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The money is a factor when choosing between the two.
I disagree. I don't think the Pats would go with one player or another based on (or even partly based on) their cap hit.
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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.The money is a factor when choosing between the two.
Jordan could've signed w/the Saints and been guaranteed a job, he wouldn't sign here if he was "training camp depth," he is beyond the rookie FA deal at this point in his career. No one said he is going to be a back up 3rd down back either. He will make this team, the only way he doesn't if he gets hurt. I'm not saying Morris gets waived, what I'm saying is we find a way to keep them all. They will find room for Jordan, depth is critical at the RB position and we can't be lining up with Evans and/or Eckel as primary ball carriers if Maroney and/or Morris get hurt. We will feature the run a lot more this year with the defenses we will be facing, teams will adjust how they defend us so we will need to do the same. Also Faulk can not carry the load either so he is not an option as a full time back.
As far as Morris backing up Maroney, that was last year and this is this year. No one is guaranteed the same role from one year to another. We'll see what happens when the games start.
Also remember that, until the end of last year, alot of people were seriously questioning whether Maroney was a total bust, much less if he was is a legitimate NFL starting RB. How quickly we forget.
Many were wondering if he was in BB's doghouse, or injured, at times during the pass-happy regular season. We still don't know for sure. It's not out of the question that Maroney still wants to put heat on Maroney--yet another reason for bringing in someone like Jordon.
You sound very sure, almost as sure as you sounded when you said the pats would never cut Pass, and if they ever did, teams would line up to sign him.The Pats aren't going to devote 5 gameday roster spots to running backs.
That's just playing scared, though. If Evans, Morris, Faulk, and Maroney are active, then Jordan is inactive - period. I think the Pats would much rather invest a roster spot in a Slater or Ventrone or Spann or Eckel who could make an impact on special teams instead of riding the bench in street clothes like Jordan. And besides, the Pats have done that in cases where there are existing injuries at the position, like Thomas missing all of camp and most of the regular season. That's when you see the Pats picking up a Marcellus Rivers (or in 2006, Walter Rasby and Chris Luzar), but I don't think you see them carrying extra veteran players at a specific position going into the regular season just because there's been a history of injuries at such position.
You sound very sure, almost as sure as you sounded when you said the pats would never cut Pass, and if they ever did, teams would line up to sign him.
When Mankins was signed, I stopped saying, "The Pats would never ..."
Only a few fools ever ever said Maroney was a bust. There are certainly a very few of those, but not "alot."Also remember that, until the end of last year, alot of people were seriously questioning whether Maroney was a total bust,
He still has two more years before he is eligible for the Hall, so you'll just have to wait.Pass will one day make his triumphant return to the NFL.
Well he wouldn't exactly have a big role behind Bush, McAllister, and Stecker in New Orleans, either.
As far as depth goes, they have some: Morris and Faulk. If you're going to have depth beyond that, then they have to serve some other purpose. If you have 6 WRs and want to keep a 7th for depth, then it's usually a good idea for that player to be a contributor on special teams.
But Jordan isn't going to contribute on special teams, and if Morris, Maroney, and Faulk are all healthy, then he will be inactive. He might as well be sitting on his couch than sitting on the bench. Generally you want your gameday inactives to be a mix of a 3rd quarterback, a couple of backup offensive linemen, a couple of backup defensive linemen, and if there aren't enough injuries to fill the rest of the spots, then a back-end player such as Ventrone or Woods or Eckel. But you rarely will see a healthy FOURTH running back like Jordan be a healthy scratch - if he could play special teams, then he'd be active; if he can't, then he'd serve the same purpose on the shadow roster.
I've actually decided we can just whack Evans and Eckel. We'll have enough RB with Kool Aid, Morris, Jordan and Faulk; Morris and Jordan can block enough for the limited blocking role our FB have and we added several ST players who can pick up what's lost there.
We've added some big bodies who will have to play on special teams too. I actually have never looked at the ratio of athletes vs. big guys on special teams so maybe we wouldn't have enough under my plan but I think we would given how many starters play on special teams for us.ST players aren't completely interchangeable. Do you think Antwain Spann (6'0", 195#) can fill the ST role of a Heath Evans (6'0", 250#) or a Kyle Eckel (5'11", 240#)?
I don't see Jordan making the roster and Morris not, barring an injury. Morris is out on the field practicing - I think we can throw the whole "coming off an injury" idea out now.
The Pats have absolutely no room to carry a fourth pure RB. Jordan is training camp depth unless one of the incumbents do something to his job.