Round five of positional previews for training camp will focus on running backs. Previously, I covered the inside linebackers on Thursday and the tight end group on Tuesday. We've also gone through the safeties and tight ends.
RBs: Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, TreVeyon Henderson, Lan Larison, Trayveon Williams, Terrell Jennings, Brock Lampe (FB)
What I Like About the Group: Depth. The first two players on this list can carry the load if necessary, and Henderson shined for the best college team in the country a year ago.
What I Don't Like About the Group: Stevenson and Gibson put the ball on the ground far too much for a team with tight margins.
X-Factor: Henderson. He has the potential to be dynamic, but can he handle all that McDaniels will put on his plate, and can he stay healthy?
The Patriots gave Stevenson a four-year contract extension, although the reality of that deal is the team can walk away after the 2026-27 season with zero dead cap. I'd have bet on that before the season Stevenson had a year ago. Now? It is all but a stone-cold lock. That is a conversation for later. In the here and now, Mike Vrabel is very bullish on the 27-year-old despite him averaging a career-low 3.9 yards per carry.
"When you start to evaluate this season, and you watch the effort that he played with when he didn't have the football, he played extremely fast without the football," said Vrabel. "His ability to step up and protect is taking care of a teammate. It's protecting the guy with the ball. He did that on numerous occasions. You always saw him downfield when he didn't have the ball. So, he's going to be a large part of what we do and we'll just have to determine where he's at when he's back here."
Vrabel was referencing Stevenson's lack of availability after the passing of his father. But the veteran runner made it back over the last 10 days or so of offseason workouts and appeared to be in excellent shape. He's always been a diligent worker, and at his best - see 2022, or week one at Cincinnati - Stevenson is a power runner with nimble enough feet to make a defender (or two) miss. At his worst? He's too often stuck in a low gear, indecisive, and overcome by fumbilitis (7 last year).
“The biggest thing is ball security,” he said. “I’m trying to be good with the ball, 100 percent ball security, so we can get some wins under our belt.”
Gibson was the Pats' best back last year, and his usage - or lack thereof - was puzzling. But when given the opportunity, he showed to be a much better fit for the Alex Van Pelt offense. Gibson averaged 4.5 yards per tote and had the team's longest run (45 yards) and catch (50 yards). But sure, give him nearly 100 fewer touches than Stevenson in two more games (17 to 15), and use him less frequently as a receiver out of the backfield...
However, the selection of Henderson in the second round could make Gibson the odd man out, and a trade could save the Pats $2.3 million (not that they need cap space). I'm not sure I see it. McDaniels wasn't shy about using "Pony" personnel this spring, allowing two of his top three backs to be on the field at the same time. Why not have the two established vets and Henderson at his fingertips?
I mocked Henderson to the Pats in my second-to-last draft for a reason. This team needs playmakers, and he was that at Ohio State. However, Henderson's best year was his last, when the team had him as part of a two-man committee with Quinshon Judkins (who was selected two picks earlier by Cleveland). I was cautious with my projections of how he'd be used - despite being tough, he's only 200 pounds. But after seeing that explosiveness in the spring (albeit in shorts), I'm wondering if Henderson won't find a bigger role more quickly. McDaniels has never been afraid of using backs with smaller frames (Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead, Danny Woodhead) as the lead guy or at least working them between the tackles. Have Stevenson/Gibson as the hammer and Henderson as one of those multi-faceted tools.
It is hard not to like Larison's story. He grew up in a rodeo family, played high school ball in Idaho and had exactly zero FBS scholarship offers. The 209-pounder went to UC Davis, and when he wasn't wrestling steer to the ground, was running over and around defenders. He amassed 3600 yards on the ground and 1,626 through the air. Add 53 touchdowns over 50 games, and you're probably wondering why he didn't get drafted, even after playing at a lower level. Well, Larison had surgery this winter to repair a torn ligament in his ankle, and that cost him the All-Star circuit.
But the Pats gave him $175K to sign, and after not noticing him much early in the spring, Larison showed up several times over the last couple of weeks, displaying good hands and quickness. Based on his increased reps, it would appear Larison had an edge over six-year NFL runner Williams and Jennings or, at the very least, had inserted himself into the conversation.
Finally, Lampe is the lone true fullback on the roster. He's a moose. 6'1", 250 pounds, and appears to have no neck. I always prefer my fullbacks to have no neck. It should be a prerequisite. I have zero idea if he's capable of translating what he did at Northern Illinois to the pros. The spring is not the place where a blocking back establishes a firm foothold on a roster spot. But we know McDaniels likes to have a fullback around, and if nothing else, Lampe (or someone like him) could be stashed on the practice squad. For the record, Northern Illinois averaged over 220 yards rushing per game last season.
