(Photo: Evan Brunell, FireBrandAL.com)Since using a first-round draft pick to acquire running back Laurence Maroney in 2006, the Patriots have taken a different approach when it comes to the running game.
Until last year’s draft when the Pats drafted running backs Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen — neither of whom was taken in the first round — New England has used random free agents and aging veterans to fill out its backfield. And, to some extent, it worked. Or did it just work better than Maroney?
Although the Patriots never won a Super Bowl with Maroney, they did win a lot of football games — 16 of which were during New England’s record-breaking 2007 season. But never a championship.
And right after the first game of the 2010 season, Maroney was sent to Denver.
Since drafting Maroney and before acquiring Ridley and Vereen last season, New England only drafted one other running back: Justise Hairston … in the sixth round of the 2008 draft.
And since the departure of Maroney, the Patriots have had the most success with BenJarvus Green-Ellis, an undrafted free agent who got his opportunity when Fred Taylor and Kevin Faulk were injured. Green-Ellis was the first Patriot to rush for more than 1,000 yards since Corey Dillon did in 2004.
The last time the Patriots won a Super Bowl was 2004.
In addition to Green-Ellis (who is expected to be the team’s primary back but is also a free agent), Ridley and Vareen, New England’s backfield also has Danny Woodhead and a Faulk. Faulk remains on the fence about retirement after 13 seasons, the last one ending with him not dressing for the Super Bowl.
It’s not too common for a team to trade for a standout running back like Dillon, but a peculiar situation allowed the Patriots to do so. And since then, they’ve had the best luck with backs that seemed past their prime or not worth the money they were making. Some even thought Dillon was over the hill and that his bad attitude would get him nowhere fast.
He went on to be a vital part of the Patriots’ Super Bowl XXXIX run and made the Pro Bowl.
Sammy Morris, Taylor and even Woodhead are other players Belichick has utilized after many others passed them up.
None have paid off quite as nicely as Dillon, though.
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