Patriots
“I feel the expertise and confidence with them is way better than it was final 12 months.”
FOXBOROUGH — The writing’s on the wall that the Patriots plan so as to add to their running-back grouping this preseason.
Rhamondre Stevenson stays a focus of New England’s offense, however he wants further backs behind him after working on fumes over the ultimate weeks of the 2022 season. Stevenson’s restricted participation throughout Monday’s training-camp follow additional stresses the necessity for reinforcements.
Potential third-down again Ty Montgomery stays “day-to-day” with an damage, whereas New England has nonetheless not signed a substitute for James Robinson after the Patriots lower the working again in June.
New England has courted free agent Ezekiel Elliott over the previous few days, and have additionally had conversations with different veteran backs like Leonard Fournette already this summer time.
However earlier than the Patriots look outdoors the group for assist, maybe they’re ready to see if second-year gamers like Kevin Harris and Pierre Robust can carve out common roles on the 2023 roster.
Invoice Belichick spoke extremely of each backs earlier throughout camp, noting that they’re much more snug of their respective roles this summer time.
“They’re two different guys which have taken an enormous leap in 12 months two,” Belichick mentioned of Harris and Robust. “Good offseasons, approach forward of the place they had been final 12 months. Each confirmed flashes of excellent issues final 12 months. I feel the expertise and confidence with them is way better than it was final 12 months.
“Clearly, the largest problem for all backs is cross safety and blitz pickup within the passing recreation. All of these guys are extra snug carrying the ball than a few of these different issues that include the place, however they’ve labored laborious at that, so we’ll see the way it goes.”
It stays to be seen simply how essential each Harris and Robust’s roles will likely be on this present Patriots squad.
With Stevenson spending most of Monday’s follow engaged on his conditioning within the decrease follow fields, Harris — a 2022 sixth-round choose — earned a majority of the snaps with Mac Jones and the first-team offense.
Robust, taken by New England within the fourth spherical of the 2022 NFL Draft out of South Dakota State, reeled in a catch from Jones on Monday however spent most of follow working with Bailey Zappe and the Patriots’ second-team offense.
“It’s an enormous alternative for me and Kevin,” Robust mentioned of the obtainable running-back reps with Stevenson restricted. “We’re each in our second 12 months, each younger. We’re simply attempting to get our roles on the workforce and showcase it out right here.”
Each Harris and Robust showcased flashes of their potential throughout restricted snaps as rookies in 2022. Regardless of logging simply 35 mixed snaps, Harris totaled 52 yards on the bottom with a landing, whereas Robust gained 100 speeding yards, one rating, and 42 receiving yards.
Regardless that Harris mentioned that he centered on turning into extra of a pass-catcher this offseason, he tasks as a examine again able to working by means of tackles and consuming up yardage due to his pro-ready body (5-foot-10, 225-pounds).
If Montgomery stays restricted, a flexible again like Robust might step right into a better position as a third-down, pass-catching choice for Jones and the Patriots’ offense. Throughout his two seasons in Foxborough, Robust mentioned that he’s hung out selecting James White’s mind and studying how the Patriots nice translated his abilities to the NFL degree.
“He was like a mentor to me,” Robust mentioned of White. “Simply all the time telling me, serving to me out with the performs. His third-down position and what he did for the workforce and the way he prospered at his place. So I simply attempt to mirror my recreation and take some pointers from every and all people that was right here, simply deliver it to my recreation.”
Very like their head coach, Robust and Harris didn’t provide a lot when requested a couple of potential addition like Elliott to New England’s roster.
“He’s an awesome working again, however I simply attempt to keep centered on me, centered on what I can do and what I can do to assist the workforce out,” Robust famous.
Given simply the sparse variety of our bodies presently on the roster, Matt Groh and the Patriots’ player-personnel workers must do their due diligence in relation to including one other again to the workforce, particularly given this current string of accidents.
However as New England tries to seek out assist for Stevenson, one doesn’t should look very far on the roster to discover a pair of backs in Harris and Robust seeking to make a better influence in 2023 and past.
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