The New England Patriots might be coming into the 2015 season as defending Super Bowl champions, but there is plenty of doubt on the roster's ability to contend for another title. Of course the main focus is whether or not Tom Brady will be playing in the first four games of the season, but there are other holes especially on offense as doubt remains in the run game for New England.
While Brady will likely not be seen in the season opener, LeGarrette Blount will also be out. The running back was suspended for the first game following a violation of the NFL's drug policy. The Patriots are putting a lot of trust in Blount this season. After letting players like Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen walk away in free agency, the run game will be the Blount show, but is he ready to be an every-down work horse?
According to the Boston Herald, the Patriots are extremely confident in Blount, but concerned about depth on the roster. There is no question that Blount has had the most success of his career running with the Patriots. His yards after contact and ability to find holes in the line have been keys to his success, but can he handle the entire work load? Behind Blount there is some doubt. James White and Jonas Gray return on the roster, but the Herald reports they are not guaranteed to make the roster. Brandon Bolden reutrns healthy and Travaris Cadet signed after a brief stint with the Saints. Is that enough?
According to ESPN's John Clayton, the Patriots are a potential landing spot for Ray Rice should they find issues in the run game during training camp. ESPN's Ed Werder followed that report up by saying Rice is personally contacting teams about a potential contract as he hopes to sign before camp begins. With a spotty secondary, the Patriots need an offense that will score a lot of points. A tandem of Blount and Rice would easily do the trick.
With Jimmy Garoppolo prepares to start over Brady, he will need a solid rushing attack to be successful. The Patriots are still in the dark about the future of their quarterback. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Brady and the NFL are still discussing the investigation of 'DeflateGate' and a ruling is not expected to happen quickly. The Patriots will report to camp on Monday and if the suspension is upheld, Brady will in fact miss the first four games of the season and Garoppolo will take care of the offense. Getting a playmaker like Rice would ease the burden.
