The Patriots enter training camp with multiple storylines at the running back position, both in terms of usage and how many backs they'll keep on the initial 53-man roster.

Evan Lazar

Running Backs:Rhamondre Stevenson,TreVeyon Henderson,Antonio Gibson,Lan Larison,Terrell Jennings,Trayveon Williams

The Patriots enter training camp with multiple storylines at the running back position, both in terms of usage and how many backs they'll keep on the initial 53-man roster.

Along with holdovers Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, New England invested the 38th overall pick in last April's draft in explosive RB TreVeyon Henderson. The Ohio State product is a big-play threat whenever he touches the ball, with 4.43-second speed that passed the eye test during the spring. There's definite excitement about what Henderson can bring to the Pats offense. He has big-play potential, great short-area quickness to jump-cut around tacklers and separate at the top of routes, and was a high-end pass blocker at Ohio State.

With the rookie pushing for a featured role, the question is how much Henderson will cut into Stevenson's workload and where Gibson fits into the equation, given that he's in a similar mold to Henderson as a change-of-pace/pass-catching back. New England also added promising undrafted rookie Lan Larison to the room, who flashed a skill set that could also fit into a sub-package back role after leading the FCS in all-purpose yards at UC Davis last season.

As for the Patriots projected lead back, New England is hoping for a bounce-back season from Stevenson after an inconsistent 2024. Stevenson signed a four-year extension to remain in New England long term last offseason, while first-year head coach Mike Vrabel said during the spring that Stevenson will "be a large part of what we do."

Following his breakout campaign in 2022, where he tallied 1,461 scrimmage yards, Stevenson has only produced 857 and 969 yards from scrimmage in the last two seasons. Ball security has also been an issue, with Stevenson fumbling seven times a year ago. Now, not all of that has been on Stevenson, who worked behind an offensive line that was 32nd in run-blocking win rate in 2024. Furthermore, Stevenson averaged 0.5 yards before contact per rush last season, down from 1.2 yards the two years prior. In other words, the blocking hasn't done him any favors.

New England made personnel moves this offseason to create a better environment for its run game by selecting LT Will Campbell fourth overall and signing vets Morgan Moses (RT) and Garrett Bradbury (C). Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has also historically directed good rushing offenses, with McDaniel's last three offenses ranking fifth, ninth, and eighth in rush DVOA. By rebuilding the offensive line and tabbing McDaniels as offensive coordinator, the hope is that all the Pats backs will be set up for success moving forward.

Along with Stevenson, Gibson remains in the mix after posting solid efficiency numbers in his first season with the Patriots. The sixth-year pro ranked second among qualified running backs in yards after contact per rush (3.91) and is a former college wideout who has plus-receiving skills. Henderson, a second-round pick who will get his opportunities, and Gibson have some redundancies to their skill sets, so it'll be interesting to see how McDaniels deploys them.

To that point, McDaniels has historically used running backs in a role-specific platoon, where there is a lead early-down back, a sub-package back, and then a third-down specialist. If that's the case again, Stevenson is a natural fit as the bruising early-down back, while Henderson and Gibson vie for snaps for snaps in lighter personnel groupings and passing situations. There's also a world where Henderson is too talented to limit his snaps to specific situations. At the same time, the Pats will likely experiment with different two-back or "pony" packages this season.

Given that Stevenson and Henderson/Gibson have complementary skill sets, the Patriots could play two running backs at the same time. That said, it's worth noting that the league-average usage for "pony" packages was just 9.2% of snaps last season. Teams that used it most frequently, such as the 49ers and Ravens, were at around 40 percent. But it's not something offenses typically major in as a base package it's more of a changeup.

Still, Henderson is versatile and explosive, allowing him to be alignment-flexible, while the Patriots could utilize his big-play ability on the field. Additionally, he's a useful gadget player on designed touches (screens) and in motion. Henderson could be more of an offensive weapon, while Stevenson is the traditional back in the Pats backfield in those two-back formations. From this vantage point, Stevenson will still be a high-volume, between-the-tackles runner. However, Henderson could out-snap Stevenson by season's end: welcome back to the days where the Pats running back rotation is hard to decipher from a fantasy perspective.

The other discussion surrounding the running back position is whether New England will carry three or four running backs on the initial roster. The Titans carried three backs on their initial roster in Vrabel's final season, but Tennessee also had star RB Derrick Henry leading the way. As for McDaniels, he carried four running backs in his final Raiders season.

Ultimately, it'll be up to Larison, in particular, to earn a roster spot in camp. The undrafted rookie's shiftiness to create separation in the passing game stood out this spring. During minicamp, Larison stacked a linebacker on a wheel route for a nice touchdown grab during red-zone work, while he has the quickness to create underneath separation as well. Larison fits the mold of a McDaniels passing game back, which could earn him a roster spot or possibly make Gibson expendable, but it's too early to make that call right now.

For most, the biggest storyline as it pertains to the Patriots running backs is how the coaching staff will divvy up the touches between Henderson, Stevenson, and possibly Gibson. As for training camp, the battle for roster spots will be at the forefront. Overall, the running back room is set up to be a strength of New England's offense this season.

DISCLAIMER:The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization.Read Full Disclaimer