Is Laurence Maroney On the Outside Looking In?

When the Patriots signed former Jaguars running back Fred Taylor on the first day of free agency, it made clear one thing: that the New England Patriots are starting to lose faith in Laurence Maroney.

Since drafting him in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft, the Patriots have tried desperately to find a niche for Maroney. The 24 year-old out of Minnesota has had two productive seasons in his three years with the Patriots, however, he has not panned out as expected.

Maroney has been riddled with injuries in his three years with the Patriots, missing two games in 2006, three games in 2007 and thirteen games in 2007. His season rushing totals have gone from 745 to 845 to 93. He seemed to be turning it around in the latter portion of the 2007 season, including the run to Super Bowl XLII, but injuries and inconsistency ended his 2008 campaign. In 2008, his season-high for rushing yards was a measly 51 yards in the season opener against Kansas City.

Obviously, the Patriots aren't shy about cutting their losses. However, they have been adamant that Maroney is ready to explode onto the scene since drafting him in April 2006. However, his on-field performance has not lived up to his off-field hype. He seems tentative to hit the hole when given the ball, and his propensity to dance behind the line of scrimmage has driven Patriots fans and coaches crazy. He's blessed with tremendous speed and great strength, but he has been unable to show those skills in his three years with the Patriots.

With that in mind, the question has to be asked; are the Patriots ready to cut ties with Maroney? He is owed over $5 million until his contract expires after the 2010 season. The running back position is a strength for the Patriots, who have a platoon of Maroney, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, Fred Taylor and BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Will the Patriots look to trade Maroney and make a move for someone like Chris Wells in the upcoming Draft? Or will they outright let Maroney go and allow for Morris, Faulk and Taylor to battle for snaps? Or will they try to trade for malcontent Kansas City running back Larry Johnson, who is desperately looking for a new team?

One thing is for sure; if Maroney is on the 2009 Patriots roster, this is his last chance. If he suffers through another injury plagued season or battles inconsistency and loses his job to Morris or Taylor, expect him to be gone following the season. That is, if he's even on the 2009 team.