Maroney brings the whole nine yards to New England

By Anthony Carroll  |   Thursday, May 18, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

New England Patriots
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!
The core of the New England Patriots' backfield has over a decade and a half of experience in it.

And that's including the goose egg that the team's first-round selection, Laurence Maroney, brings to the playing field.

Don't expect to find many goose eggs in Maroney's 2006 stat table, though. Then again, don't expect to see four digits either.

The Patriots' organization has made a name for itself over the past several seasons as one of the premier developmental bodies in the NFL. With the 21st draft choice in the 2006 NFL Draft, Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick made Laurence Maroney their latest developmental project.

Heading into his junior season at Minnesota, the 6-0, 215-pound running back commented, "Whatever the coaches want me to do, I'll do. If they want to run me fifty times a game, I'll be able to handle it. If they want me to split carries with the other guys, I can handle it. I'm ready."

On the professional plane, that mindset fits Maroney's new role impeccably.

Maroney will provide the team with a serviceable backup to 31-year old veteran, Corey Dillon. Dillon, who rushed for 1,635 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first season at New England, hit a rare road bump in his career in 2005. Last season, the 225-pounder started only ten games, as he was plagued with nagging calf and ankle injuries throughout much of the year. As a result, Dillon ended up rushing just 209 times for 733 yards on a career-low 3.5 yards per carry.

"We expect Corey to be ready to go," said head coach Bill Belichick. "I'm sure that he will be. He's professional and he's been a very productive player for us. We expect Corey to have major contributions for us this year, just as we do Kevin Faulk."

Belichick didn't forget his other man, Kevin Faulk, either.

Faulk, who sees time as a third-down running back in the Tom Brady-led offense, is quietly another strong weapon in the New England Patriots' arsenal. Faulk has been hit with foot and knee injuries over the past two seasons, preventing him from posting top-of-the-line backup numbers. In 2004 and 2005, Faulk carried the ball just 105 times for 400 yards and two touchdowns. However, expect Faulk to rebound to his 2003 form--a form that earned him 638 yards on the ground on an inflated load of carries.

That leaves one of the best coaches in professional football with a Pro Bowl halfback, a top-flight rookie, and a backup fighting hard to rebound from a disappointing season.

One of Bill Belichick's first statements after the first round of the NFL Draft was, "I like our backs."

The rest of the AFC East can't share that same feeling.

Anthony Carroll can be contacted at acarroll@realfootball365.com

• Get more Laurence Maroney analysis at Realfootball365.com
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (1)

About Anthony Carroll

Anthony Carroll began writing for RealFootball365.com on Sept. 26, 2005, making him one of the longest tenured contributors to the “365” team. As a senior writer, Anthony has taken on the task of delivering original content to the silver and black faithful year round, despite having to deal...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report