Watch CBS News

Patriots Could Look To Add Running Back Before Season

BOSTON (CBS) -- One of the under-the-radar questions about the 2016 New England Patriots is their running game. Despite the return of Dion Lewis, the dynamic back can't be counted on for a full workload after tearing his ACL last season, and it's fair to question how much 29-year-old LeGarrette Blount can contribute as he returns from a hip injury that sidelined him in December of 2015.

ESPN's Mike Reiss, who covered the Patriots' last three weeks of practices, raised questions about the Patriots' stable of running backs, particularly the "traditional" backs who would contribute on the ground. Lewis, James White, and free-agent signing Donald Brown comprise what Reiss called "the best stable of pass-catching backs in recent memory," but there's little beyond Blount to help on early downs.

Reiss speculated (perhaps with some inside knowledge) that Patriots director of pro personnel Dave Ziegler will be "keeping close eye on depth charts around the league" to see if the team could add a traditional back to the roster. He threw the Tennessee Titans' Bishop Sankey out there, considering that the Titans drafted Alabama's Derrick Henry in the second round this year and traded for DeMarco Murray, which could make Sankey expendable.

While most of the Patriots' positions on the depth chart are set, running back appears to be a position worth watching to see if the team adds to it.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.