In the second of a five-part series, CSNNE.com Patriots Insider Tom E. Curran takes a look at potential free agents New England might have interest in. Today: running backs.
PATRIOTS SITUATION
The Patriots could use a better early-down back. LeGarrette Blount has had some tremendous games but he’s got a hip injury that ended his 2015 season and his contract is up. Blount’s size and the time required for him to get to ramming speed means that, when an obvious hole isn’t there, he’s not getting yards by making people miss. When he gets to the second level, he’s a terror and his numbers in 2015 – 703 yards in 12 games – were good but it’s time to move on. Brandon Bolden is a feasible, low-cost option that’s on the roster. He didn’t do much with his end-of-the-year opportunities but the offense was in total disarray at that point so it’s hard to know how much was on him. Dion Lewis is terrific. James White is a “meh” backup there. Tyler Gaffney is injury-prone and unproven. James Develin is coming back off an ACL so will return to the fullback role. It would have been interesting to see if the offense would have been more diverse had he not gotten hurt in the preseason.
POSSIBLE TARGETS
There’s an absolute bumper crop of intriguing backs hitting the market Wednesday. Running back’s gone from a glory position to one marked by disposability. Teams leave a guy at the end of the driveway, some other club stops by, throws him in the back of the truck and sees what it can salvage. Here’s a list.
Here are the top guys the Patriots could consider.
Matt Forte, Bears, 30. Bill Belichick’s on record as being a big Forte fan.
Even though he turned 30, his per-game production and yards-per-carry production remained high in 2015 in 13 games. His ability as a runner and pass-catcher would give the Patriots a dimension they don’t have when Blount’s on the field. The Patriots just didn’t throw to Blount so he was X’d off as a viable threat.
Doug Martin, Bucs, 26. Coming off an All-Pro, 1,400-yard rushing season, Martin’s likely hoping to cash in on his first trip through free agency. He’s a viable pass-catcher and a guy who can take an early-down, between-the-tackles pounding but his production’s been so varied there’s a concern about consistency.
New England Patriots
Arian Foster, Texans, 29. Foster has missed 23 games over his last three seasons, but has shown to be a strong high-volume back when healthy. His pass-catching ability isn’t at the same level as Forte’s, but is suitable enough to make Foster a feasible every down runner. At nearly age 30, his price tag may not be worth the injury risk.
Alfred Morris, Redskins, 27. Stuck in a three-man timeshare in 2015, Morris saw his worst single season numbers of his career. He’s a powerful between the tackles runner with a skill set similar to LeGarrette Blount, Morris offers little as a pass catcher, and is a mediocre YPC runner.
Stevan Ridley, Jets, 27. Ridley was successful as an early down runner in his previous stint with the Patriots, but was used sparingly last year with the Jets. He does little as a receiver, and his big play ability is lacking. His familiarity with the system may still be enough to bring him back.