blown up.

 

This is going to be something to watch as it could affect Kevin Faulk. Maroney could end up spelling Faulk in 3rd down situations even before he is in on 1st and 2nd for Dillon. I like the weapons!

[Boston 0]

mine wasnt a rhetorical or specious response---i was just curiously trying to clarify whether all the info was true. i mean, yeah, it always makes sense for skill position guys and corners to be working with return teams and stuff early on---most do so.

 

i guess im trying to pull some more lean from you (which in our history is very hard to do!) on whether dillon has juice for this yr. im not thinking he will post 1600-13 again (if so, great for him). i think 1100-1300 and 10 are very feasible; on the other hand, i personally wouldnt mind getting 60-2 every oher week and his totalling out at another 700-12.

 

i have him in a lerger dynasty, and am getting the feeling the longer i can hold out, the more info i can get and perhaps it will help his market value and a continued hb option, albeit for 1-2 more yrs, as opposed to 'done', as a lot of ffers are holding to now in light of the maroney drafting.

 

I've been consistent with my feelings on Dillon...I have no idea what to expect. There's no doubt he was injured last year. Yet, there's also no doubt he sucked pre-injury. That's why I'm not as confident as I'd like to be. Now whether he was hurt in preseason and the Pats didn't disclose it, whether he got lazy after the big deal and title or whether he's hit the over 30 RB wall is anyone's guess. Regardless of the reason there's no denying he wasn't half the back he was in 04. He was brutally slow getting to the outside but what really scared me was the fact he was going down very easily. In 04 he was an animal. He ran with controlled violence and punished defenders. That style was non-existent last year. Add in a O line devastated by injuries as well as Faulk and Pass being injured and the Patriot rushing attack was ugly.

 

So, in all honesty I don't think you know what you have in Dillon until you see Dillon in week one and he shows whether he's closer to the 04 or 05 version. As for 06 I could see anything from a high quality 1,200-10 Td year to being benched and becoming a malcontent. There's that much disparity. I would be absolutely shocked if Maroney isn't a solid contributor in 06 regardless of how Dillon looks. I think this kid has a chance to be a high quality RB and I haven't heard one negative thing about him since the Pats drafted him. The fact the Maroney's hands look good is another plus as he adds more diversity to the offense. Since BB has no problems throwing rookies into the fire he will play a lot if Dillon falters. I have zero doubts about that. Yet, a best case scenario would be Dillon regains his form and remains the man and Maroney allows him to get more rest as a Pats running game wears down opponents (with a healthy O line as well).

 

As for fantasy my guess is Dillon's value is pretty low in a dynasty league. Even if he played well last year his age isn't dynasty-friendly. My guess is your best bet is to roll the dice with him and hope he gets off to a good start. If he does I'm sure there will be a team that needs a RB badly and you can cash in on him. Either that or make a play for Maroney knowing you'll have the Pats run game for this year with the potential for a big time fantasy RB for the future. The Pats are loaded with good young O lineman and Maroney is going to be in a very good situation for the near future and has the potential to be a legit #1 fantasy RB.

 

 

 

 

 

This is going to be something to watch as it could affect Kevin Faulk. Maroney could end up spelling Faulk in 3rd down situations even before he is in on 1st and 2nd for Dillon. I like the weapons!

 

This could really help the Pats O. In general they play Dillon on running downs and Faulk on passing downs although Faulk is no slouch running the ball. If Maroney's hands are legit it could really keep defenses on their heels when he's in the game and allow a ton of flexibility in their playcalling.