Laurence

Maroney

Maroney looked every bit the future star he projects to be, swiveling through and past defenders for 27 yards on a third-and-long in the first half. Corey Dillon amassed 27 yards on five first-team carries.

"(Belichick) said it’s been a long time since he’s had a running back accelerate through the hole like Maroney,” Gophers offensive coordinator Mitch Browning said. New England will try to keep the hype down, but it’s hard to imagine Maroney not making a serious dent into Corey Dillon’s carries.

Once again, Maroney showed a burst that Corey Dillon simply doesn’t have. Maroney is earning the right rotate in with Dillon and Kevin Faulk, but he’ll have a hard time maintaining consistent fantasy value that way. He’s a high upside mid-round pick.

He split carries evenly with Corey Dillon. Maroney made some dazzling moves on his first two carries, gaining 50 yards. He was workmanlike the rest of the day, but it’s clear New England can’t keep him on the bench. Expect a similar strategy moving forward, making Maroney a solid RB3 in fantasy leagues.

Teams are trying out washed-up retreads (Clinton Portis) and undrafted rookie practice squad types (Chase Reynolds), but they’re not calling Maroney. The 26-year-old Maroney was recently cleared in connection with a misdemeanor marijuana charge. Maroney was the 21st overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft.

This is the first sniff we’ve heard of Maroney even getting a workout since the season started. On a bye week, the Redskins are obviously just updating their emergency list as their backfield is already crowded.

Maroney hasn’t shed his red non-contact jersey yet during camp, but he should do so soon. The Patriots are probably holding him out of early work because the preseason is meaningless. It simply isn’t worth the risk.

We’ll get a better idea of whether there is any chance Maroney will miss Monday night’s bout with Cincinnati later in the week. The Patriots often limit players in practice with minor injuries. Keep an eye on his updates.

Nothing’s changed from Wednesday and Maroney seems likely to be listed as questionable on Friday. He’s got a great matchup against the Bengals on Monday night, but could be a game-time call. Check back for more on Friday.

Maroney’s status will probably come down to a game-time decision again. The Patriots head to Dallas for a late afternoon game, and Maroney would only be worth waiting for if you had Sammy Morris or another serviceable fill-in option. New England rarely upgrades “injured” players during the week.