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Laurence Maroney, Could This Be It?
Published: May 28, 2009
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A glance at the Patriots’ roster reveals several positions, which could provide interesting training camp battles.
At outside linebacker, who will fill the spot of the departed Mike Vrabel?
Will special teams ace Pierre Woods finally make his mark on defense? Or will Shawn Crable, who missed his rookie season with an injury, give the Patriots speed off the edge?
How will things shake out in the secondary? And with veteran tight ends Chris Baker and Alex Smith in tow, where will holdovers Ben Watson and David Thomas fit in?
Perhaps the most intriguing battle will be at running back. Despite having a slew of injuries at the position in 2008, New England still ranked sixth in rushing yards. With a solid offensive line and potent passing attack, whichever back gets the majority of the touches should put up some nice numbers in 2009.
But with a crowded backfield, newcomer Fred Taylor joins incumbents Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and Laurence Maroney—could it be the oft injured and thus far disappointing Maroney who is the odd man out?
Maroney was a first-round pick out of Minnesota in 2006 and teamed with Corey Dillion to give the Patriots a two-headed rushing monster that season.
Despite showing flashes during the end of 2007, Maroney has largely been a disappointment since being tagged with the lead back role in New England. That culminated in an injury plagued 2008, which saw his season end after just 28 carries and three games.
Taylor, for one, is no stranger to injuries, having carried the “Fragile Freddy” tag throughout his career. The eleven-year veteran could offer invaluable guidance to Maroney.
Two possibilities seem likely for Maroney. One, he learns from the veteran Taylor and uses the competition as motivation to stake claim to the starting job.
Two, he falls out of favor in training camp and goes the route of former Patriot receiver Chad Jackson, who could never harness his talent and was released last summer.
But the indecisive Maroney, who by all accounts is a good guy, needs to cure his injury woes and hit the hole with more authority, as the Patriots have proved they can be decisive when it comes to making tough personal decisions.
Wilfork, Secondary Key to New England’s Sucess in 2009
Published: May 28, 2009
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It’s only May, and players aren’t even in full workouts or donning pads, but Tom Brady is already set to go.
While his press conference today was full of training camp cliches, its a good sign for New England to see their leader jumping to get back into action. But how will the Patriots, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2002, fare this fall?
While the questions surrounding Brady’s health are some that will need to be answered, there are others as well. Keep in mind the Patriots went 11-5, sans Brady for all but one quarter of the 2008 season.
A delay in Brady’s return, or even another injury, would hurt, but the Patriots have a solid offensive line and a deep pool of players at the skilled positions.If New England is going to return to the playoffs and capture their fourth Super Bowl of the decade, the defense is going to have to step up and match the panache of the offense.
New England’s secondary is stocked with some much needed youth and talent in draft picks Patrick Chung and Darius Butler, which should help a team that is still trying to find a replacement for Asante Samuel. Veterans Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs are steady players, but it will be interesting to see if the explosive Butler can push one of them for a starting spot.
Keep an eye on Vince Wilfork, too. The massive nose tackle is unhappy with his contract situation and did not report to a voluntary workout today. Granted, it’s early, but him not showing up had to have sent a sign.
Wilfork is the anchor of the Patriots 3-4 defense and helps stuff the run. Rookie Ron Brace has potential, but it would be far too much to ask for him to fill Wilfork’s spot right away in the season opener.
Should Wilfork hold out or demand a trade, his absence would allow teams to attack the Patriots both on the ground and through the air. With several youngsters potentially starting in the secondary, eliminating an opponent’s run game could be key.
While New England is frugal with their cap space, they have shown the willingness to pony up for players they consider essential—especially lineman, as Bill Belichick believes games are won and lost in the trenches.
More likely then not, Wilfork will suit up as a Patriot next season.
If Wilfork returns, and linemate Richard Seymour can return to his previous form, the Patriots could have a dominating front line.
Couple this with a the emergence of a playmaker or two in the secondary, and New England’s defense may be able to match the offense in its explosiveness.
Injuries, combined with the injection of new talent via the draft, make football one of the hardest sports to predict prior to the start of the season. But, it’s safe to assume that the Patriots will be one of the eight teams playing deep into January. How far they’ll go remains to be seen.
