Remember When Dion Lewis Called the Patriots 'Cheap'? Yeah, About That ...
10 months ago:
“Hell yeah it’s personal. That’s what happens when you go cheap. You get your ass kicked. I know those guys. I know that you be physical with them and let ’em have it and they’ll fold.”
– Dion Lewis after beating the Patriots 34-10
Today:
Advertisement
This is a shame. You hate to see it. Just hate to see it.
Dion Lewis and I had made peace. Just a few days after questioning his old team’s salary structure and toughness and saying “Hell yeah, it’s personal,” he said it’s not personal. That he’s “a feisty guy” because he’s only 5-7. And I admitted that I was being a feisty 5-9 guy in a very emotional state when I said the following:
Dion Lewis can fuck right off. Him with his 5-4 team and his 3.6 yards per carry. Like I said this morning, this is a guy who was plucked from obscurity. He missed two full seasons, which is basically a lifetime for an NFL running back. When 31 other teams weren’t interested, the Patriots brought him in, gave him an opportunity, a shot at redemption, a career, a life. He went from a forgotten man to a Super Bowl champion and the man who led the league in rushing over the last half of last year thanks to Bill Belichick, Ivan Fears and this organization.The reason he cashed in with the Titans is solely because of their belief in him. And this is the thanks they get.
Dion Lewis took the high road. Tom Brady took the high road. So I decided to make the arduous journey over terrain I’m unfamiliar with to merge onto the high road too. Which is why it pains me to see a guy who helped earn us the fifth of six banners in such a lowly state right now.
Lewis is currently 65th in the league in rushing yards, with 29. That’s despite having an extra game in the books. It’s also not only 181 fewer yards than Derrick Henry has, it’s less than 1/3 of Marcus Mariota’s total. Meanwhile Sony Michel not only had the best postseason by a rookie running back ever, he had one of the great postseasons by anyone, period. And he’s four years younger. But you were saying about being cheap?
So it looks at this point pretty obvious this is another one of those controversial personnel decisions where the Patriots let a very good veteran go at exactly the right time. The player goes somewhere else and makes dump trucks filled with money. The Pats get someone who’s younger, better and cheaper. It works out for everyone except the team that got in late on the player.
Though to be fair, while most of the time the Patriots make the exact right move at exactly the right time, once in a while they just get lucky. Remember Adam Humphries this offseason?
The Pats wanted him but he had semi-sorta committed to Tennessee. And reportedly, the deciding factor was the Titans’ long term stability at quarterback. Yeah, about that. Last night was his breakout game. He connected with Mariota for 6 Receptions and 93 Yards. Giving him a whopping total of 9 Receptions for 97 Yards on the season. And catapulting him up to Pro Football Focus’ 87th-ranked wide receiver:
And compared to the 4-years, $36 million the Titans gave Humphries, Lewis’ 4-years, $20 million looks like a clearance sale “We’re selling everything to the bare walls!!!”-level bargain.
It brings me no joy to say this. If anything I’m posting it just as a reminder to us all that there are times like last year when we lose an appreciated veteran like Dion Lewis. Or last Veteran’s Day weekend when the outlook is grim. Or this summer when they miss out on an asset like Adam Humphries. But we recover. Things get better. The roster improves. And it all works out well in the end. For the Patriots, I mean. Best wishes to both players, though.