Overreliance on Zeke Elliott

[Galian Beast]

I was in the camp to draft Elliott 4th overall.

I think he is one of the best players in football. I'd give him the rock every down if it were up to me.

But this idea that next season will be fine because he won't be suspended and simply has to stay out of trouble is mistaken. Running backs are often injured or dealing with an injury. It was never my intention that this team be built to rely on a running back to be available. That's poor strategy if I've ever seen it.

If you're going to be a run-first team, a physical smash mouth team, you're going to need the defense to back it up. If this passing game can't carry the team without Elliott, you need to refocus entirely on defense, period.

In the last 5 years the Patriots have drafted the following positions in the first 3 rounds

2017
3 - OLB
3 - Tackle

2016
2- CB
3 - G
3 - QB
3 - DT

2015
1 - DT
2 - Safety
3 - LB

2014
1 - DT
2 - QB

2013
2 - OLB
2 - WR
3 - CB
3 - SS

That's a total of 15 picks, of which only a third were on offense, none being 1st round draft picks and only one skill position player on offense outside of QBs.

The Patriots who have Tom Brady drafted two in back to back years. The Patriots drafted 4 QBs within the first 3 rounds since Tom Brady became the starter and have drafted a QB in about 50 percent of their drafts.

The last time Belichick drafted a skill position player on offense in the first round was 2006...

Reality is we need to focus on defense and use later picks for offensive players and develop them behind a strong offensive line. Find a QB in the draft, but outside of that, the top 3 rounds should be defense and offensive line only.

We keep dumping resources into the offense to cover up for Garrett's awful scheme and then complain when individual players underperform or aren't healthy. That needs to end.

 

[DallasDW00ds0n]

It's a joke Garrett runs this guy 30 times a game. All it's getting us is a shortened career for Zeke.

 

[CATCH17]

It's a joke Garrett runs this guy 30 times a game. All it's getting us is a shortened career for Zeke.

When you draft a RB you have to expect a short career anyways so use him while you got him.

If Zeke plays 8 or 9 years it will be a success.

2 years have gone by in his short career and we have nothing to show for it.

 

[Bleu Star]

I was in the camp to draft Elliott 4th overall.

I think he is one of the best players in football. I'd give him the rock every down if it were up to me.

But this idea that next season will be fine because he won't be suspended and simply has to stay out of trouble is mistaken. Running backs are often injured or dealing with an injury. It was never my intention that this team be built to rely on a running back to be available. That's poor strategy if I've ever seen it.

If you're going to be a run-first team, a physical smash mouth team, you're going to need the defense to back it up. If this passing game can't carry the team without Elliott, you need to refocus entirely on defense, period.

In the last 5 years the Patriots have drafted the following positions in the first 3 rounds

2017
3 - OLB
3 - Tackle

2016
2- CB
3 - G
3 - QB
3 - DT

2015
1 - DT
2 - Safety
3 - LB

2014
1 - DT
2 - QB

2013
2 - OLB
2 - WR
3 - CB
3 - SS

That's a total of 15 picks, of which only a third were on offense, none being 1st round draft picks and only one skill position player on offense outside of QBs.

The Patriots who have Tom Brady drafted two in back to back years. The Patriots drafted 4 QBs within the first 3 rounds since Tom Brady became the starter and have drafted a QB in about 50 percent of their drafts.

The last time Belichick drafted a skill position player on offense in the first round was 2006...

Reality is we need to focus on defense and use later picks for offensive players and develop them behind a strong offensive line. Find a QB in the draft, but outside of that, the top 3 rounds should be defense and offensive line only.

We keep dumping resources into the offense to cover up for Garrett's awful scheme and then complain when individual players underperform or aren't healthy. That needs to end.

I agree on all points (with the exception of needing another QB in the draft... ) but I will also add that you need an adequate enough passing game to make the play action work for the run and vice versa.

So we need to go after a stud WR either in the Draft or FA to provide that threat. I'll also add that, if we keep Dez, he needs to be humbled into a hybrid 1.5 role and he & Dak need to fix the connection issues. (Even if that means buying a bunk bed and bunking together all offseason... Fix that ****)

 

[robjay04]

You’re not wrong but I think the 2016 draft was seen as such a weak draft on the top end which made the Zeke pick more acceptable. I don’t think we would normally draft a RB that high.

Correct me if I’m wrong but I can think of 3 skill position players taken in the first round by this team in the last 20 years(Zeke, Dez, Felix).

A lot of linemen, a lot of defense.

 

[robjay04]

When you draft a RB you have to expect a short career anyways so use him while you got him.

If Zeke plays 8 or 9 years it will be a success.

2 years have gone by in his short career and we have nothing to show for it.

Yep...

After the draft, Jerry said that drafting a premier RB his high is a way of them getting around giving a second contract to a back with high mileage(see Murray).

 

[Fletch]

So now Dak sucks, and Elliott is a liability. Love these threads. Only 7 months to go. Yay!

 

[mardwin]

So now Dak sucks, and Elliott is a liability. Love these threads. Only 7 months to go. Yay!

Dak does suck. The guy can't pass beyond 10 yards with consistency.

 

[Bleu Star]

So now Dak sucks, and Elliott is a liability. Love these threads. Only 7 months to go. Yay!

Yeah. He ruined an otherwise great post with that veiled Dak shade....

 

[Bleu Star]

Dak does suck. The guy can't pass beyond 10 yards with consistency.

Dak doesn't suck.

I got all night.

 

[Swanny]

It's a joke Garrett runs this guy 30 times a game. All it's getting us is a shortened career for Zeke.

Meh RBs do not last long anyways. Rather run him into the ground on his rookie contract then draft another rookie to replace him

 

[erod]

It's a joke Garrett runs this guy 30 times a game. All it's getting us is a shortened career for Zeke.

It's the only thing that works. Otherwise, it would be 20 carries a game.

 

[Tommy]

It's a joke Garrett runs this guy 30 times a game. All it's getting us is a shortened career for Zeke.

Ok. Normally the complaining focuses on us not using Zeke enough. Now it’s a joke that we use him so much.

It can’t be tough to keep up around here.

 

[mardwin]

Dak doesn't suck.

I got all night.

I guess you haven't been watching Cowboys Football. Were you the same person that gave me a hard time because I liked Wentz much better than Dak? I bet you are.

 

[Bleu Star]

I guess you haven't been watching Cowboys Football. Were you the same person that gave me a hard time because I liked Wentz much better than Dak? I bet you are.

I might have been.

Wincez sucks!

 

[Galian Beast]

I agree on all points (with the exception of needing another QB in the draft... ) but I will also add that you need an adequate enough passing game to make the play action work for the run and vice versa.

So we need to go after a stud WR either in the Draft or FA to provide that threat. I'll also add that, if we keep Dez, he needs to be humbled into a hybrid 1.5 role and he & Dak need to fix the connection issues. (Even if that means buying a bunk bed and bunking together all offseason... Fix that ****)

WRs don't win championships. These guys take up way too much salary cap for the impact that they have.

 

[Cowboy4ever]

I was in the camp to draft Elliott 4th overall.

I think he is one of the best players in football. I'd give him the rock every down if it were up to me.

But this idea that next season will be fine because he won't be suspended and simply has to stay out of trouble is mistaken. Running backs are often injured or dealing with an injury. It was never my intention that this team be built to rely on a running back to be available. That's poor strategy if I've ever seen it.

If you're going to be a run-first team, a physical smash mouth team, you're going to need the defense to back it up. If this passing game can't carry the team without Elliott, you need to refocus entirely on defense, period.

In the last 5 years the Patriots have drafted the following positions in the first 3 rounds

2017
3 - OLB
3 - Tackle

2016
2- CB
3 - G
3 - QB
3 - DT

2015
1 - DT
2 - Safety
3 - LB

2014
1 - DT
2 - QB

2013
2 - OLB
2 - WR
3 - CB
3 - SS

That's a total of 15 picks, of which only a third were on offense, none being 1st round draft picks and only one skill position player on offense outside of QBs.

The Patriots who have Tom Brady drafted two in back to back years. The Patriots drafted 4 QBs within the first 3 rounds since Tom Brady became the starter and have drafted a QB in about 50 percent of their drafts.

The last time Belichick drafted a skill position player on offense in the first round was 2006...

Reality is we need to focus on defense and use later picks for offensive players and develop them behind a strong offensive line. Find a QB in the draft, but outside of that, the top 3 rounds should be defense and offensive line only.

We keep dumping resources into the offense to cover up for Garrett's awful scheme and then complain when individual players underperform or aren't healthy. That needs to end.

2017

1- DE

2- CB

3- CB

4- WR

2016

1- RB

2- LB

3- DT

4- DE

4.1 QB

2015

1. CB

2. DE/LB

3. OT

4. LB

2014

1. OG

2. DE

3. No pic

4. LB

2013

1. C

2. TE

3. WR

4. S

Don't see a lot of difference in the resources dedicated to the D. The WR drafted last year was drafted to be a specials team ace (returner, and he looked decent to good his rookie year). The QB was of course Dak and a comp pick and the other WR was Twill, I agree we could have done better with that pick but if I remember right it was a pick that we got in a trade down. So you base your whole argument on a 4th round WR that was drafted this past year and a running back that has the potential to be an all time great. I agree that the TE in 2013 was a wasted pick.. But nothing that has set us back multiple years or anything. You can also question the actual picks that were made, like Gregory and Smith but the resource was still spent on D, just hasn't worked out well in Smith's case, it hasn't worked out YET.

What is noticeable though is how NE stock piles 1-3 rd picks. That's impressive and also make a huge difference in talent level you can bring in.

 

[Galian Beast]

When you draft a RB you have to expect a short career anyways so use him while you got him.

If Zeke plays 8 or 9 years it will be a success.

2 years have gone by in his short career and we have nothing to show for it.

Like I said, I would run him every down, but to expect him to stay healthy or you're going to have a bad season? That's folly.

 

[Titleist]

I guess you haven't been watching Cowboys Football. Were you the same person that gave me a hard time because I liked Wentz much better than Dak? I bet you are.

Pretty much anyone who doesn't have their silver and blue glasses on too tight will acknowledge that Wentz is a better QB than Dak at this point... that said, Wentz stays in the pocket longer than almost any QB in the league and pays for it. Time will tell, but I think he's an injury liability

 

[Galian Beast]

2017

1- DE

2- CB

3- CB



2016

1- RB

2- LB

3- DT



2015

1. CB

2. DE/LB

3. OT



2014

1. OG

2. DE

3. No pic



2013

1. C

2. TE

3. WR



.

It wasn't until the last couple of years that we've even looked at focusing on defense again. We need to continue in that vein. But just looking at 2013, I can tell you that those draft picks were mistakes. Particularly as you said the tight end, that they never made any real effort to use, just as they hadn't with Fasano or Bennett before him.

But more to my point is that we shouldn't be drafting a WR early like many are suggesting.