2017 Patriots position-by-position review: Running back

With the Patriots’ 2017 season done, we’re going to take a look back at the team by position, and provide a few thoughts as to what they might need at that spot moving forward. We started with the quarterback and tight end. Now, it’s running back.


2017 depth chart: Dion Lewis (180 carries, 896 yards, 6 TDs; 32 catches, 214 yards, 3 TDs), James White (43 carries, 171 yards; 56 catches, 429 yards, 3 TDs), Rex Burkhead (64 carries, 264 yards, 5 TDs; 30 catches, 254 yards, 3 TDs), Mike Gillislee (104 carries, 383 yards, 5 TDs; 1 catch, 15 yards), Brandon Bolden (13 carries, 67 yards; 1 catch, 7 yards).

Contract status: Lewis (free agent), White (signed through 2020), Burkhead (free agent), Gillislee (signed through 2018), Bolden (free agent).

Overview: Over most of the last dozen-plus years, the Patriots have always managed to assemble a backfield that’s been greater than the sum of its parts, and this past year was really no exception. Gillislee handled most of the between-the-tackles work in the early going until Lewis proved himself to be fully recovered after his 2015 knee injury. Then, Lewis took over, and became one of the most dynamic backs in the league, proving that despite his size, he could still hold up to the workload of 15 or so touches a game. (He finished the regular season with career highs in carries and yards.) White proved to be a steady and dependable presence as a pass catcher before slowing late in the season because of a knee injury, and while Burkhead suffered durability issues of his own, he still proved to be a good addition to the group. Bolden was utilized mostly as a special teamer, and on occasion relief help for Lewis later in the season. There will be more turnover at this spot in the offseason — I’d be shocked if Lewis and Burkhead returned — but when it came to 2017, the New England backs as a group did their job as consistently or better than just about any position group on the roster.

Best Moment: Going back over the film, there was a lot of good to choose from, but we’ll pick the Nov. 26 win over the Dolphins in Foxborough and the Dec. 3 victory against the Bills in Buffalo as the two best of the season. The Patriots rushed for a combined 287 387 yards in those two games (196 vs. Miami, 191 vs. Buffalo), a pair of contests that saw Lewis and Burkhead combine for 55 carries, 332 yards (6.0 yards per carry) and 3 TDs.

Against the Bills, Lewis had 15 carries for 92 yards. Forty-four of those yards came on this run, his longest of the season. Watch it below -- he uses a wide swath of space on the right side, thanks to some dynamite blocking from Shaq Mason, Cam Fleming, Rob Gronkowski and James Develin, all of whom played a large role in plowing the road. As for Lewis, he runs through a couple of attempted tackles, but puts an exclamation point on things with the nastiest stiff-arm of the year on Bills safety Jordan Poyer. A tough, smart run that exemplifies just how good Lewis was in 2017.



This one wasn’t nearly as flashy, but is a terrific illustration of what happens when a back and an offensive line are in perfect sync. Lewis, who ended the game with 15 carries for 112 yards, delivers a great burst off the line, hopping over downed Dolphins defensive end Andre Branch. Joe Thuney, Nate Solder and Develin all deliver great initial blocks that allow Lewis to get to the next level. Phillip Dorsett also does nice job when things get there, clearing his man out and freeing Lewis for more yards. Lewis breaks two tackles, and is finally brought down by two guys. Another great example of Lewis’ work, as well as a back and line working together to pick up a big gain.



Worst Moment: It’s always hard to separate a bad running game from poor offensive line play and an uneven offensive outing in general. A lot of times, a ground game needs a lot of disparate elements working together for success. But you could make a pretty good argument that the December loss to the Dolphins in Miami was the worst outing for the running game all season. The Patriots were behind by as much as 17 in the second half, which effectively quashed any thoughts of an effective ground attack from the third quarter on. New England ended the game with a season-low 25 rushing yards.

By the numbers: The 2017 Patriots were the first team since the 1989 Falcons and Jets to have at least three running backs (Lewis, Burkhead, White) finish the season with at least 30 catches and 30 carries.

A few thoughts about the position: This was a great year for this group, a tribute to those on the roster and running backs coach Ivan Fears, one of the most underrated position coaches in the game. (Especially when you consider the almost annual turnover the Patriots have in the backfield.) But when you consider everyone’s contract status and the way the Patriots rotate through backs, at least two of the five won’t be in New England next year. When it comes to Lewis, I wonder if there are teams who would be inclined to overpay for his services. (For what it’s worth, the Gio Bernard deal remains a pretty good framework for backs in his situation.) I also wonder about Burkhead and any durability issues that might concern the Patriots going forward — knee and rib issues limited him to 10 games this year. The guess here is that if Gillislee does return, it’s for a reduced rate. As for Bolden, he’ll find a way to stick. Given his special teams skills, familiarity with the system and the fact that he’s always cap friendly enough to exist on year-to-year deals, he’ll beat the odds again and be back on the 53-man roster come September.

Chance Patriots address this position in free agency: Good. There are a lot of interesting names out there. While they probably wouldn’t be inclined to swing for the fences, when you see Le’Veon Bell’s name on this list and remember some of the gushing praise Bill Belichick had for him the last couple of years, it gives you pause. But truth be told, they’ll probably think a little more modestly.

Chance Patriots address this position in the draft: Good, although a lot of it depends on what happens in free agency. Given the way things are likely to play out, however, I wouldn’t expect them to make it a draft weekend priority, especially given the areas of need elsewhere on the roster.