The New England Patriots are facing a big turnover in their run game. The Super Bowl champs are currently re-tooling their offense and the running back spot must take priority as two of their stars prepare to hit the open market. The Patriots began to take steps towards bringing in fresh legs, but the potential departure of both Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley could have New England looking at big names on the market.
The chances Ridley re-signs with the Patriots are slim. The running back suffered a season-ending ACL tear that hurt his chances to stay with the team. Unless he agrees to a one-year, prove-yourself deal, Ridley will be headed elsewhere. The Patriots already opted to re-sign Brandon Bolden to an extension. They have LeGarrette Blount signed through next season. The team drafted James White while also acquiring Jonas Gray in the offseason. Ridley is the odd man out.
There is a chance that Vereen could make a return to the Patriots considering he is versatile enough to keep around. However, contract demands could prevent that from happening. According to reports, Vereen is demanding upwards of $5 million per season, something he took to Twitter to deny. The running back made sure to say it was untrue that he was demanding big money in free agency.
Vereen could be worth a nice contract. The running back was a crucial piece in a complicated offense excelling as both a rusher and pass catcher in his first 16-game season of his career. It is unclear exactly if the Patriots will look to bring him back or opt for another rusher instead that they can pair with Blount. New England does not have a ton of cap space to work with. The team is trying to work out a contract extension for Darrelle Revis while potentially using their franchise tag on Devin McCourty. The Patriots could consider releasing Danny Amendola or Aaron Dobson to make room for another running back like CJ Spiller, Mark Ingram or Frank Gore.
The Patriots have some critical decisions to make on their roster. The team needs to get younger on defense while aiming to re-sign players like Dont'a Hightower. Vereen was a strong rusher for the Patriots in his short time with team and could be a valuable re-sign in free agency.
