Running back should be a position of strength for the New England Patriots, but Antonio Gibson beginning training camp on the active/non-football injury list means the team “might need to make a move” in free agency.
That’s the opinion of Patriots.com Staff Writer Evan Lazar. He thinks Gibson’s absence from the start of camp on Wednesday, July 24 has brought the Pats’ lack of quality depth in the backfield into sharper focus.
As Lazar put it, “Without Gibson, the Patriots already untested running back depth becomes even more depleted. Along with being a nice complement from a skill set standpoint to Stevenson, Gibson was the only proven veteran on the roster behind New England’s starter as the clear-cut RB2. The Pats will practice with third-year back Kevin Harris, veteran JaMycal Hasty, and undrafted rookie Deshaun Fenwick as their depth options. Last week, they also placed undrafted rookie Terrell Jennings on the active/PUP list.”
It’s easy to see there isn’t much game-ready talent behind lead workhorse Rhamondre Stevenson. The result is “personnel chief Eliot Wolf might need to make a move to bolster New England’s backfield.”
Fortunately, there’s no shortage of quality backs still available on the veteran market.
Patriots Still Have Options in Free Agency
One intriguing name for the Patriots to consider is Jerick McKinnon. He’s a two-time Super Bowl winner with receiver-type skills out of the backfield.
McKinnon would easily cover the pass-catching role ticketed for converted wideout Gibson. Plays like this touchdown catch by McKinnon for the Kansas City Chiefs against the Denver Broncos in 2022 offer ample proof of the 32-year-old’s value.
Other notable free-agent runners include veterans Matt Breida and Kareem Hunt. The latter is a former NFL rushing champion who’s also a competent pass-catcher and prolific in goal-line situations.
Wolf will surely like what he sees if he casts an eye over the remaining talent pool at running back. Especially since he still has $40,920,395 under the salary cap, per Spotrac.com.
Yet, head coach Jerod Mayo may be more inclined to give extended playing time to fringe backs at camp and find out what he truly has beyond Stevenson and Gibson.
Antonio Gibson’s Injury Status an Opportunity for Others
Although Gibson can be cleared and taken off the NFI list at any time, his current status is an opportunity for other members of the depth chart to step forward. Members like Kevin Harris.
The third-year pro can make hay between the tackles. Like when Harris gashed the Chiefs for an 18-yard scoring scamper in Week 15 last season, highlighted by ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
End-zone view of Kevin Harris’ 18-yard TD run — aided by some poor angles from Chiefs DBs and strong interior blocks from RG Sidy Sow and C David Andrews — shows Harris’ combination of patience and then decisiveness.
Could be playing himself on to the roster from the p-squad.
Harris can offer a similar power-based running style as Stevenson, but JaMycal Hasty has a more niche set of skills. The 27-year-old reeled in 50 catches during tours with the Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers.
There’s a place for Hasty in a Patriots offense with a rich tradition of featuring pass-catching backs. That same tradition is why Wolf and Mayo brought Gibson on board.
The former Washington Commanders starter will eventually make the key role his own, but that shouldn’t stop the Patriots from exploring all of their options for getting better in the engine room of a rebuilding offense.
