The New England Patriots are trying to figure out how to replace one of their most versatile players with Dion Lewis out for the season. With LeGarrette Blount as their main down-field rusher, the Patriots are hopeful that they have the talent on the roster to get another passing-down back which Lewis primarily was. With Brandon Bolden and James White on the roster, the Patriots have opted to not sign someone new and go with depth instead.
According to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels via CSNNE.com, White will fill the role of Lewis moving forward as the team has a lot of confidence in the running back. Bolden has experience, but White has been the more productive player this season in the limited time he has gotten on the field. McDaniels believes he is the best to fill the hole on the field.
"James is a guy who continues to get better," McDaniels said, via CSNNE.com. "Hopefully his best football is in front of him. You know, he's still a young player, has only been in our system for a year and a half here I think. And going forward, whatever his role is, I'm sure James will be prepared, and will give our team everything he has. So I really like his approach and his mentality, and he's got a maturity about him that I really feel good about. He'll have an opportunity now to step in there and play a little bit more with Dion's situation."
The Patriots will likely see how Bolden and White handle the added playing time before exploring options on the free agency market. Right now, Montee Ball and Pierre Thomas are the best available. Robert Turbin could be an option as well after his release from the Cleveland Browns. The Patriots would be wise to at least explore someone like Thomas who looked good against the Atlanta Falcons, but was then released from the 49ers quickly.
Blount will be the star of the show. Head coach Bill Belichick believes the running back can be the workhorse for New England. He has thrived in their system so far, but the addition of Lewis has taken added pressure off his back. Blount will now get added responsibility on the field and the team will be anxious to see how he handles it.
"I thought LG ran well,'' Belichick said, via the Boston Globe. "We had some good holes to run through. I thought he made some good yardage on his own.''
The rotation of Blount and White might be enough to get by the New York Giants given Tom Brady is the quarterback. However, for the long-term outlook, adding a player to the roster should be the intended move.