With Michel reportedly not out for year, 3 different depth options for Patriots at running back

As of Monday morning, Sony Michel’s health is still a question mark because of the knee injury he sustained in Sunday's win over the Bears. While there's some optimism he will be able to return sooner rather than later, New England is currently down to two healthy backs in James White and Kenjon Barner.

UPDATE: Reports indicate there was no structural damage (ESPN) and an MCL strain (NFL.com). At least it's not season-ending, but these usually mean anywhere from four to eight weeks. And then there's the question of how this injury affects the previous injury and issues. It's not like this was a new, clean injury.

What are some depth options for the Patriots? Keeping in mind Rex Burkhead is still eligible to return later this year, here are three ways they can go when it comes to adding another body in the backfield if Michel is sidelined for any stretch:


Sign a free agent

There are a handful of intriguing free-agent options out there. While none of them are necessarily going to come in and light it up, Mike Gillislee leads the list as the best possibility, at least at this point. Gillislee was with the Patriots last year and was cut loose earlier this summer. He had a brief stint with the Saints, but is now available. Other possibilities include Charcandrick West, Andre Ellington and Orlando Darkwa, all three of whom have drawn the interest of the Patriots via workouts over the last month-plus. Again, none of them are necessarily elite-level players, but could be short-term possibilities for a team looking for depth at the position.

Make a (reasonable, realistic) trade

The Patriots have extra picks. The Lions suddenly have an excess of running backs. See where I’m going with this? LeGarrette Blount may have left the Patriots on a sour note, but given the familiarity between New England and Detroit and Blount’s background in the system, it would appear to make sense, at least on the surface. There’s also the chance of making a deal for someone like Detroit’s Ameer Abdullah, a guy who has fallen down the depth chart with the Lions.

In that vein, there are a handful of other possibilities, including Oakland’s DeAndre Washington. The Raiders have a couple of extra backs, and Oakland has historically been a favorite trade partner of the Patriots over the years. In addition, Tampa Bay’s Jacquizz Rodgers plays for a Bill Belichick-friendly front office, the Bucs’ depth chart has some other options, and Tampa Bay could always use an extra pick. At 5-foot-6, Rodgers is more of an undersized, third-down type, but could still provide some pop for New England. And San Francisco’s Alfred Morris also checks off all the same boxes. A 5-foot-10, 224-pounder, he had three straight years of 1,000-plus yards when he first arrived in the league as a rookie with the Redskins from 2012-2014.

Lean on your in-house options

Kenneth Farrow is a practice squadder who signed with the Patriots this summer. The 5-foot-9, 219-pounder has played in two NFL games (both in 2016 with the Chargers), and has 60 carries for 192 yards. He’s not an overwhelming, between-the-tackles type, but could be another short-term depth option who could back up White and Barner.