Antowain Smith??

[mrsteel]

Hi, I just registered and would like to know everyones opinion on Antowain. Do you like him, hate him or don't care? What should Pats do with him?

I've been collecting his cards since his final year with Buffalo.
I'm disappointed in this past seasons performance , but think he can rebound and get back to 1000 yds+, 10 Td,s , if given the touchs.

he did have a career year in Receptions and rec. yards ( Yeah I know thats not saying much.

Well I'll end it there and look forward to hearing from you other Pats fans .

[pookie]

Originally posted by FallingAlice
Mr. Steel,

You shame me with your undying interest in Patriots-related matters, even in this dull football time.

I realize that for the most part I've been mostly interested in the politics thread. I'm sure that will change come draft day.

My opinion of Antowain isn't favorable. First, I was ticked that he showed up out of shape. I also think that he's kind of a dumb runner. I remember several games in several key moments when Smith seemed determined to turn a sure touchdown into a far more modest gain. (Tennessee comes to mind.)

For a big running back who's supposed to get tough yards between the tackles I think he's fair. Not great. Not a huge threat. He's not a speed demon either. And I don't think he's a great blocking back in passing situations.

I'd like to see the Patriots upgrade at running back.

I'm with ya on that Alice. I think he got a little fat and lazy after the SB season. He was out of shape last year and I've been told that's been one of his down sides even when he was w/ Buff. He'd better come ready to play for camp because he's not going to be a shoe in this year like he was last year. Faulk is pretty small but he deserves more touches, especially in light of his efforts in the last half of last season.... he showed us something.

Originally posted by mrsteel
Hi, I just registered and would like to know everyones opinion on Antowain....I'm disappointed in this past seasons performance , but think he can rebound and get back to 1000 yds+, 10 Td,s , if given the touchs...He did have a career year in Receptions and rec. yards....

The problem is two-fold: the Pats need to do more than pass to set up the run. Everyone in the league jumped on the passing bandwagon and yet another smashmouth football team wins the Super Bowl with a combination of defense and a balanced attack. Even the Lambs, held up as the prototypical passing offense in '01 had Faulk in the backfield -- and actually gave him the ball.

The Pats didn't commit to running the ball last year. The line was a shambles with seven different starting o-line configurations. They need to address the problem of running the ball team-wide and that includes game planning, coaching and defense. It is hard to run the ball when you don't have the ball.

That said, I'm not a big fan of Antowain. He gets Bledsoe-like happy feet. I want them to find a guy who seeks out the contact or is good enough to avoid it. It is hard to gain yards when you turn you back to the defender like Antowain does. The Pats need to upgrade the RB position.

1200 yards is 75 yards per game. Anything less than that and you are not a running team. Can they get that out of Antowain -- probably if they improve the line and the coaching staff commits to running. However, I still don't enjoy watching him. I do like Faulk and I want him to be a larger part of the offense.