Eight's A Crowd in the New England Patriots' Stuffed Backfield

(Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

Verdict:

Like the quarterback position battle last year, this one may simply come down to a numbers game. Kettani and White are only in rookie camp because of their “basket leave” due to all Navy graduates after their graduation—leave which is up next month.

Cuff has the athletic ability to play in the NFL but the Patriots are not really the best team for him. Barring a spectacular camp, he may end up being cut completely or signed as a member of the practice squad in case injuries hit New England hard once again.

Green-Ellis will watch his counterparts closely, though, as he's next on the cutting block if they all play well in camp. The life of a young, undrafted player is never easy or predictable and all he can do is come to camp, play well, and stay healthy.

Whether he makes the 53 man roster may simply come down to whether or not the Patriots have space. Carrying five running backs seems excessive, and he may have to beat out the experienced Morris, Taylor, and Faulk while outperforming young Maroney for a spot.

It's one of the most interesting sub-plots of training camp this summer but BenJarvus has done nothing but perform when asked and, if he continues that way, it's unlikely it'll be his fault if he gets cut.

For the rest of the Patriots backfield, they should once again be a productive group. They rushed, as a team, for 2,278 yards last year, scoring 21 touchdowns, despite the injury to Maroney, and were fourth overall in the league with 142.4 yards per game on average.

With the entire offensive line returning healthy this year, the system will benefit from consistency—a rarity for the NFL.

Who exactly benefits and collects a game check each week will have to be decided in the coming months.

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