Post by John on Jul 4, 2006 14:57:07 GMT -4
Patriots stoke Dillon's fire by drafting back of the future
June 22, 2006
By Eric McHugh
Special to CBS SportsLine.com
True or false: You need a dynamic running game to win a title.
If you looked at the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, who ranked fifth in the NFL in rushing yards, got a 1,200-yard season out of unheralded Willie Parker, and ran for 21 touchdowns as a team en route to Super Bowl XL glory, you'd say true.
Ditto if you considered the '04 New England Patriots, who ranked seventh in rushing and got a franchise-record 1,635 yards from ex-Bengal Corey Dillon while earning their Super Bowl XXXIX rings.
On the other hand, if you thought back to the 2003 Patriots and '02 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who each won a Super Bowl with a running game ranked 27th, you might conclude that a solid ground game is more of a luxury than a necessity.
True or false: Either way, the '06 Patriots would like to play it safe and revive their rushing offense, which plummeted to 24th last season.
Most definitely true.
With Dillon providing a major backfield upgrade from Antowain Smith, the Patriots were never better, or more diversified, offensively than they were in 2004. New England scored 437 points, second most in franchise history, and could attack from every conceivable angle.
Then last year the bottom fell out. Dillon was ineffective early, got hurt in October and never seemed to heal. Left tackle Matt Light and center Dan Koppen were lost to season-ending injuries. It was left to quarterback Tom Brady to shoulder the one-dimensional load.
Charged with compensating for both a dismal running game and a defense that was in tatters for much of the season, Brady wound up leading the league with a career-high 4,110 passing yards. He also threw 530 times, fourth most in the NFL and the second-highest total of his career. Not sacrificing quality for quantity, Brady also posted his second-best passer rating (92.3) and completion percentage (63.0).
So, no, he doesn't absolutely need Dillon to recapture his 2004 magic. Just as he doesn't need first-round rookie running back Laurence Maroney to become Larry Johnson to Dillon's Priest Holmes.
But Brady wouldn't mind if that's the way it played out.
"I love running the ball," he remarked in December, when the Patriots had actually started to make some hay on the ground. "There is no bigger fan of running the ball than me."
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and head coach Bill Belichick should be fond of that approach, too, especially since the Patriots' passing game took a big hit when receiver David Givens bolted in free-agency. To address that void, the Patriots signed Reche Caldwell as a free agent and used a second-round pick on speedy wideout Chad Jackson of Florida.
Clearly, however, the Patriots' first priority on draft weekend was to take out a big insurance policy for the running game. Hence, the selection of Maroney with the 21st overall pick -- the first time since 1998 (star-crossed Robert Edwards) that the team had spent a first-rounder on a running back.
With Dillon turning 32 in October, the time was right anyway for some fresh blood. Dillon's anemic 2005 numbers -- 733 yards, a career-worst 3.5-yard average, two 100-yard efforts, 10 starts -- merely sealed the deal.
Already the sting of 2005 seems to have had a positive effect on Dillon, who altered his offseason workout program.
"I switched up a little bit," Dillon said. "Honestly, I'm getting a little bit up there (in age), and those are things I understand. So I wanted to switch it up and do something different."
Actually, that was the most diplomatic thing Dillon said at the Patriots' recent minicamp. He was in classic feisty form with the media, pulling a photocopy of his media guide bio from his shorts and making a reporter read from it, out loud, before taking questions.
Clearly, Dillon feels everyone has slighted his nine-season body of work in the mad dash to crown Maroney as the Next Big Thing.
"Fighting for a job?" Dillon asked, incredulously, when someone suggested that's what training camp might be like for him. "You want to read this (bio) again?"
Dillon has rushed for 10,429 yards, 17th most in league history. That's 10,429 yards more than Maroney has produced. Still, the rookie has the edge in youthful energy and speed. The latter would be particularly useful. After ripping off 23 runs of 15 or more yards in 2004, Dillon submitted only two such plays last season.
Maroney, Minnesota's No. 2 all-time rusher, had runs of 93 and 80 yards for the Gophers and said he considers himself a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball.
How many times will that be this season? Depends on how Dillon, who was hobbled by ankle and calf injuries a year ago, responds in training camp.
He got a predictable vote of confidence from Brady, who said at the minicamp, "Corey always looks good to me. He's a big, powerful man. I'd hate to be on the other side of the ball with him coming at me. I'm not worried about Corey."
Neither is Dillon, who said he is looking to do "big things" this season.
The first thing he'll have to do is prove that his best days aren't behind him.
Dillon, listed at 6-feet-1 and 225 pounds, runs well with a chip on his shoulder, so the doubters should play right into his hands. Maroney, a sleeker 5-11 and 211, is used to sharing the load, having started only 14 of 36 games at Minnesota.
"Competition," Maroney predicted, "brings out the best in everybody."
The Patriots are counting on it.
Eric McHugh covers the Patriots for the Patriot Ledger.
June 22, 2006
By Eric McHugh
Special to CBS SportsLine.com
True or false: You need a dynamic running game to win a title.
If you looked at the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers, who ranked fifth in the NFL in rushing yards, got a 1,200-yard season out of unheralded Willie Parker, and ran for 21 touchdowns as a team en route to Super Bowl XL glory, you'd say true.
Ditto if you considered the '04 New England Patriots, who ranked seventh in rushing and got a franchise-record 1,635 yards from ex-Bengal Corey Dillon while earning their Super Bowl XXXIX rings.
On the other hand, if you thought back to the 2003 Patriots and '02 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who each won a Super Bowl with a running game ranked 27th, you might conclude that a solid ground game is more of a luxury than a necessity.
True or false: Either way, the '06 Patriots would like to play it safe and revive their rushing offense, which plummeted to 24th last season.
Most definitely true.
With Dillon providing a major backfield upgrade from Antowain Smith, the Patriots were never better, or more diversified, offensively than they were in 2004. New England scored 437 points, second most in franchise history, and could attack from every conceivable angle.
Then last year the bottom fell out. Dillon was ineffective early, got hurt in October and never seemed to heal. Left tackle Matt Light and center Dan Koppen were lost to season-ending injuries. It was left to quarterback Tom Brady to shoulder the one-dimensional load.
Charged with compensating for both a dismal running game and a defense that was in tatters for much of the season, Brady wound up leading the league with a career-high 4,110 passing yards. He also threw 530 times, fourth most in the NFL and the second-highest total of his career. Not sacrificing quality for quantity, Brady also posted his second-best passer rating (92.3) and completion percentage (63.0).
So, no, he doesn't absolutely need Dillon to recapture his 2004 magic. Just as he doesn't need first-round rookie running back Laurence Maroney to become Larry Johnson to Dillon's Priest Holmes.
But Brady wouldn't mind if that's the way it played out.
"I love running the ball," he remarked in December, when the Patriots had actually started to make some hay on the ground. "There is no bigger fan of running the ball than me."
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and head coach Bill Belichick should be fond of that approach, too, especially since the Patriots' passing game took a big hit when receiver David Givens bolted in free-agency. To address that void, the Patriots signed Reche Caldwell as a free agent and used a second-round pick on speedy wideout Chad Jackson of Florida.
Clearly, however, the Patriots' first priority on draft weekend was to take out a big insurance policy for the running game. Hence, the selection of Maroney with the 21st overall pick -- the first time since 1998 (star-crossed Robert Edwards) that the team had spent a first-rounder on a running back.
With Dillon turning 32 in October, the time was right anyway for some fresh blood. Dillon's anemic 2005 numbers -- 733 yards, a career-worst 3.5-yard average, two 100-yard efforts, 10 starts -- merely sealed the deal.
Already the sting of 2005 seems to have had a positive effect on Dillon, who altered his offseason workout program.
"I switched up a little bit," Dillon said. "Honestly, I'm getting a little bit up there (in age), and those are things I understand. So I wanted to switch it up and do something different."
Actually, that was the most diplomatic thing Dillon said at the Patriots' recent minicamp. He was in classic feisty form with the media, pulling a photocopy of his media guide bio from his shorts and making a reporter read from it, out loud, before taking questions.
Clearly, Dillon feels everyone has slighted his nine-season body of work in the mad dash to crown Maroney as the Next Big Thing.
"Fighting for a job?" Dillon asked, incredulously, when someone suggested that's what training camp might be like for him. "You want to read this (bio) again?"
Dillon has rushed for 10,429 yards, 17th most in league history. That's 10,429 yards more than Maroney has produced. Still, the rookie has the edge in youthful energy and speed. The latter would be particularly useful. After ripping off 23 runs of 15 or more yards in 2004, Dillon submitted only two such plays last season.
Maroney, Minnesota's No. 2 all-time rusher, had runs of 93 and 80 yards for the Gophers and said he considers himself a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball.
How many times will that be this season? Depends on how Dillon, who was hobbled by ankle and calf injuries a year ago, responds in training camp.
He got a predictable vote of confidence from Brady, who said at the minicamp, "Corey always looks good to me. He's a big, powerful man. I'd hate to be on the other side of the ball with him coming at me. I'm not worried about Corey."
Neither is Dillon, who said he is looking to do "big things" this season.
The first thing he'll have to do is prove that his best days aren't behind him.
Dillon, listed at 6-feet-1 and 225 pounds, runs well with a chip on his shoulder, so the doubters should play right into his hands. Maroney, a sleeker 5-11 and 211, is used to sharing the load, having started only 14 of 36 games at Minnesota.
"Competition," Maroney predicted, "brings out the best in everybody."
The Patriots are counting on it.
Eric McHugh covers the Patriots for the Patriot Ledger.