Life After Lewis: Who Steps Up For Patriots?
By Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) – The injury bug is gnawing at the New England Patriots right now, claiming its latest victim in running back Dion Lewis.
Lewis is out for the rest of the season after tearing his ACL in Sunday's win over the Redskins, leaving the Patriots and Tom Brady without one of their most dynamic offensive weapons. Yes, a 5-foot-8 running back who did not play in the NFL the last two seasons became one of New England's most dangerous offensive weapons this season.
It's a huge loss, as Lewis was doing just about everything for the Patriots with 622 overall yards and four touchdowns. But as big of a loss this is, the Patriots have a few other options to rely on as Lewis recovers. They're a team that defines the "Next Man Up" approach, and often thrives on it. Bill Belichick found Lewis off the scrap heap and gave him a chance to replace Shane Vereen, which the tiny back did for seven weeks this season. Now it's up to someone else to take the torch. Here are a few of those candidates.
LeGarrette Blount
We all know what Blount brings to the table. He's a bruising, big body back who offers a much different attack than Lewis. But with the weather getting a whole lot colder from here on out, the thought of bringing down a running back like Blount isn't something opposing defenses are going to look forward to doing.
Blount will take over the premier back role that he held towards the end of last season, though don't expect him to do too much in the passing game.
James White
White has been a bit of a disappointment since being drafted in the fourth round in 2014, with just 16 rush attempts and 12 receptions in his nine games played. He was inactive for Sunday's game, but saw extended action in Week 7 against the Jets when Lewis was sidelined with an abdominal injury. In 43 snaps that game, White ran the ball twice for four yards and had three receptions for 26 yards.
When Vereen left in the offseason, White was the likeliest candidate to slide into the pass-catching back role. He'll get another shot to claim it this week in practice.
Brandon Bolden
While Bolden has recently carved out a key role on special teams, he also got into the offensive flow against the Redskins on Sunday with three receptions for 27 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter. He has just seven carries this season, but should see an expanded role in the offense over the coming weeks.
Travaris Cadet
The Patriots had the pass catching back for all of training camp until releasing him during their bye week, and they may re-sign him to shore up their depth after losing Lewis. Cadet lost out to Lewis in the preseason, so maybe he'll do better a second time around.
Dri Archer
The Pittsburgh Steelers released Archer, a speedy third-round pick in 2014, last week and he's sitting on the free agent market waiting for a new home. He reportedly turned down numerous practice squad invites hoping to find a new NFL home.
That home could be New England. Archer rushed for over 2.300 yards and had nearly 1,200 receiving yards during his four-year career at Kent State, finishing his school days with 36 touchdowns. He also returned four kickoffs for scores, making him a very appealing possibility for Belichick.
An undersized (5-foot-8, 173-pounds), speedy running back -- where have we heard this before? It sounds like a match made in Belichick heaven.
Julian Edelman/Danny Amendola
Sometimes, the Patriots don't even need to actually run the ball to run the ball. With Brady the king of short passes, a few more five-yard completions that Edelman and Amendola (and anyone else who is open for that matter) turn into 30-yard gains are just as good as running the ball.
The Patriots will certainly feel the loss of Lewis, who surprised most when he became such a prime contributor to the New England offense. But if they've taught us anything, it's that they'll always ready in case the injury bug comes chomping, and this injury will be no exception.
