It’s just over a month
until the first NFL preseason game, so it’s the perfect time to start looking
at New England’s roster. I’ll go through the depth chart, position by position,
looking at the players, their past performances and future expectations for
training camp and the next season of football.
Running Back Overview
Last season the running back position contained some
surprises. Stevan Ridley had a stellar season, racking up over 1200 yards and 12
touchdowns on 290 carries. Shane Vereen had a breakout game against the Texans
in the playoffs, catching 5 passes for 83 yards and 2 touchdowns and rushing
for another score. But both of those performances were complementary. Last year
the Patriots leaned on Rob Gronkowski,
Wes Welker and Tom Brady and ran the ball mostly as a
change of pace, rather than relying on the rushing attack to carry the offense.
With uncertainty at the receiving positions, the Pats may have to rely more on
their running backs. Will they be up to the task?
Player by Player
1. Stevan Ridley
Ridley had an enormous second year jump. He nearly tripled
his yardage from year one to year two, ending his sophomore season with 1263
yards and a solid 4.4 yards per attempt. Ridley is a good, solid running back,
and is even more special because of his quickness and ability to make a big
play. Especially with Gronkowski out for the beginning of the season and other
important players from last year gone from the team, Ridley should expect an
expanded work load for at least the first few weeks of 2013. But there are some
concerns about the young player.
The first is injuries. Ridley took a big hit in the AFC
Championship game against the Ravens. His and Bernard Pollard’s heads met and
Ridley took the brunt of it. The way he crumpled to the field indicated that he
have lost consciousness after the helmet to helmet hit. Although the hit itself
was a bit of a fluke, it is indicative of the kind of punishment Ridley would
face if he does become a full-time starter and a workhorse for the Patriots’
offense. If he does start to get 20 or so carries a game (which hasn’t happened
in a Patriots’ offense since Corey Dillon’s superb 2004 season) Ridley is going
to end up taking some shots, some big hits that will knock him on his ass. He
will have to be willing and ready to take that kind of punishment, and it looks
like he’s prepared for it. At the beginning of the offseason, reports came out
that Ridley looked bigger than last year, which would help him soak up the
punishment that a lead running back takes over the course of an NFL season.
Ridley’s first season as a lead back also revealed some
fumble concerns. His 4 fumbles put him close to the top of the league. His
performance during the Sunday night game against the 49ers is even more
worrisome. The Pats were clearly looking to run the ball on a cold and rainy
December night, but Ridley just could not keep a hold of it. He only turned the
ball over one time during that game, but it was concerning enough that he was
essentially benched after the first quarter. Danny Woodhead would end up in the backfield for almost all of the
Patriots’ second half comeback.
Even with some of these concerns, Ridley seems a promising
part of the Patriots’ offense. He should get more carries this season,
especially during the early season when Gronkowski might miss time or not be at
his best. He could be a 1500 yard runner if he stays healthy and consistent.
2. Shane Vereen
Vereen is the most intriguing player on the offense this
season. Anyone worried about the Pats losing the production of Wes Welker and Woodhead should look to
Vereen, who could help fill the holes left by those two players in addition to
bringing a set of new skills to the table.
Vereen’s speed and athleticism make him a multi-dimensional
threat. As a runner, he’s most suited to taking inside handoffs up the middle,
a la Woodhead or Kevin Faulk. If he lines up in the backfield, fans can expect
him to catch a fair number of passes on swings into the flat or screen plays.
In open space, this guy’s quickness could be killer.
But that’s only half of Vereen’s game. Although it’s only
one game, his performance against the Texans last January shows Shane’s
potential as a receiving threat. In that game, he lined up across the field.
Although his size and agility would argue he is best suited for the slot
position, Vereen has the speed to play on the outside of a formation. On his
big touchdown catch against the Texans, he motioned out of the backfield and stood
a few feet from the sideline. Because of his initial position in the backfield,
he had been matched up against middle linebacker Barrett Ruud. Ruud followed
Vereen to the outside, where he was promptly burned on the big touchdown.
Vereen’s potential as a receiver is huge, and with Welker, Woodhead and now Aaron Hernandez gone, there will be
plenty of room for him have a breakout year.
3. Leon Washington
Washington won’t spend much time in the backfield.
Indications are that the former Jet and Seahawk was signed to play as a
designated kick and punt returner, which is good news, because the return game
has been pretty mediocre for most of the past decade. As a punt returner, Julian Edelman has made some impressive
plays, but his injuries and off-field issues have limited his production.
Sometimes the sure-handed Welker would line up to return punts. He would always
catch them, which was appreciated, but he never went far with the ball (I can’t
find video of it, but I’m always reminded of Matthew Slater trying to return a kick against the Steelers three
seasons ago, and having the ball bounce off of his facemask). Kick returns were
even worse. The way the Pats ran them, whether with Lawrence Maroney or in more recent seasons Devin McCourty, they seemed like longer, drawn out versions of
touchbacks, except with a greater risk of being well inside the 20. Good
returns can be huge plays (see here), and
Leon should make a lot of good returns.
4. Brandon Bolden
Bolden had a good start to the season, culminating in a 137
yard effort against the Bills in Week 4, until injuries and a suspension kept
him out for the latter part of the season. Bolden runs with power. He’s goes
downhill and he’s not afraid of taking on a tackler, much the antithesis of the
shifty Ridley. He gets most of his carries when Brady is under center, which
limits role in an offense that plays so often out of the shotgun. Bolden’s
style of running might be a good change of pace; it was good enough to get him
onto the 53 man roster last season, but his presence on the field might be a
tip off to opposing defenses that a power run is coming on the next play. He
doesn’t fit perfectly into the Patriots’ no-huddle passing offense, but he could
give it an added, power-running dimension that it lacked in previous seasons.
5. LeGarrette Blount
Blount came to the Patriots as a result of a trade with the
Buccaneers. The Pats sent wannabe track star Jeff Demps in return for the big
bruiser. If the 5’11” Bolden runs downhill, 6’1” and 245 lb Blount rolls down
mountains. In college at Oregon and during his short time in Tampa Bay,
Blount’s physicality has made some spectacular, highlight-reel plays. He does
seem to have a temper, which may have led to his exit from Tampa, and I have
questions about how he fits into the Patriots offense. The Pats like to be able
to do multiple things with one personnel grouping. Last season, they played a
lot with Gronk, Hernandez, Ridley, Lloyd and Welker. With those players on the
field, they could do almost anything: from throwing deep to a tight end, short
to Welker, a screen to Ridley or running off tackle with Ridley. A lot of that
ability rests on the versatility of the individual players. Ridley is effective
at running the ball and is decent enough catching it out of the backfield. Is
Blount as versatile? For that matter, is Bolden? If they aren’t, they won’t see
much of the field once the season starts. This is especially concerning for
Blount, who has yet to prove himself in the Patriots system. If he can’t make
plays, he might not even make the team.
6. George Winn
7. James Develin
Both of these players seem to be around for practice
repetitions. Ridley suffered a minor injury during OTAs, which seems to have
prompted the signing of rookie free agent Winn. Develin spent last season in
New England as a fullback but never stepped onto the field. It’s most likely
that they’ll take snaps during training camp and one or both will be cut before
the season starts. Develin might have a better chance, as the Patriots may be
in need of a blocking fullback or H-back after the release of Hernandez. Maybe
one of the two will shine during camp or preseason, but it is unlikely that
both will make the final roster.
Final Thoughts
The Patriots seem set at running back. They’ll lean on
Ridley to keep up and improve upon last season’s production and look to Vereen
to expand his role in the offense, especially as a receiving threat. This
position could be the one that breaks out and carries the team to success, like
the tight ends have done the past two seasons. Given the uncertainty that
surrounds the other offensive skill positions, the running backs might have to,
or the Pats offense will have a huge letdown in production.
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