Corey Dillon set to "retire"

[James_Brooks21]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patr..._call_it_quits/

Mike Reiss, Globe Staff | February 22, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS — Running back Corey Dillon wants to leave the game on his own terms, saying he will ask the Patriots for his release and is prepared to retire. ‘I think more of my health, how I envision myself 5-10 years down the road,’’ Dillon said via cellphone from California. ‘‘I don’t want to be broken down, not able to play with my kids. I’ve been blessed and fortunate enough to play 10 years. I can get up and walk around and be comfortable. That’s one of the big determining factors.’’

New York Giants running back Tiki Barber made a similar decision this season, retiring to accept a broadcasting job with NBC despite still playing at a high level.

‘‘We came into the league together and when he said ‘retire,’ I said to him that we were thinking the same stuff,’’ Dillon said. ‘‘We’ve had a ton of carries, a ton of pounding.’’

The 32-year-old Dillon believes he has nothing more to prove. In 10 seasons with the Bengals (1997-2003) and Patriots (2004-06), he totaled 11,241 rushing yards, 14th on the NFL’s all-time list. In 2004, he won the Super Bowl ring he coveted.

‘‘There comes a time in your football career when you come to a conclusion and I’m at mine,’’ he said. ‘‘I don’t need to play.’’

Asked if he would suit up for another team, Dillon said he was ‘‘going to leave the window open, but it’s very slim.

‘‘Football is the furthest thing on my mind right now,’’ he said. ‘‘I may wake up and feel the itch and decide I still want to shake it, but as of now, I doubt that will happen.’’

Dillon said he has yet to speak with the Patriots. He is under contract for the next three seasons and his salary cap charge for 2007 is $4.4 million. Given that number, it’s likely the Patriots would grant his request.

When he signed a five-year extension in 2005 (with $6 million in bonuses), Dillon said he treated it as a two-year deal because of its structure. That extension, which paid him approximately $10 x million the last two years, came after the season in which the Patriots acquired him from the Bengals for a second-round draft choice. In his first year with New England, Dillon set the franchise’s season record for rushing yards (1,635 yards) and felt revived after seven mostly losing seasons in Cincinnati. Dillon also enjoyed the idea that he could blend into the team concept with the Patriots.

‘‘That was the best season of my career,’’ said Dillon, who settled with his family in Newton. ‘‘I did everything they wanted me to do and we won it all. It wasn’t like I went to the Pats and sat on the bench. I did my work and I’d like people to think I was a deciding factor in helping win the Super Bowl

I wanted the Bengals to break his back out before he retired I guess I don't get my wish. I think he gets the vote for most hated former Bengal ever. I don't blame him for wanting to win but go quietly in the night like Takeo. I can't stand Corey Dillon he's a jerk to me.

[Whur CHad At?]

Well I don't blame him. He looked way out of his prime last year. I thought the team would releaase him anyway

[HoosierCat]

Like most Bengals fans I've no particular love for CD. But -- and you knew there was a but coming, right? -- there's no getting away from the fact that he was a special talent on the field. And you have to wonder what his numbers would look like, and just how many rings would be on his fingers, had the Bengals not spent the Dillon years setting an NFL record for combined incompetence in management, coaching, drafting, and free agency.

Let the hall of fame debate begin...

[Whur CHad At?]

He won't get in on the first or second try, but maybe a 3rd try.

[Stripes]

I honestly don't think Dillon will ever make it. As running backs continue to produce more and more, I think Hall of Fame criteria will increase accordingly. If Corey does make it, I'm sure he'll be recognized as a Patriot. I wouldn't complain though... the man has the meanest stiff arm I've ever seen.

[Thurmanation]

LT's got a nice stiff arm aswell..

[HoosierCat]

the man has the meanest stiff arm I've ever seen.

What always struck me as "great" about CD was his ability to bounce outside. I can't count the number of times he would run up the gut, appear to get stuffed as the whole defense ran to the alleged tackle -- and then all of a sudden CD would pop out backwards and just run around everyone, usually for a huge gain if not a score. It always seemed to me his signature.

If only the organization had been better and he hadn't been such a d**k...oh well...

[GapControl]

the man has the meanest stiff arm I've ever seen.

What always struck me as "great" about CD was his ability to bounce outside. I can't count the number of times he would run up the gut, appear to get stuffed as the whole defense ran to the alleged tackle -- and then all of a sudden CD would pop out backwards and just run around everyone, usually for a huge gain if not a score. It always seemed to me his signature.

If only the organization had been better and he hadn't been such a d**k...oh well...

I was a teenager when Corey Dillon entered his first game as a Cincinnati Bengal. I was lucky enough to be at that game. If I recall correctly, that was the year Boomer was QB and Kijana Carter was the number 1 running back. (It could have been Jeff Blake at QB). Who was quarterbacking doesn`t really matter though. What sticks in my memory from that day is some virtually unknown PAC-10 running back gashing through the Jets defense. I kept thinking to myself, "Who is that guy? Take Kijana out and hand him the ball!" Man, that was a great day. The Bengals ended up losing to the Jets and Neil O`donnel but Corey was bouncing outside, stiff-arming, and shoulder-juking whenever he got the ball.

If anyway has that video, let me know. Suprisingly, I really can`t remember which QBs were on which teams!!! Boomer could have been a Jet then.

the man has the meanest stiff arm I've ever seen.

What always struck me as "great" about CD was his ability to bounce outside. I can't count the number of times he would run up the gut, appear to get stuffed as the whole defense ran to the alleged tackle -- and then all of a sudden CD would pop out backwards and just run around everyone, usually for a huge gain if not a score. It always seemed to me his signature.

If only the organization had been better and he hadn't been such a d**k...oh well...

I was a teenager when Corey Dillon entered his first game as a Cincinnati Bengal. I was lucky enough to be at that game. If I recall correctly, that was the year Boomer was QB and Kijana Carter was the number 1 running back. (It could have been Jeff Blake at QB). Who was quarterbacking doesn`t really matter though. What sticks in my memory from that day is some virtually unknown PAC-10 running back gashing through the Jets defense. I kept thinking to myself, "Who is that guy? Take Kijana out and hand him the ball!" Man, that was a great day. The Bengals ended up losing to the Jets and Neil O`donnel but Corey was bouncing outside, stiff-arming, and shoulder-juking whenever he got the ball.

If anyway has that video, let me know. Suprisingly, I really can`t remember which QBs were on which teams!!! Boomer could have been a Jet then.

[Defender]

Like most Bengals fans I've no particular love for CD. But -- and you knew there was a but coming, right? -- there's no getting away from the fact that he was a special talent on the field. And you have to wonder what his numbers would look like, and just how many rings would be on his fingers, had the Bengals not spent the Dillon years setting an NFL record for combined incompetence in management, coaching, drafting, and free agency.

Let the hall of fame debate begin...

The Lions rode Barry Sanders all those years while never being as consistently bad as the Bengals and they couldn't even win a playoff game. So while his talent may have been one of the best in the league at some point, CD would never have gotten rings for the Bengals even with better management, but his numbers might have been more Hall-worthy.

[agreen_112]

c-ya!

[HoosierCat]

Retire my a$$! Check this:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2776090

Typical Crybaby Dillion! Waa waa waa I wanna be released because I'm not getting enough carries waa waa waa!!! Now...where have we heard THAT before?

Yeah, right Crybaby, you got your ring and don't need to play? Bull. Still all about me me me me, aint it?

Wonder if he'll throw his ring in the stands before he leaves.

Dillon: still a jerk after all these years.

[SteelerFan87]

I'm going to laugh if he ends up going to another team and the Pats fans see what a douchebag he is and finally turn on him.

[HairOnFire]

Is Dillon retiring or is it simply time for him to begin his 2nd career in the fast food industry?

This isn't news. Dillon was said to have wanted to announce his retirement immediately after the Patriots playoff loss, but was talked into delaying his decision by Tom Brady and others. Dillon was said at the time to be a player who, by his own admission, had completely lost his fire for the game, as well as two or three steps of speed, and it was said at the time that Dillon feared that a prolonged career as a declining role player would damage his chances to be elected to the HOF.

As for the HOF debate, I once wrote years ago that, as a Bengal player, Corey Dillon had played well enough to already have one leg into the Hall of Fame. Then, after being traded to the Patriots, Dillon managed to get the ring that defines so many careers. But in my opinion Dillon remained an elite player for the Patriots only for that first season, and that probably wasn't enough to get that second leg into the HOF. That said, Dillon's toxic image was seemingly washed clean in New England, and his popularity in that region may be enough to offset the negative image he created when he burned every bridge that led out of Cincy.

BTW, several years ago Dillon acknowledged much of his NFL legacy is being hated by the Cncinnati fanbase who watched him perform his most celebrated athletic accomplishments. Stats aside, that hardly sounds like the resume of a HOF immortal.

[HoosierCat]

This isn't news. Dillon was said to have wanted to announce his retirement immediately after the Patriots playoff loss, but was talked into delaying his decision by Tom Brady and others. Dillon was said at the time to be a player who, by his own admission, had completely lost his fire for the game, as well as two or three steps of speed, and it was said at the time that Dillon feared that a prolonged career as a declining role player would damage his chances to be elected to the HOF.

What is new, however -- or more precisely, same old, same old -- is CD's interest in still playing. His "own admission" you referred to appears to have been as much bullsh*t as the Boston Globe article at the top of this thread. Just as the final straw for him in Cincy was being forced to share time with Rudi Johnson (a player he publicly labeled inferior to himself), now he's talking his way off the Pats because he doesn't want to share time with Maroney. And he'll screw the Pats on the way out by dumping $6 million in dead money against their cap, though the new CBA rules will allow them to spread that hit out over this year and next, if they so choose. Were I a Pats fan, I'd be a tad p*ssed.

[BengalByTheBay]

I find it amusing that the thing that will most likely keep CD out of the HOF -- being such an a-hole to the media/HOF voters -- is kind of the same thing that makes Bengals fans hate him. Whatever -- I spent a lot of time defending CD the couple of seasons before he tossed his jock into the PBS stands. Having done so, however, I have very little interest in him at this point. Yes, the Patsy's benefitted from getting him for that one season. He was decent at that point and had a tiny bit left in the tank. CD without anger, however, is a uninspiring player. It doesn't surprise me that his decline has been so steep. The Pats no longer have any need for him either now that they have a halfway decent #1 back in Moroney. It's hard to believe that it was only a few seasons ago that RB was their glaring weakness. My guess is that nobody in Boston is all that worried about seeing him go. Remember last season's "read my stats" press conference. I don't think anybody is under any illusions about just how much of a jackass he is.

[HoosierCat]

It doesn't surprise me that his decline has been so steep. The Pats no longer have any need for him either now that they have a halfway decent #1 back in Moroney.

Decline? What decline? Dillon's rushing yards were down last season (812) but he also had the fewest carries (199) of his career. His yards/rush average was about par for his career (4.1 in '06 versus 4.3 overall), and he had more yards and a better average on fewer carries in '06 versus 2005. He also had a career-best 13 rushing TDs in 2006. And last year he had a career-high 9.8 yard average receiving to boot.

I thought the Maroney situation was perfect for CD. He could slide into a change-of-pace role and extend his career. It seems apparent the Pats had similar thoughts, and that CD balked at sharing the spotlight. Typical. Make no mistake, CD leaving makes the Pats weaker.

[Stripes]

I thought the Maroney situation was perfect for CD. He could slide into a change-of-pace role and extend his career. It seems apparent the Pats had similar thoughts, and that CD balked at sharing the spotlight. Typical. Make no mistake, CD leaving makes the Pats weaker.

Agreed. It's a shame too, because I think a couple more seasons of sharing the load with Maroney (granted his role would get smaller each year) would have gone a long way in cementing his Hall of Fame credentials. I think 12,500 - 13,000 yards and 95-100 TDs would make him a shoe in.

[HairOnFire]

Were I a Pats fan, I'd be a tad p*ssed.

Were I a Pat fan I'd just shrug and write it all off to paying a bill I always knew was coming.

BTW, isn't it interesting that Dillon links himself to Tiki Barber, another player with a reputation for criticizing management and coaching, but one who did it in such a way that it actually enhanced his ability to find work in television. By comparison, Dillon is such an unlikable and uninteresting personality that he's rarely interviewed.

[BengalByTheBay]

It doesn't surprise me that his decline has been so steep. The Pats no longer have any need for him either now that they have a halfway decent #1 back in Moroney.

Decline? What decline? Dillon's rushing yards were down last season (812) but he also had the fewest carries (199) of his career. His yards/rush average was about par for his career (4.1 in '06 versus 4.3 overall), and he had more yards and a better average on fewer carries in '06 versus 2005. He also had a career-best 13 rushing TDs in 2006. And last year he had a career-high 9.8 yard average receiving to boot.

I thought the Maroney situation was perfect for CD. He could slide into a change-of-pace role and extend his career. It seems apparent the Pats had similar thoughts, and that CD balked at sharing the spotlight. Typical. Make no mistake, CD leaving makes the Pats weaker.

It is my opinion only, of course, that sharing touches with another RB is the only thing that has somewhat disguised CD's loss of a step or two. I don't think he's a legitimate #1 RB on any team in the league at this point and he would be lucky to get 1/4 of the carries next season if he stays in NE. He still has a role, limited as it is, as a change of pace back, but he is becoming too slow to be a threat on the edge. Push his carries up and his YPR will drop steadily.

[Kazkal]

DILLON DONE ONLY WITH PATS

Although reports from Thursday night -- based on words that came straight from the player's mouth -- indicate that Pats running back Corey Dillon will retire, his agent now says that Dillon will be released from the Patriots on March 2, and will then look for another job.

"We were in discussions the last few days, and based on the roster and the offense, we felt there were better opportunities out there in the NFL," Steve Feldman, Dillon's agent, told the Boston Herald. "He felt like getting eight or 10 carries a game didn't give him the opportunity to demonstrate the abilities he still has. He figures he has a year or two left where he can be a premier performer."

Usually when we throw out an educated guess, we're wrong. On the rare occasions when we're right, validation comes so deep into the future that most people have forgotten what we once had to say on the topic. In this specific case, however, our sense regarding Dillon's "retirement" announcement was right on the money. Dillon is being displaced by Laurence Maroney, and he wants to play for another team, as the primary tailback.

Possibilities include, as we see it, the Jets, the Bills (if they move Willis McGahee), the Browns, the Ravens (if they don't keep Jamal Lewis), the Texans, the Broncos, the Lions (if Kevin Jones ends up behind schedule in his rehab), and the Packers.

[HoosierCat]

It is my opinion only, of course, that sharing touches with another RB is the only thing that has somewhat disguised CD's loss of a step or two. I don't think he's a legitimate #1 RB on any team in the league at this point and he would be lucky to get 1/4 of the carries next season if he stays in NE. He still has a role, limited as it is, as a change of pace back, but he is becoming too slow to be a threat on the edge. Push his carries up and his YPR will drop steadily.

I'm sure he's lost a step or two, but from what I saw of him in '07 he still seemed to have a good bit of his old burst and quickness left. I agree, a change-of-pace role is, I think, more suited to him now. But as last year showed he can still perform.

The PFT blurb kaz pasted links to a boston globe story, in which his agent says he doesn't know if CD is still a 25-carry-a-game guy but wants to be someplace that gives him, say, 15 lugs a game.

[TheCinciBengal]

well on ESPN they said that he mite retire or he mite go to a different team where he can get more yards in since the Patriots have Laurence Maroney he doesn't get in as much yards as he used to get

[BengalByTheBay]

Challenging my own opinion -- I would actually like to see him go somewhere that a team is relying on him to post consistent numbers, so I can see if he really has anything left. I truly believe that CD is like a boxer in that he needs to get himself po'd to perform at his highest level. He's an "angry" runner, which is why he would explode for huge games a few times a year as a Bengal when there was nothing on the line and nobody was really interested (other than sick Bengals fans, that is). His personality compels me at some level. Even in his first year at NE, I think he motivated himself by kind of trying to "show up" Cincy in some way. Now all he's got is the "they disrespect me" card that rings kinda hollow when you're a #2 putting up less than 1000 yards per season. I would like to see if he can do it for a few more years. I'm being honest when I tell you I don't think so. But I could be wrong -- like him or hate him it's kinda fun to have CD around making bizarre quotes and getting pissed off at the oddest things.

[Dan2330]

Perhaps Dillion is trying to change positions and play defensive end. That jersey of his looking a little snug in the gut in the playoff game against the Colts. Put the fork down Corey...