Redshirt "Sophomore" Harris The Key To Productive Running Game

30 May, 2020

There are probably many reasons why Bill Belichick is excited about this years incarnation of the New England Patriots' offense, but the most important one is that he finally gets to build the unit the way he always wanted to.

The way the draft went down suggests that he had everything he wanted to field a product that is based more on power and less on passing, needing only a tight end or two to put the whole thing together - and don't be surprised if the Patriots are formidable on offense despite not having Tom Brady under center.

Damien Harris

Because it's not a matter of replacing the greatest quarterback of all time, it was a matter of getting Brady out of his way so that he could build an offense in his own gruff image, using recent drafts to prepare for a philosophical shift that is going to mirror the early days of Belichick's tenure in New England, when the Patriots won three Super Bowl titles in four seasons with brute force.

Back in that day, a young Brady worked behind an offensive line built to run the football, handing off to the likes of Antowain Smith and Corey Dillon and riding their success to develop one of the best play action passing games in the league - but this is not suggest that second year quarterback Jarrett Stidham is going to enjoy the same success as Brady, nor that the Patriots as a whole are going to hammer their way to another Lombardi Trophy...

...but what it does suggest is that if Belichick made it work before, he believes that he can make that philosophy work again. It's not very scientific, but it is plausible, and he has the horses to make it a reality.

Starting with undrafted free agent center David Andrews and fourth-round guard Shaq Mason in 2015, Belichick has populated his offensive line with players coming from college programs where they developed into elite run blockers, adding left guard Joe Thuney the following year and left tackle Isaiah Wynn two seasons after that.

The offense hit a few snags along the way, most notably when All-World tight end Rob Gronkowski retired before last season, followed by injuries to Andrews, Wynn and every fullback on their roster which, when combined with running back Sony Michel's sophomoric slump and Brady's distrust of any receiver not named Julian Edelman, doomed the Patriots to their worst post-season showing in over a decade.

But as bad as it was, every negative circumstance that came out of the Patriots' struggles last season provided a clear view of what Belichick needed to do going forward as he starts anew with Stidham under center and, truthfully, it isn't that much.

First, Belichick upgraded the tight end position through the draft, taking two seam-busting, rough-and-tumble entities in UCLA's Devin Asiasi and Wake Forest's Dalton Keene, both willing blockers, with Asiasi more of an inline blocker with good speed in space and up the seam while Keene is more of an "H-back" who does his best work in pass protection and as a lead blocker out of the backfield, and as a safety valve on underneath routes in the passing game.

Neither is the second coming of Gronkowski, and they don't need to be, but both offer the versatility and are perfect fits to succeed in Belichick's philosophical shift.

Secondly, and although the jury will be out until they step on the practice field - whenever that will be - the starters along the offensive line should return healthy, and Belichick chose to back them up with new blood in the draft, taking three developmental types on the third day of the draft. They will compete with last season's less-than-thrilling pool of backups, hopefully one or two displacing the veterans.

Third, and most disquieting, was Michel's aforementioned and so-called "sophomore slump" which, in reality, was nothing more that proving that Michel isn't capable of getting anything more than what is blocked for him, looking more and more timid as time wore on and being benched in a handful of games in favor of tougher runners in Rex Burkhead and James White.

But there is an answer waiting in the wings in redshirt "Sophomore" Damien Harris, whom Belichick used a third-round pick on in last season's epic draft haul, number 87 overall. Belichick kept Harris on the active roster just as he did with James White in his 2014 rookie season, which, if history holds true, means that he has a specific plan for the hard-running, shoulder-dipping load out of Alabama...

...where he shared the backfield with now-Las Vegas Raiders' feature back Josh Jacobs, both enjoying equal success on the Crimson Tide's National Championship team, but with Harris becoming one of only eight running backs in Alabama's long history to rush for more than 3,000 yards in his career.

Harris ran over folks in the 2019 preseason, and showed soft hands in the pattern out of the backfield, gaining yards after initial contact by initiating said contact and exploding through the would-be tackler - something that would have been advantageous last season as proven by both White and, in particular, Burkhead.

But Burkhead's style and apparent fragility is a poor mix, as he has spent half of his Patriots' tenure on the trainer's table, and White is too important to the passing game as a third-down back to risk injury as an every down pounder. What the Patriots needed - and need - is Harris.

As far as Michel is concerned, he is still servicable as a change of pace back in a two-back set, though his running style is more angular than sudden, meaning that he is better at attacking the line through straight ahead creases as opposed to Harris, who possesses excellent vision and a wicked jump cut that comes in handy when cutting back against the grain.

In all, the Patriots should employ four backs, with Harris, Michel and White as roster locks, with Burkhead, Brandon Bolden and whatever free agents Belichick chooses to bring in battling for the last spot - while the fullback position should fall to second year undrafdted free agent Jakob Johnson, with rookie Dalton Keene seeing time as a lead blocker as well.

So on paper, the Patriots' running back depth chart looks solid, and with a productive running game being a young quarterback's best friend, that depth chart could be the most important position on the field.

Patriots' Backs Have Plenty To Prove Against Saints; Gaffney "Beast Mode" In Waiting?

"Gaffney is an unknown quantity, as he spent all of last season on the Patriots' injured list after being plucked off waivers by Belichick.  Projected to be a third round selection in last season's draft, he fell all the way to Carolina in the sixth round, as questions about his commitment to football and his relative inexperience of being a lead back in college came into play.

Both questions arising from him leaving school after his junior year to play baseball in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system, then returning for his senior year when he flat went off on the Pac-12, rushing for 1700 yards and 21 touchdowns in his only season as a starter.  At 6' 0" and 220 pounds, the duck-footed Gaffney looks a lot like Seattle Seahawks' runner Marshawn Lynch in the open field and at times in college looked just as difficult to bring down." - Foxborough Free Press, June 1, 2015

Tyler Gaffney says he wants to run like former Seattle Seahawks' running back Marshawn Lynch - but truth be known, he already does.

The duck-footed bruiser has a gait that has always resembled the man known universally as "Beast Mode", prefers to finish runs by punishing the tackler and has next-to-no elusiveness.  He is a compass runner - when traveling north and south, he is decisive through the hole and prefers to initiate contact and attempt to break the tackle rather than try to run around the tackle...

...but when traveling east or west - or sideline-to-sideline for the uninitiated - he is a bit of a glider, floating to the corner like a mobile quarterback would, waiting for a receiver to come open, only Gaffney is looking for a seam to plant his foot and burst through.

None of it is fancy, and it isn't intended to be.  Gaffney is a power back, pure and simple.

He won't break off many long runs and he will rarely beat a linebacker or a safety to the corner.  What he will do is gain the stripe by any means possible, be it the first down marker or the goal line, and if given the ball as a workhorse back, he will wear down a defensive front seven.

And that's what you want your running game to do for you.  In the version of the Erhardt-Perkins offense that Patriots' head ball coach Bill Belichick employs, the original mantra of "Pass to score, run to win" is in full effect - throw the ball to gain a lead, then run the ball to demoralize the defense and eat the clock.

The Patriots' passing game is tried and true regardless of signal caller, and that was even before the team added the likes of Martellus Bennett and Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell, and while those players need some reps in the offense to bone up for the season, it is the running game that has the most question marks surrounding it as the Patriots move towards their first preseason game next Thursday night.

There were two main issues that plagued the running back corps last season, and both needed to be addressed in the offseason.  The first being addressing the lack of tangible depth, as New England had no one to carry the load after they lost both scatback Dion Lewis and power back LeGarrette Blount, rendering the offense one-dimensional.

No one needs to tell Patriots' fans how ugly that was, nor how frustrating it was to watch the offensive line being overwhelmed like a earthen levee trying to hold back a tsunami, the lack of a running game allowing Patriots' opponents to load up their pass rush, knowing that Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had next-to-nothing to attack the middle of the defense with.

The second issue was that McDaniels has a bad habit of ignoring the tenets of the offensive philosophy by passing to score, then passing to try and win - as evidenced by the Patriots logging the lowest number of running plays in the history of the franchise.

Some of that had to do with the injuries, but the pace was already set way before Blount went down with three games remaining on the Patriots' schedule - and that can't happen again if New England hopes to ascend to the pinnacle of professional football.

Short of self-monitoring, there is no guarantee that McDaniels will comply with the philosophy, as the aforementioned passing game is destined to be the most lethal in the business - but that is a subject for the regular season, when the games count.  What the coaches will concentrate on in these initial preseason games is putting the running backs through some individual down-and-distance circumstances, to guage their reaction to certain stimuli.

For instance, Gaffney will most likely serve as a workhorse against the Saints, getting plenty of touches right up the gut against New Orleans' less-then-stout interior run defense.  Like a true power back, Gaffney needs some initial carries early in the game to get his feet wet, so to speak, and as is evident from the video, the more carries he gets, the more effective he becomes.



The same goes for Blount, who is a proven hammer and doesn't really need many reps in preseason, and since he is still recovering from the hip injury that ended his 2015 season, he may not get many at all - the same goes for Lewis, who is coming back from an ACL.

But unlike Blount and Gaffney, Lewis doesn't need to build up to effectiveness, as his video game like moves and sudden explosiveness make him an instant asset in the offense and, in fact, may be a better choice than the aforementioned power backs as the team's lead back as he is tough as nails between the tackles and almost impossible to corral if he slips into the second level off the edge.

Lewis is also the best pass catcher of the running back stable, but none of these things are in play for the first preseason game, as Lewis will likely be a spectator as the team wants to careful with him coming off of season-ending injuries in consecutive seasons.

What is in play, however, is a wide open competition for passing back depth, with perhaps just one spot available and three viable candidates.

James White has to be considered the favorite, as he filled in ably for Lewis after the ligament tear, gaining a comfortablity and the trust of Brady down the stretch.  Not as electric as Lewis in the open field - and, really, who is? - White instead relies on a wicked stutter-step and crazy body control, his elusiveness lying in barely conspicuous movements to get a defender leaning the wrong way.

What White hasn't proven is an ability to run between the tackles, so we can expect to see plenty of the Wisconsin product taking the deep handoff and hitting the hole with authority, which is, really, the only thing missing from his game - but he is capable, as he tore up the Big 10 as a complementary back who tore off large chunks of yardage strait up the guy in the Badgers' wall blocking scheme.

Free agent veteran Donald Brown also has a lot to prove, as he bottomed out when he had an opportunity to seize the lead back role in San Diego the past two seasons after five mediocre seasons playing part-timer in Indianapolis. Brown, a former first round selection out of UConn, has had opportunities in each of his seven professional seasons...

...backing up such marginal talent as Joseph Addai, Vick Ballard, and Trent Richardson with the Colts and Branden Oliver and rookie Melvin Gordon in San Diego - but every coup attempt has failed miserably. The primary culprit being that he is a jack of all trades, but a master of none - and his journeyman skills don't translate to sustained success.

Brown will get his touches against the Saints much the same way as White will, with plenty of work between the tackles and, particularly in Brown's case, how he performs in pass protection - as must for Patriots' backs and something that White does well, while Brown struggles.

Joey Iosefa is somewhat of a cult hero in New England, but if he makes this team, it means that either New England has had some serious injuries or Belichick isn't comfortable with any other depth player.  Bad Craziness. Still, Iosefa is a Blount-sized power back with very limited wiggle and zero change of direction ability which may limit him to a blocking back role...

...which belongs to James Develin, another Patriots' back coming off of a season-ending injury - so with Develin most likely being limited in preseason, Iosefa has an opportunity to display his wares and versatility in an attempt to gain a spot on the practice squad, if nothing else.

If there is a wild card in the mix for the final running back spot it is undrafted rookie D.J. Foster.  A gap-skipper, Foster is going to have to show a decisiveness with hole selection in the running game, and prove that he can get a clean release in the passing game without relying on pre-snap motion. Fans of the Arizona product will want to see him work out of the slot and as the trailing man in the bunch formation.

As with every other back on the roster not named Lewis or Blount, this preseason is vital to their continued employment.  It is going to come down to a question of what each would bring to the attack, which player's distinctiveness increases the talent level and gives the offense a better chance to become the juggernaut it is destined to be.

With Gaffney, his burden is two-fold: He has to try to either steal away Brandon Bolden's spot on the roster or try to unseat Blount.  Bolden is a running back in name only, a cover for his role as a special teams' ace.  The team would like to get more out of the position than a couple of meaningless carries, though Bolden was the best power back the Patriots had in the post season, which isn't saying a whole lot...

...and Gaffney has been doing some impressive work as a gunner on punting teams in camp, so his stock is rising. His task is a bit more daunting dealing with Blount, as he gives up thirty pounds and six years experience to the incumbent, but given the way he ran over, around and through Pac-12 opponents as a senior at Stanford, it is a given that he has the tools.

In his first three seasons at Stanford, however, Gaffney was all about baseball.

In high school, the San Diego native ran track and played basketball, football and baseball, opting for the latter two at Stanford, where he also doubled up on his majors of both Sociology and Psychology. On the gridiron, he saw little action his first three seasons while starting every game as an outfielder for the Cardinal baseball team...

...earning a 24th round draft selection from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the process.  With his football career going nowhere, Gaffney signed with the Pirates and left school, playing the 2012 season for the Class-A State College Spikes, who played their home schedule on the campus of Penn State University.

He played well, and constantly received congratulatory texts from his former coaches and teammates on nice plays and big hits, then took in Stanford football games during the baseball offseason, and began to miss the camaraderie he witnessed sitting in the stands with the families of his teammates - then after Stanford won the Rose Bowl over Wisconsin, Gaffney was cornered by defensive end Ben Gardiner.

"I told him that he was going to have a terrific offensive line" Gardiner recanted recently, referring to the 2013 season.  Gaffney took the bait and returned to Palo Alto, taking over as the bell-cow for the Cardinal and averaging 5.2 yards per carry and putting up a 1709 yard and 21 touchdown stat line on 330 carries.

Obviously, that number of touches is proof-positive that Gaffney can carry the load, and do so without putting the ball on the ground.  He gives up his body in pass protection and has decent hands out of the backfield - and given the noise he's making in camp, he may be a functional part of the Patriots' backfield going forward...

...but first, he needs to make it through camp and preseason contests to make the final roster, and he's going to have to show plenty to unseat a veteran, but there's a reason why Belichick plucked him off the waiver wire when the Carolina Panthers tried to sneak him through waivers and onto the IR when he partially tore a meniscus - and also why he kept Gaffney around after he missed all of last season with a bum knee.

To know what those reasons are, one only has to watch his college tape - it's all we have to judge him by to this point, but hopefully he shows a little of the Beast Mode against the Saints that he wants to emulate, because a fast start in the first preseason game can only help his visibility with the coaching staff.

Reloading The Musket, Part 4 - Lewis To Be Featured Back In Patriots' Juggernaut

"...Blount has plenty left in his 30 year old legs, but not so much that the team won't select a running back in the draft, one with some power and with some explosiveness, because truth be told, Blount has all of the explosiveness of maple syrup.

He is, however, a good complementary back when passing backs Dion Lewis and James White are mixed into the equation. White wasn't productive between the tackles, but was pure smooth hell in the pattern and put forth a yeoman's effort in picking up the blitz, while Lewis is everything a running back should be, and then some." - Foxborough Free Press, April 14, 2016

New England Patriots' general manager Bill Belichick is not an easy man to pin down, as anyone who has tried to figure out his draft board has experienced.

The general sentiment going into the 2016 NFL draft is that the Patriots were in need of a blue chip bell-cow running back that would put the team on his back, make yardage on his own behind what was wrongly perceived to be a terrible offensive line and bring new life to a running attack that ranked in the bottom three in all of professional football.

So what did Belichick do?  Almost completely ignoring the position in free agency and selecting a grand total of zero running backs in the draft, the Dark Master once again stunned the experts and confounded the fan base with his complete disinterest in what anyone else thought his team needed, and instead went about his dark business with a heart full of hate...

...signing a brace of former first-round draft picks in free agency to make up for the top draft capital taken from him by the league in their over-reaching response to a still-alleged ball deflation scheme, and then using the draft picks he had left to punk the experts by going heavily defensive, while tip-toeing around the perceived needs on offense.

My own mock drafts were an exercise in why-the-hell-do-I-even-bother, mocking the Patriots to move up for Derrick Henry or staying put in the second round for Jordan Howard or waiting even deeper into the draft - which I was certain was the safest route - to select small school back Darius Jackson, only to be denied in my belief that the Patriots needed that large, bell-cow running back to continue their offseason trend of becoming more physical at the point of attack.

But what we all found out instead is that Belichick is content with what he already has, and that we should have known this all along - and he's right, as usual, because he has a diverse range of skill sets lining the depth chart that, if he can get offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to use them correctly, will be very difficult for an opposing defense to deal with.

Of course, most of that has to do with the immense amount of talent among the tight ends, where defenses will be forced to focus, opening up running lanes and wheel routes for the backs - and in that respect, Dion Lewis should be considered the New England Patriots' featured back.

Hell, the way their offense is structured, he may even be a bell-cow - but not in a traditional sense, for the demure Lewis stands only 5' 8" tall and doesn't even tip the scales past 200 - not to mention his durability concerns will likely limit him to just the featured role, but he is built to carry the load, and then some.

Preposterous, you say?

Lewis has had some injury issues since entering the league as a fifth round selection of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011, and even had some shoulder concerns in his last season at the University of Pittsburgh, but still "shouldered" the load in his freshman and sophomore seasons before declaring for the NFL draft, because he had very little left to prove at that level...

...not after rushing for 1800 yards and 17 touchdowns as a freshman to win the Big East Conference's Rookie of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year - something done previously only by Virginia Tech's Michael Vick a decade earlier - his two year total of 2860 yards eclipsing LeSean McCoy's team record for rushing yardage in his first two seasons.

What's more, the man Patriots' receiver Julian Edelman nicknamed "Little Dirty" broke the freshman rushing record at Pitt, held previously by some dude named Tony Dorsett, and was named MVP of the 2009 Mieneke Car Care Bowl, named National Freshman of the Year by CBSSports and Sporting News, was a consensus second-team All American, with Sporting News even going so far as to claim that Lewis was "the game's most complete runner."

So with nowhere to go but down after such an auspicious start to his college career, Lewis followed Shady's lead in leaving school after his sophomore season, but quickly found out that as far as running backs go, size does matter, and if you don't have size, you'd better have something special that will make scouts and coaches not care about that so much.

So despite all of the records and accolades in college, Lewis ended up playing behind McCoy in Philadelphia, barely seeing the field, as McCoy was just starting to blossom as a superstar and received over three quarters of the offensive snaps - but on the occasions that lewis did get into games, he impressed Eagles President Joe Banner to the point that when Banner moved on to Cleveland, he worked up a trade to get Lewis on the Browns.

The plan was - according to then-Browns' offensive coordinator Norv Turner - that Lewis was brought in to be the starter over Trent Richardson, but he suffered a fractured fibula in the Browns' second 2013 preseason game, and was lost for the season.

"I would say he was going to play a great deal had he not been injured," Turner said in an interview last year, "After Richardson (was traded), Dion would have definitely been the starter."

So, Lewis is a featured back.  He was tabbed as the starter in Cleveland and he literally ripped that role away from Patriots' incumbent LeGarrette Blount to start 2015, and was on pace for 700 rushing yards and an absurd 1000 receiving yards, both numbers uncharted NFL territory for Lewis but for different reasons.

Before signing with New England, Lewis had caught just three balls for 21 yards for his pro career, after logging only 52 in his college career, prompting several draft scouts to question his fit as a passing back on the next level, the ambiguity concerning his receiving skills part of the reason why he slid to fifth round.

But the biggest knock against Lewis was his size, those same scouts universal in their notion that Lewis could not be an effective inside runner in the pros despite record-setting success in college, yet Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels sent him up the gut thrice as often as on the edges for an impressive 4.9 yards per carry.

Now, this is not to say that Blount was discounted in any manner by the Patriots, as while he was used sparingly early in the season - he had just 25% of the offensive snaps through the first half of the season compared to Lewis' 63% - he was an effective runner in his limited opportunities, and was actually on pace for a 1000 yard season before his hip attacked him with four games remaining.

Blount is pure power, his 6' 0", 250 pound frame gaining separation from would-be tacklers by simply running them over, and sometimes with the aid of a nasty stiff-arm, while Lewis has the innate ability to slip tackles in the hole by getting tacklers leaning one way, then side-stepping them or making them whiff with a disturbing spin move.

Both have their place in Belichick's version of the Erhardt-Perkins offense, it's motto being "Pass to score, run to win."

If looked at in that context, where the offense uses the passing game to gain a lead and then turns to the running game to wear down both the clock and the defense's will, then the Patriots offense is well on their way to being as fundamentally sound as any philosophy in football, and similarly dangerous - because let's face it, Lewis is the most explosive player on the team.

Passing back James White offers a competent alternative and change of pace from Lewis, to spell him at times on obvious passing downs.  While not as elusive as Lewis - and, really, how many players around the league are? - White has more size and is more versed in pass protection, willingly putting his body between blitzers and Brady.

What White doesn't offer is much in the running game, so obvious passing downs is the only time we will see him, and even then it will be sporadic.  That said, White has a trust bond with Brady after ably filling in after Lewis went down last season, and put together quite the compilation package to state his case.

Free agent pick up Donald Brown is a head-scratcher, unless Belichick feels that he offers something in the running game - which he might.  Brown's salad days were with the Colts, offering a change of pace to backs like Joseph Addai and Trent Richardson and averaging a serviceable 4.3 yards per carry, but spent plenty of time in the trainer's room and on the injury list.

Not surprisingly, Brown's best seasons were in 2011 and 2013, the only seasons that he played in all sixteen games, averaging 4.8 and 5.3 yards per carry, respectively - but that average dipped substantially when he left Indianapolis for San Diego, with whom he signed a three year deal then watched his effectiveness dip to 3.2 yards per carry.

Brown will have to show plenty in training camp to make the team, but the fact that he does many of the little things very well gives him a fighting chance.

Joey Iosefa and Tyler Gaffney round out the camp look for New England, and also Arizona rookie D.J. Foster, though the team lists him as a wide receiver.  Iosefa became a bit of a cult hero for a time last season for trucking Titan's cornerback Cody Sensebaugh, then was inexplicably released a week later despite the team having just White and special teams ace Brandon Bolden as runners...

...but Belichick told the University of Hawaii alum to stick around and that he would be resigned to the practice squad - which pretty much sums up what happened to Gaffney this offseason.

The Stanford grad is a bruising interior runner who as a senior ruined run defenses in the Pac-12 to the tune of 5.7 yards per carry and over 1700 yards, topped off with a ridiculous 21 rushing touchdowns.  Despite the lofty numbers and his performance at the combine, Gaffney fell precipitously in the draft, finally selected by Carolina in the sixth round.

Many in the league felt that Gaffney favored baseball, for which he left Stanford for a year after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates, which is the biggest reason why he lasted so long in the draft, while other drawbacks seem to stem from his lack of wiggle, with virtually no elusiveness to his game - just a straight-ahead, no-nonsense power runner who isn't afraid to mix it up.

Unfortunately for Gaffney, he has hit the IR in both of his years in the league, without ever appearing in even a preseason game, which makes assessing his value to the team difficult, but Belichick wouldn't have kept him around unless he had some idea of what the kid brings to the table - even if he did cut him earlier this spring, only to resign him at a better cap number.

If Gaffney makes the roster, one of the aforementioned will probably have to go, but that unfortunate player is not Dion Lewis...

...because Dion Lewis is the featured back.

Reloading The Musket, Part 3 - How Many Receivers Do The Patriots Need Anyway?

"The way the Patriots' offense looks to be structured will have an impact not just on the fringe depth at tight end, but probably will impact the receiving corps and depth at offensive tackle...as Bennett will take a roster spot from at least one of the swing tackles and from one of the wide outs, as his blocking ability on the edge combined with his pass catching prowess gives Belichick some roster flexibility, and given the fact that he will rarely come off the field." - Foxborough Free Press, June 7, 2016

A syllogism is a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two assumed or given premises, each of which shares a term with the conclusion and shares a common middle term not present in the conclusion - an example of which would be something to the effect of, "If it rains, we will not have a picnic.  If we don't have a picnic, we will eat at a restaurant.  Therefore, if it rains, we will eat at a restaurant."

This tenet of deductive reasoning allows us to assume things in a manner that doesn't make an "ass" out of "u" and "me", which is important for folks like mathematicians, scientists and, apparently, football prognosticators and beat writers - well, maybe not beat writers, but people who really care about accuracy and accountability.

It doesn't always work out, because syllogism doesn't rely on validation or truthfullness or even factoids, rather,it afford free reign to imagine and to dream, if one is so inclined - the only rules being one term influencing another to arrive at a logical statement or conclusion.


What does this have to do with football? It is deductive reasoning that allows coaches to track trends to incorporate into game planning, so they know that when they see a certain formation with certain personnel, they can conclude that, more likely than not, a certain play is coming.

The same dedustive reasoning is present in the team building process as well.  Let's take the New England Patriots as the offseason's prime example, and their acquisition of tight end Martellus Bennett in particular:

Martellus Bennett is a complete tight end
Complete tight ends rarely come off the field
Therefore, Martellus Bennett will rarely come off the field

And why should he?  As we know from the second part of this series, the addition of tight end Martellus Bennett changed the dynamic of the offense, affecting almost every position on the squad - he is a strong blocker on the edge in the running game and possesses a skill set that will likely make him no worse than a number four receiver, more than likely a number three.

All that means is that it will be a rare occasion indeed if either he or his All World compatriot Rob Gronkowski ever come off the field, and the same can be said for top wide out Julian Edelman.  That leaves two "skill position" spots up for grabs in a so-called starting capacity, and at least one of those will be going to be a running back, either power back LeGarrette Blount or passing back Dion Lewis or, in his stead, James White.

For the offensive line, it impacts the tackle depth, as with Bennett and Gronskowski playing on the edges, it eliminates the need for at least one swing tackle, a roster spot that can be used elsewhere, and not necessarily on offense - or maybe so as New England will be forced to keep three quarterbacks, as opposed to two from last season, which takes up that extra spot.

But enough about the line and quarterbacks for now, as we'll cover them in later pieces - right now the question begs, just how many pass catchers does Tom Brady need - or an even better question is how many roster spots will be open for his wide receivers, because the tight end and running back depth is pretty much assured.

Just for comparsions sake and in an attempt to establish somewhat of a base line, in 2015 Belichick kept four tight ends, five running backs and five receivers, not counting Brandon LaFell, who started the season on the PUP.  In part, these numbers were dictated by a rash of injuries before the preseason ended, but the sylloism begs:

In 2015 Belichick kept just five receivers
Injuries reduced the receiving corps to pedestrians
Therefore, Belichick will keep more receivers in 2016.

That isn't necessarrily true, but still counts as a syllogism because they are limited only by imagination.

Besides LaFell being on the Physically unable to perform list to start the season, the preseason claimed fellow receivers Brandon Gibson and Brian Tyms, H-back James Develin and center Bryan Stork, who was designated to return and did so in week nine - and all of this after Belichick released Kenbrell Thompkins and the disappointing Josh Boyce.

A constant revolving door of player movement ensued, with names like Jonathan Krause, Jalen Saunders and even the venerable Reggie Wayne being signed and then released, eventually leaving the Patriots with Julian Edelman, a clearly hobbled Danny Amendola, a timid Aaron Dobson and rookie Chris Harper and wide receiver in name only, Matthew Slater, a process that limited the passing game to literally, just one Edelman injury away from disaster...

...which eventually happened and, coupled with a myriad of injuries on every level of the offense, doomed the Patriots to finish with a putrid 2-4 record down the stretch. then squeaking out a divisional round playoff win over the Kansas City Chiefs before succumbing to the eventual Super Bowl winning Denver Broncos in the AFC Title game.

Clearly, the wide receiver position is one Belichick would like to take a mulligan on, as well as on free agent tight end Scott Chandler, who underwhelmed before being injured halfway through the season and failing to give Belichick an updated version of the two-tight end offense that he's been so fond of.

Ok, so that's two mulligans, which will generate rude grumblings on the golf course and did cause grumblings of discontent among Patriots' fans, though most simply blamed the offensive line for the fiasco, but the truth of the matter is that General Manager Bill Belichick took a chance and hoped that the injury bug wouldn't treat him too badly...

...but it instead kicked him square in the teeth, and it would have been even worse than it was had he not saved a measure of ego with the performances of his passing backs, as first human joystick Dion Lewis and, eventually, James White doing yoeman's work out of the backfield, with White taking over for the injured Lewis and joining with Gronkowski to give quarterback Tom Brady his only reliable targets down the stretch.

Even then, there was a sliver of hope that New England could ride their excellent defense and score just enough points to make a deep run in the playoffs - that is until power back LeGarrette Blount injured his hip and was also gone for the season.

The fact that the Patriots came within two points of going to the Super Bowl anyway is either a testament to fine coaching or plain stupid luck - or a combination of both - but that's a ride that Belichick doesn't want to take again this season, nor ever again.

The four tight ends kept was pared down to three when Belichick dealt Michael Hoomanawanui to New Orleans at the end of September, which will probably be the number that the Patriots keep on their 53 man roster - while in the backfield, he kept five backs initially before unloading soft-blocking Travaris Cadet a day before dealing Hoomanawanui.

Both of these units impact the receiving corps in a way that not many other teams can claim, in that they are loaded down with top-end talent at tight end and have a trio of fine young greyhounds in the backfield who can -and will - be deployed outside the numbers from time to time - and if the number of legitimate pass catchers kept on the 53 man roster is any sort of tamplate to follow coming into 2016, then the most intense roster battles are going to be at wide receiver...

...with no less than seven players vying for one spot, two at the most - because Belichick has amended his normal thought process in regard to philosophy with the addition of Bennett.

As we've already read, There is so much versatility and overall talent on this roster that Belichick can't look at his positional groupings in terms of set numbers, rather, his task is to identify the players that give him both positional versatility and the best chance at forcing the opposing defense to defend the entire field - because if you can't do that, things like what happened the final couple of months of last season occur.

Currently, there are 22 eligible pass catchers on the Patriots' roster, and if one were to eliminate the locks  - Gronkowski, Bennett and Harbor at tight end, Blount, Lewis, White and Bolden at running back, plus figuring in Edelman, Amendola, Hogan and Matt Slater at wide receiver - there are eleven roster spots taken right off the top, leaving three, possibly four, spots up for grabs.

Legitimately, one could go to fullback James Develin, another to running back Donald Brown and wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell appears to be a sure thing as a fourth round draft pick, meaning that there is maybe one spot up for grabs between at rest of the pack because the team will carry nine offensive linemen - at minimum - and there are three quarterbacks that need to be accounted for.

Of course, this is all just specualtion, but isn't the entire point of balance on offense to make the opposition defend the entire field, not allowing them to load up on one aspect or another?

Because that's the key, folks, the most fundamental concept in football since the advent of the forward pass brought the term "balance" to the gridiron - but balance in the way the Patriots think about it is more about personnel usage than simply run versus pass - though a solid balance between the run and pass is essential.

For example, we are virtually assured of seeing at least two tight ends and one running back in on every play from scrimmage - which is the "12" personnel package - because the dynamism inherent on the depth chart dictates that the tight ends and running backs are going to account for well over half of the receptions made by pass catchers.

...which was the case in 2015 (53%),  because by the time all of the injuries took their toll, all that was really left to catch footballs from Brady was White and Gronkowski, with Amendola the lone wide out that made any impact.

Lewis was well on his way to a 70 catch season, as was White after replacing Lewis, and assuming that Gronkowski and Bennett are good for 70 catches as well - that's 210 receptions for the top non-receivers, and with Brady averaging right around 400 completions per season , the numbers allow for minimal contributions from the wide receiver corps.

That's how the offense is designed going into 2016, but most fans - and even the beat writers - also know that Edelman is going to have his share of targets, as will Amendola and the newcomer Hogan, but after that will be meager scrapings, so for Belichick to get the most bang for his buck, 12 and 22 personnel groupings will be the standard...

...meaning that only two receivers will see the field in most packages, and just one if New England decides to go heavy, which should happen mostly on third downs and in the red zone.  Even if they go five-wide, they have shown in recent history that a running back will always be a part of that equation, and most times Gronkowski is involved.

Because, well, think about it - if you were offensive coordinator, would you take Gronkowski, Bennett, Edelman or Lewis off the field?  Ever?

Not Josh McDaniels and certainly not Bill Belichick, who thought enough of himself and the franchise to thumb his nose at the powers that be who saw fit to take away his prized top draft capital by going out and grabbing Bennett for next to nothing, knowing that he was adding him to what was already a roster loaded with playmakers

So, how many wide receivers do the Patriots need?  Well, therein lies a pretty significant problem of having so many playmakers in the passing game at other positions that the receiving corps has been relegated to being borderline complementary to the tight ends and backs in the pattern - so there will be plenty of meat for other teams to pick off the waiver wires from the Patriots...

...as names like Nate Washington, Aaron Dobson, Keshawn Martin, Chris Harper and DeAndre Carter may very well become available for other teams to snatch up - which would be a shame, particularly for Martin, who just signed a two-year extension, but he did receive a $600,000 signing bonus with the deal, meaning that the Patriots likely see him on the roster as well.

And that's it.  There's just no more room at a position that has been largely dictated to by roster and philosophy.  The tight ends and backs are just more important in the grand scheme, because they are far more versatile than being just plain pass catchers - and the same thing is going to happen to the offensive line, but that's for a later piece.

Ah, Bill, leave it to you to take perhaps the NFL's most proficient and deadly passing attack and transform it into something that discounts tradition. They will stretch the matter by adding Matt Slater to the mix as a special teamer, but it looks like any player not named Edelman, Amendola, Hogan or Mitchell may be seeking new digs come September.

If the Patriots remain healthy, they will be tough to beat
If they are tough to beat, they will win a fifth trophy
Therefore if the Patriots remain healthy, they will win a fifth trophy.

And that one is true.  Isn't logic fun?

Blount Off Belichick's Speed Dial, Re-signs With Patriots

Submitted for your approval:  You are sitting in a favorite New England diner in the company of a friend or two, sipping coffee and making small talk between you and avoiding topics of any consequence until your breakfast arrives, for fear of a bout of hypoglycemia tinging your words with venom.

The waitress is passive-aggressive, but you are used to that from living in the six weird little states that comprise the region, and she assures your quizzical look that your food should be along shortly, refills your coffee cup with a gracefulness that comes with many years on her feet, then saunters along to lie to the people at the next table.

Five minutes later, you are staring at a tall stack of pancakes adorned on top with a glob of whipped butter that is melting down into the cakes, forming a divot that will soon consume the entire melting glob like a Florida sink hole unless you spread it evenly in quick order - which you do, and then set your sites on the fresh, locally produced maple syrup and start to pour.

The substance is thick, far more dense than you would find in store-bought syrup, and it spreads like a thick tidal wave , pushing the still unmelted butter to the edges of the stack, then slowly cascades over and dribbles down the side...

The site is vaguely familiar to you, but not in a culinary sense.  You've seen this slow-flow before, and after half of the tall stack resides in your stomach and the waves of hot flashes and incoherent rambling subside as your body's sugar levels reach normal, the conversation at the table becomes more lucid and less vulgar...

...and inevitably turns to football - then it hits you.  You remember where you've seen that slowly flowing syrup before, that thick tidal wave that meticulously makes it's way to the edges, gravity then taking full effect as the New England delicacy quickly goes south to the waiting plate.

The New England Patriots re-signed running back LeGarrette Blount and his syrup on pancakes running style on Tuesday, causing a slow burn on social media sites as those in the know celebrated his return while other lamented his signing as a return to 2015, when the Patriots had the third-worst rushing attack in the National Football League,

That's thirtieth out of thirty-two teams for those keeping score at home, escaping the bottom only because the lowly Chargers and the equally abysmal Lions were usually so far behind in their weekly contests that they had no choice but to turn to the passing game to try to catch up.

Funny how that works, actually.  Usually with the Patriots, they have the lead late in ball games and are able to turn to their four-minute offense for three yards and a cloud of dust, moving the sticks and eating the clock - hardly ever to my satisfaction, as anyone who follows this blog will vouch for the fact that I don't think offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels uses the running game to it's full potential...

...but that's beside the point, and hardly fair when considering the skeleton crew that he had to work with at every level except quarterback, the depth along the line, out in the pattern and in the backfield not able to pull things together in time to avoid a dismal 2-4 finish to the regular season and an early exit from the post-season.

Up until December, the Patriots actually did have a rushing attack - led by Blount, whose 703 yards on 165 carries made him an effective between-the-tackles runner, as manifested by the resultant 4.3 yards per carry.  In fact, Blount had exactly half of the Patriots rushing yards for the season, with Brandon Bolden and the electric Dion Lewis accounting for most of the rest.

But Bolden is a really a special teams' guy who was good for a few carries per game, and Lewis snapped his ACL midway through the season, leaving the late season carries to a clearly washed up veteran mercenary named Steven Jackson - and in the end, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels just abandoned the running game entirely for lack of a better option.

That was evidenced by how little the Patriots offense ran the ball in the second half of games down the stretch after Blount went down with a bum hip in week 14, and after the curious experimentation with Joey Iosefa as the lead back, especially in the last three games that ended with the Patriots' narrow - and avoidable - loss to the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game.

In the season-ending loss to Miami, Patriots' backs toted the rock just seven times in the second half, and four times each in the playoff games against the Chiefs and Broncos.  Those are totals that defy logic and lend credence to the argument that Blount's injury crippled an offense that was already working through so many injuries that they literally could not afford just one more...

...because without a running game, the opposition could feel comfortable in coming after quarterback Tom Brady, leaving their corners one-on-one with Brady's depth receivers and overwhelming an offensive line that was missing key components on the edges and had rookies and a second year player manning the inside.

The results were predictable.

Blount comes back aboard being somewhat enigmatic in the eyes of Patriots' constituency, as some see him as an all or nothing entity - meaning he either rips off big gainers or gets bogged down at the line of scrimmage, while others take the stance that agrees with his high ranking on several sites as a better-than-average early down back who can get you into favorable yardage positions on third down.

And while that's not necessarily a ringing endorsement for the 7th year pro out of Oregon, it's not exactly a eulogy either.  Blount has plenty left in his 30 year old legs, but not so much that the team won't select a running back in the draft, one with some power and with some explosiveness, because truth be told, Blount has all of the explosiveness of maple syrup.

He is, however, a good complementary back when passing backs Dion Lewis and James White are mixed into the equation. White wasn't productive between the tackles, but was pure smooth hell in the pattern and put forth a yeoman's effort in picking up the blitz, while Lewis is everything a running back should be, and then some.

Unfortunately, Lewis is also fragile and thus the Patriots may look to limit his touches, splitting time with White who filled in admirably when Lewis went down in Week 7, and who gained a measure of respect and reliability from Brady and the coaching staff in his opportunities down the stretch.

Needless to say, health is a concern of paramount importance - not just in the backfield, but also along the offensive line and with the pass catchers, and the myriad of debilitating injuries suffered on all three levels of the offense last season left Brady as a sitting duck who took a monumental beating and the Patriots' offense a shell of it's normal capacity.

The stupid part - the really stupid part - is that New England still came within two points of reaching their seventh Super Bowl in 15 years under Belichick, and with better decision making among the play callers on the sidelines, they probably would have beaten the Broncos and had the opportunity to defend their title against the Panthers.

Belichick isn't taking any chances of that happening this season, because it's Super Bowl or bust for his Patriots,as it is every season.  He will draft a back, he will make sure that the depth along the line is adequate and he has already turned the pass catching corps into a potential juggernaut - so there's not that much left to be done from a team-building standpoint...

...and re-signing Blount helps that process even more.

Prelude To A Championship, Part IV - White, Jackson Integral Part Of Patriots Super Bowl Run

The New England Patriots running game has been missing in action for, well, the majority of the season, ranking 30th in yards from scrimmage and an equally pathetic 29th in yards per carry.

Compounding the issue is a combination of injuries that have ravaged the Patriots' offense down to its very core, and the fact that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has called upon the running game for the least amount of times in the 16 year dynastic run of New England under Bill Belichick, a number good for just 25th in the NFL.

None of the six teams with less carries than the Patriots even came close to making the playoffs, and only one other team - the Pittsburgh Steelers - finished the season in the bottom half of the league in rushing attempts and still made the post-season. On the flip-side, 10 of the 12 playoff teams made the top half of the league in carries, and six of the top 10 rushing teams are preparing for post-season play.

Needless to say, the Patriots and Steelers and the exception to the rule, mostly because of their prolific passing attacks - but even that has been missing lately for New England, and is perhaps the primary reason why the running game has been all but non-existent.

Even so, lead back LeGarrette Blount was actually on pace for a 900 yard season before he went down with a bum hip against the Texans in week 14, averaging a robust 4.3 yards per carry, but his numbers paled in comparison with the yards from scrimmage provided by scatback Dion Lewis, who gained 622 yards from scrimmage in just seven games before tearing his ACL against the Washington Redskins in week 9.

Of course, over half of Lewis' yardage came from the short passing game, running flat out patterns where he utilized his absurd,video game-quality elusiveness to make the first man miss in the flat in addition to perfectly executed wheel routes - and as those smarter than me are fond of saying, the Patriots short passing game is an extension of their running game and therefore Lewis was on pace for a 1400 yard season.

On paper, the Patriots had a certified one-two punch in their backfield up until Lewis went down, and still a certified juggernaut for an offense until receiver Julian Edelman suffered a broken bone in his foot the following week against the New York Giants setting off a chain of events that saw the Patriots drop four of their final six games.

Lewis is not coming back this season, but perhaps his knee injury has a silver lining for New England as his absence has made it possible for sophomore James White to blossom into a legitimate passing back.

Despite getting next to no action backing up Lewis - understandable given the electric talent of Lewis - White has established himself as the Patriots' "sub back", as Belichick calls him, gaining 354 yards from scrimmage in the passing game and scoring all six of his touchdowns since Lewis hit the skids and, in fact, is second on the team in both receptions and receiving yards to tight end Rob Gronkowski...

...somewhat amazing in that most of his snaps he's been kept in the backfield to help protect Brady by picking up the relentless blitzers, curling out into the pattern only when the blitz doesn't come and on the occasion when his number is called on the jailbreak or on the designed wheel route as the hot read - and all of this with both Edelman and Danny Amendola on the shelf, no power running game at all and an offensive line that has been overwhelmed by it all.

So just imagine what the second-year back from Wisconsin should be able to accomplish with both Edelman and Amendola making the pass catching corps complete and nasty, and now that newly acquired power back Steven Jackson has had nearly a month in the Patriots' system to pick up the play book and getting in as close to football shape as he's going to get.

The move to pick up Jackson was genius by Belichick - well part genius and part being the only team desperate enough to give the 32 year old former Ram and Falcon a roster spot - but it is just this kind of low-risk, high-reward personnel move that Belichick has made a career out of as a general manager. And the Patriots may be the only team in the NFL that could utilize everything that Jackson has left.

At 6' 2" and 240 pounds, Jackson is one of the biggest backs the Patriots have ever employed and is, in fact, the size of a "Move" type tight end, with prototypical speed for the position.

New England used their season-ending loss to Miami as an opportunity to get Jackson some work, as he hadn't played a down of football since the end of last season, had no training camp and had no preseason games. So it is a bit of a stretch to really expect him to tear it up on the field, particularly behind an offensive line that has been under siege from the injury bug since midseason.

Of course, having Edelman and Amendola back in the mix at receiver will help the power running game because it brings back Brady's ability to get the ball out of his hand quickly, the trickle down effect being two-fold: first, the defense can't stack the box and overwhelm the offensive line because they will need nickle and dime backs to cover the Patriots' weapons in the pattern...

...which means that the line will not have so many bodies to move out of the way, meaning more and bigger running lanes for Jackson. Secondly, the ability to establish the running game under such circumstances invokes the play action, which also helps the offensive linemen due to the fact that the defense will have to respect the run, and the play fake will have a greater impact on the pass rushers who will have to delay their rush for a split-second, enough for Brady to get rid of the ball.

That said, the biggest key for this offense will be to not leave themselves with third and long situations, as that makes the play calling more predictable and allows the pass rushers to pin their ears back and go after Brady - and the backs will play a huge part in that type of game plan.

That is also why having the versatile Jackson up to speed and in football shape is so essential. As mentioned, Jackson has the size and the speed of a Move-type tight end, and is an excellent pass catcher, as his 460 receptions and nearly 4700 yards over 11 years will attest so don't be surprised to see Jackson lined up in the slot or even split wide on occasion to take advantage of mismatches.

That goes for White as well, as we have already witnessed what the kid can do - and that will obviously feed into next season, when he and Lewis will form one of the scariest two-back tandems in the National Football League, Lewis with his cartoonish elusiveness and White with his north-south approach that wastes very little movement...

...but that is a discussion for another time. Right now the Patriots are gearing up for a blitzkrieg through the playoffs, and getting White, Jackson and all-purpose back Brandon Bolden involved in an offense that is nearing full health will make said offense that much more dangerous.

Next: How the offensive line will improve with health at the "skill" positions...

Bolden Set For Extended Run As Lead Back

Brandon Bolden deserves this chance.

Each of the past four seasons, the undrafted Bolden fought his way onto the New England Patriots' 53 man roster - mainly due to his prowess as a four core special teamer, tending to his duties while watching a seemingly endless procession of running backs make their way through Bill Belichick's revolving door...

...as a rookie in 2012 playing behind sophomores Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen, who platooned with fan favorite Danny Woodhead. In 2013 and 2014 it was the three-headed monster of Ridley, Vereen and newly acquired LeGarrette Blount.

Hell, even training camp this season was loaded down with backs. Ridley and Vereen were both shown the door, but the team brought in former Browns and Eagles benchwarmer Dion Lewis and former Saints' passing back Travaris Cadet while retaining the services of Blount and giving extra snaps to second-year change-of-pace back James White.

Belichick initially kept all five backs on the roster, but this time with Bolden the senior member of the committee - however, the team sliced Cadet because he couldn't pick up the blitz to save his life, then Lewis went down with an ACL and then Blount was lost for the season with a bum hip, leaving just Bolden and White to carry the load.

Truth be told, there really wasn't a more dependable back on the roster than Bolden, who has never disappointed when called upon to carry the rock.

 In his fourth season out of Ole' Miss, the 5' 11", 220 pounder has averaged 4.3 yards on 177 carries and has accounted for 300 yards on 35 receptions in spot duty throughout his career - this after a successful college career, averaging 5.3 yards per carry in amassing 2600 yards and 27 touchdowns, also hauling in 76 passes for over 800 yards and six touchdowns - and all against run-tough SEC defenses.

So there's little doubt that Bolden would be able to handle an increase in his workload - even becoming the Patriots' abbreviated version of a bell cow - though to listen to Belichick, one would have to think he might have an issue with it.

"He's been a four down player for us" the Dark Master said recently, "He's played the role of the big back for us, he's played the role of a sub back, and he's played well for us in the kicking game. I think it would be hard to increase each role."

Belichick paused as if pacing his word count, then continued.

"It's possible." he said, thoughtfully. "But I think it would be hard, realistically to do that, but maybe it needs to be done. Or maybe you just increase one and decrease another. I think we're going to have to figure that out."

Indeed, figure it out. But one needs to keep in mind the struggles that the Patriots have had on special teams the past three weeks, and wonder aloud if the kicking game can afford to have Bolden's role cut back significantly, if at all. That was probably the thinking behind the team signing former Bronco Montee Ball to the practice squad and for having a cup of coffee with grizzled veteran back Steven Jackson over the past couple of days.

Jackson left town with no deal and Ball remains on the practice squad, which means that in all likelihood, Bolden will be the leading man when the curtain opens on this Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium, but with White garnering most of the snaps in the pass-heavy Patriots' offense.

White and Ball played together in college at Wisconsin, which makes for an intriguing subplot.

During Ball's senior season with the Badgers, he rumbled for over 1800 yards and 22 touchdowns, while White played to role of change-of-pace back while gaining 800 yards and scoring 12 times. Of course, Ball went on to Denver, where he followed the lead of Wisconsin backs before him, flaming out in two short seasons.

White, on the other hand, went on to record over 4000 rushing yards in his part-time role with the Badgers, with an insane 6.2 yards per carry average while handling the passing back role as well, his numbers comparable to those of Bolden's in college.

Of the three, Bolden has the most diverse skill set combined with good size and decent speed, and the Patriots need all of that from him. In fact, if Belichick can work out Bolden's snap count between the backfield and all four units on special teams, Bolden offers something to the lineup that none of the other running backs could...

...because Belichick wasn't just blowing our figurative skirts up when he praised Bolden for being a four down back. He runs for Power and has the speed to turn the corner, is outstanding in blitz recognition and pick up and is skilled in the Patriots' concept-driven passing scheme. To finally have him in a game as the lead back presents issues for the opposing defenses that Blount did not, and White can not.

When Blount is in the game, the defenses know that he rarely curls into the pattern, so instead of the strong safety mirroring him at the snap, he can plug a gap or blitz. When White is in the game, the opposition knows that he most likely isn't going to be getting many carries between the tackles, so they will break down into a nickle or dime and count on their pass rush to provide pressure.

But with Bolden, the defense will have to be ready for any scenario, and will be forced to defend the entire field.

He sounds like a complete back, one capable of carrying a heavy load for the New England offense, and he has proven his worth in spot duty over the past four seasons - but how will he hold up when being THE man in the Patriots' backfield?

Belichick appears to be willing to find out, and if he can use Bolden's entire skill set to keep the defense off balance, perhaps some good will have come out of all of these injuries.

New England Patriots' Midseason Forum, Part 2 - Lewis' Contribution Leaves Remaining Backs Fresh

With rookie Shaq Mason clearing the way, running back LeGarrette Blount ran through the Redskins' defense

Most fans had never heard of Dion Lewis before he emerged as the winner of the passing back role with the New England Patriots.

So how in the name of Chuck Fairbanks did the kid they call "Little Dirty" become such a be all-end all entity for the Patriots - so much so that panic buttons are being pressed all over weird little New England because the guy who most people never knew existed until two months ago was shelved for the season on Monday with a torn ACL?

When head ball coach Bill Belichick and his scouting staff commenced the team building process for 2015 before last season was even over, former Hoodie confidant (When Belichick was in Cleveland) and current Patriots "Assistant to the coaching staff" Michael Lombardi advised Belichick to sign Lewis to a Futures Contract, but the general feeling was that the Pitt product was little more than a change of pace back that was fighting for a roster spot.

At the beginning of the new league year, passing back Shane Vereen bolted for the New York Giants in free agency, leaving the passing back duties competition wide open, but with the thought that - worst case scenario - they could always go with their Plan A, which was actually putting into play the team's fourth-round draft pick from 2014, James White.

But Belichick never leaves himself without options, so he signed former New Orleans passing back Travaris Cadet to compete against White, with Lewis squarely in the background - but as OTA's concluded and training camp began, Lewis was clearly outperforming both, exploding onto the scene with such an impact that Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels started inventing ways to get him the ball...

And now in the wake of Lewis' season ending injury, the Patriots' passing back duties fall back to the guy who lost the job that was his to lose in the first place, the guy that was the Patriots' Plan A, before Lewis juked him right out of the job.

James White is no slouch. Splitting time with a guy named Melvin Gordon at Wisconsin in his senior year. White earned the moniker "Sweet Feet" with an occasional reference to the great Barry Sanders with the merging connotation "Barry White", as he was the lightning to Gordon's thunder in the always insanely powerful Badgers' running attack.

What, WHAT?  Many who read this right now are going to wonder if I've ever seen a football game in my entire life, referring to the seldom-used NFL counterpart of a redshirt freshman whose name frequently appears on Belichick's inactive list by such far-reaching portrayals...

But behind Wisconsin's mammoth offensive line that featured a wall blocking scheme, White ran for an average of 6.5 yards per carry, gaining 1444 yards on the ground and caught 39 balls for 300 yards - breaking more than a few ankles along the way.


White is a different back than Lewis - in fact, he's different from most running backs in that there is very little wasted motion in his cuts. His running style is compact and centrifugal, relying on a killer stutter step and leg drive to avoid the tackle with a short-area burst rather than being overly elusive. He is a patient runner and will wait for his blockers to open holes for him in the running game, and has a powerful jump cut to get through the hole quickly, particularly when cutting against the grain to his left.

He's not as flashy as Lewis - there are few players who are - but he is the guy that the Patriots expected to win the passing back job coming into training camp, and given the same opportunities, he could fill the "Vereen Role" at least adequately enough to keep that part of the play book open...

The passing back - or third down back, if you prefer - is a vital component of the Patriots' offense, but it's been since the beginning of the dynasty that they had employed the services of such a complete back as Lewis, and while how the position is going to look in the immediate future is unclear, at least the power running game is cranked up and rounding into form.

LeGarrette Blount is just ridiculous. He's about as elusive as a freight train, but he runs with a purpose and nary a defensive back wish to cross paths with him, at least not face-to-face.

In their Week 9 matchup with the Washington Redskins, and the Patriots' offensive line the football equivalent of pot luck, Blount powered through a Redskins' front seven that was desperate to stop him, the result of a wall blocking scheme that featured budding star Shaq Mason in a role that utilizes his freakish athleticism, pulling from his left guard position to lead Blount right down the Redskins' collective throats.

Tight ends Rob Gronkowski and big Michael Williams got involved as well, each taking turns pulling into the running lanes - typically Gronkowski to the left and Williams to the right, delivering wham blocks to seal out the linebackers trying to plug the gaps. The combination of the cast of drive blockers along the line, the tight ends driving  to the second level and Blount's road grading style is an imposing thing for Patriots opponents to game plan for, and is something that is going to set them apart from their foes down the stretch.

That is important to remember moving forward, because the power running game is essential to success of the offense, particularly when facing quality defenses in the post season, and when the weather dictates a more fundamental approach to the Erhardt-Perkins scheme.

Because of the presence of Lewis, Blount is working with a fresh set of wheels, as he's carried the ball just 98 times, his roll limited to the four-minute offense - and the crazy part is that 29 of those carries came in Sunday's win over Washington, so it's fair to say that with Blount, White (14 touches) and special teams' ace Brandon Bolden (12 touches), the Patriots backfield is a devently rested and fresh group.

At present, and other than rookie power back Joey Iosefa on the practice squad, the Patriots are working with just three running backs, so it is conceivable that some sort of depth move will be made at some point, but for now, it's good policy to see what the guys on your roster can give you before making an offer to one of the many free agents available.

Patriots Resume' - Brandon Bolden

What if New England Patriots' head ball coach Bill Belichick required resumes from his players - what would those look like?  We take a stab at them, in alphabetical order...

Dear Coach,

Going in to this season, I can see where I have my opportunity to finally make a big impact on offense.

Through my first four years on the team, I've evolved into what you like to call a "Core Four" special teamer, meaning that I play on both kickoff receiving and coverage teams, and also punt receiving and coverage teams.  But I am much more than that, and I intend to compete for carries on offense as well.

Especially as the passing back, as I have great hands out of the backfield and am a capable pass protector.  Shane is gone and I know that the competition for his role in the offense is going to be epic as you still have White, Gaffney, Cadet and Lewis vying for the spot - but I'm even more than that, anyway.

You could call me a four-down back - in fact, you have:

"He plays on all four downs. He's a good early down back, a good third down back and a good fourth down back - one of our best special teams player, certainly one of our best offensive special teams' players along with Slater.  He's a very valuable guy, fills a lot of roles, smart, doesn't need a lot of reps and he has a lot of experience."

As you pointed out in that quote, I have the size and durability to run between the tackles, surprising speed to make the corner and I've already mentioned the hands - but if I don't get the opportunity to make my mark on offense, I really don't have much to complain about as you respect my special teams play enough to have already extended my contract through next season, giving me a nice little pay raise in the process.

So if you decide to remain with the status-quo, I'll be ready if someone goes down, content to know that you respect me as much as I respect you.

Sincerely,

Brandon

Resume'

Education: 

University of Mississippi (Ole' Miss)

Work Experience:

2012 - Present - New England Patriots
                           139 carries, 634 yards (4.6 avg.), 6 touchdowns
                             25 receptions, 171 yards (6.8 avg.)

Awards:

2014 - Super Bowl Champion
2011 - Named best all-purpose running back in SEC

Personal Information:

Born - January 26, 1990 at Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Height - 5' 11"
Weight - 220

Website:

Brandon Bolden Player Profile - Foxborough Free Press

New England Patriots on Paper - White, Houston primed to make noise in backfield competition

James White is going to be a star.

The kid from the University of Wisconsin that the faithful in Madison have dubbed with the dubious nickname "Barry" - as in Sanders, for his quick feet and violent cutting ability - is far more than what the Badgers used him for, and if he becomes everything that the Patriots envision for him, he could be the most complete running back that has roamed Foxborough for at least a decade.

Both the University of Wisconsin and the Patriots are afforded the luxury of having the 5' 10", 200 pound White split carries both with the power backs that Wisconsin is noted for and that the Patriots' "By Committee" approach begs for - but in White, Patriots' coach Bill Belichick has drafted a back that can do everything the veteran backs can do - combined.

"I'd say he's a guy that has shown he has four-down value." Belichick offered in his post-draft presser. "He's been productive in the kicking game, he's been productive catching the ball. He has a high average per carry. He can run inside. He can run outside. He makes good space plays and he can get some tough yards."