New England Patriots: BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Co. Now Most Complete Backfield
The 2011 NFL draft brought us plenty of surprises. For fans of the New England Patriots, one of the biggest surprises was the selection of back-to-back running backs with pick Nos. 56 and 73.
Still, there's little doubt that Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen can carve their niche in the Patriots offense.
Add the two rookies to holdover talents Danny Woodhead and BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and the Patriots backfield could be one of the most complete in the NFL.
Let's take a look at each of these four backs and how they will contribute to the team. By the end, we should have a good idea of just how complete this backfield could be.
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Danny Woodhead
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One of the biggest surprises of the 2010 season was the emergence of Danny Woodhead.
The young back earned a lot of attention during HBO's Hard Knocks, but was cut from the Jets during training camp. What was one AFC East team's loss became another's gain.
It didn't take Woodhead long to make his presence felt, scoring a 22-yard touchdown run on his very first carry of the 2010 season. His versatility is one of his greatest assets, contributing 379 receiving yards to go with 547 rushing yards. With 926 yards on 131 handles, he averaged a whopping 7.1 yards per touch.
The little guy does a lot of his damage using great quickness and burst. His ability to navigate small areas, and the inability of opposing defenders to find his small frame among so many big bodies makes him a threat every time he touches the ball.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
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Green-Ellis gave the Patriots a 1,000-yard running back in 2010, marking the first time that has happened since Corey Dillon did it in 2004.
His longest run last year was just 33 yards, so he's obviously not a game-changer. His strongest suits are his ball security and his consistency.
With that, he's the anti-Laurence Maroney. Not only does he find the holes quickly, but he hits them hard (read: doesn't tap dance at the line of scrimmage).
Rarely did we see Green-Ellis stopped for a loss, but not once in his entire career have we seen him put the ball on the ground. That's probably what Bill Belichick loves most about him.
Stevan Ridley
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In the third round, with the 73rd overall pick, Ridley was considered a reach. I find it hard to believe that a running back that dominated as Ridley did, with 1,147 rushing yards at a 4.6-yard-per-carry clip and 15 touchdowns, slipped to Round 3.
This, mind you, against some of the top defenses in the nation in the SEC.
He may not be the most well-versed pass-catcher, but does solid work in pass protection. Where Ridley does his best work is as more of a traditional back.
He's a great downhill runner who brings a presence between the tackles. His vision to find the holes and conviction while hitting them makes him another anti-Laurence Maroney.
Think the Patriots learned from their mistake with that pick?
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Shane Vereen
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Vereen is a perfect fit for the Patriots offense.
He excels in passing situations, having reeled in 74 passes for 674 yards and six touchdowns in his collegiate career. His small frame may be a detriment in pass protection, but the awareness and toughness are there.
Did I mention he can run?
He posted career-highs across the board with 231 totes for 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns. In his career, he had 2,834 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. With that kind of versatility, Belichick will certainly find a way to incorporate him in the offense early and often.
Of all the Patriots' draft picks, Vereen has the best chance to make the biggest contributions as a rookie.
What About the Rest?
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Kevin Faulk is a free agent after this year, and at almost 35 years old, his time in the NFL is drawing to an end. His veteran presence may be welcome in the locker room, as may his coaching for the young backs.
However, there may simply not be enough room on the roster for a fifth running back.
As for Fred Taylor, I am surprised the team didn't cut him after the season. After two injury-riddled seasons of minimal production, and at the ripe young age of 35, it's questionable whether keeping him around is worthwhile. This is especially true since keeping him around would be at the expense of a promising young back.
Sammy Morris is more of a fullback than a running back. We never saw very much of Morris even from his first year in New England, but we've seen less and less of him as the Patriots have stockpiled young backs.
The writing could be on the wall for Morris.
Why so Many?
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Most backfields feature two or three running backs. For this reason, four seems like an unprecedented number. One problem this could potentially create is that none of them will really have a chance to get in rhythm. Of course, certain backs could be used more frequently in certain games than other backs. This would play into Belichick's idea of specialization, where every player has their job that they excel at, and is used primarily for that job.
We saw last year, though, how quickly just one injury could cripple a backfield. Ryan Grant went down with injury in Week 1, and it took the Packers until just a couple of weeks before the playoffs to find a suitable replacement capable of contributing consistently.
In that regard, the Patriots are set up beautifully.
What Makes This Group so Special?
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The Patriots have one of the most formidable and complete backfields in the league because they have one of the most versatile. Between Vereen and Woodhead, the Patriots have two great utility belts to be used in both standard running situations as well as many passing situations.
Green-Ellis and Ridley give the team a couple of hammers up the middle—guys that will force defenders into the box anytime they're on the field.
The Patriots could go with a power set of Ridley and Green-Ellis or a finesse package of Woodhead and Vereen. Mix and match any combination of these four backs and there's great potential in just about any situation imaginable.
We all know Bill Belichick loves to change his looks, confusing opposing defenses by forcing them to think quickly when being presented with something they've never seen before.
With a collection of so many versatile and effective backs, the possibilities are endless.
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