He won't be taking any more handoffs from Tom Brady, nor will he be doing his "You-can't-see-me" dance in the end zone at Gillette Stadium, but Laurence Maroney is not done helping the Patriots.
No, he can't help New England win any games this year (some fans would argue that he never could do that), but he can help them in a potentially more significant way.
The Broncos play the Raiders in Week 7 and Week 15, and two Broncos wins will go a long way in helping to determine the Raiders' final record. That's significant, of course, because the Patriots own the Raiders' top pick in next year's draft. That pick comes from the Richard Seymour trade of last year, and with a new rookie pay scale expected in the next CBA, the Patriots could be in prime position to nab an elite talent in the top five or 10 picks. That's entirely dependent on whether the Raiders can improve upon last year's 5-11 record.
Though the Raiders' defense was praised in the offseason, it was a no-show for Week 1 against the Titans, giving up 38 points. Part of Tennessee's scoring barrage came on a 74-yard touchdown run by Chris Johnson. Laurence Maroney is no Chris Johnson, but if he can do a decent impression and help hand Oakland two more notches in the loss column, the Patriots will be forever grateful.
Maroney has motivation himself, too. He is, essentially, at the crossroads of his career. If he puts up big numbers for Denver, some team will look to sign him in the offseason. If he has another mediocre season, he'll be struggling to make a 53-man roster next summer.
Patriots fans, who never loved the running back to begin with, don't care how he does this season. For at least two games, though, they should.
