The New England Patriots' Off-Season Running Back Situation

This offseason looks to be pretty boring in the running back department. That is, I hope.

Everyone I know hates Laurence Maroney, and I just don't know why. Sure, he dances around a bunch, gets tackled for losses, and has been hurt a lot more than we'd like as fans. But why so critical?

Last year he averaged 4.5 yards-per-carry, and the year before he averaged 4.3 yards. Sure, a lot of that is based on the fact that everyone was defending the pass last year, but that's the point.

No matter who the quarterback is for the Patriots next year, the opposing defense is going to worry more about the pass. I say, and I am most likely wrong on this, that the Patriots will keep Maroney instead of trading him away for a second or third round pick.

But my thought is this: Morris, Jordan and Faulk are all getting older. They have all reached the point in their careers where we can no longer expect them to be as powerful and fast as they once were.

Fortunately, there is depth, so they do not have to be every down backs, but having a feature back that is young and quick and skilled would be so much more beneficial to the Patriots than three bruising backs, one of which is more of a receiver out of the backfield than a running back.

If Maroney can become an every down back, and I hope he can, than all that will do is take the pressure off of the aging backs. Imagine having Morris and Jordan in there, pounding the ball into the line of scrimmage, bruising and tiring out the defenses. Faulk will come out of the backfield, tiring out ends and linebackers trying to stay with him.

Then, they'll have Maroney, if he can stay healthy and lower his shoulder, speed into a tired, hurt defense. The Patriots could possibly, once again, have a bona fide running game to go with an elite passing game.

So my hope is that Maroney is kept, Jordan re-signed, and everyone somehow manages to stay relatively healthy (no missing eight games for Jordan, or 13 for Maroney,) the depth at running back is the greatest part.

The fifth stringer is Benjarvis Green-Ellis, introduced to the world in the game against the Broncos, and his best performance against the Bills. An undrafted free agent, he looked to many fans as the opposite of Laurence Maroney. But, as the other backs came back from their injuries, he fell further down the depth chart.

Overall, no one can be disappointed with how the running game is going to look in 2009. Health, and the development of Maroney (or the consequential trade of,) will be the two main stories for this group.

As we're on the mention of running backs I should talk about Fullback Heath Evans, and I guess Fullback Russ Hochstein. Both are aging, and both are due to become free agents at the end of the season. Either the Patriots will resign them (Hochstein is also part of the offensive line,) or they will try to fill that gap with Faulk/free agents/a late round draft pick.

As always though, Belichick knows the players better than we do. If the Patriots trade Maroney, we can assume it is because he would not fit in well in the future. No matter what happens, though, fans should be excited as to the development of the run game towards the end of 2008, and hopefully is translates into a great 2009 campaign.