How the New England Patriots Can Replace Dion Lewis

Nobody said it would be easy to replace Dion Lewis in the New England Patriots offense.

But no one ever thought it would be this hard back in the summer when Lewis was fighting for a roster spot in a deep depth chart at running back.

From the moment he took the practice field outside Gillette Stadium, Lewis started chipping away at his competition. Travaris Cadet, James White and Jonas Gray were all surpassed by the young upstart who had been out of football for a year at that point.

Lewis did it with a combination of quickness and versatility that the Patriots have valued in their satellite backs for years. In fact, Lewis was on record pace to be one of the most elusive backs in recent history, according to Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus:

Lewis has transformed from underdog to integral player in the Patriots offense, and now that he's been placed on season-ending injured reserve, the Patriots must figure out how they will replace his role—an important role at that.

"It's a pretty important position in our offense," quarterback Tom Brady said Wednesday. "Dion did a great job of it this year. Brandon has done a great job when he's had his chance. James White has done it for us, and we've had some great players at that position over the years. So I think it's dependability, because there are a lot of things that you ask that player to do. Not just catch the ball, but when you hand it to him, what are you going to do and blitz pickup, and it's kind of a lot of things that happen back there."

Lewis did it all, so they'll have to replace it all. With that in mind, the Patriots probably won't be looking to get all of that production from one player. They'll need to get it from a mix of everyone: running backs, wide receivers and tight ends. 

First, the carries. Lewis may be remembered as a scatback, but he had more rushing attempts (49) than receptions (36) before being injured. Most of his carries (39) came with Brady under center, while the rest (10) were shotgun handoffs, according to Kevin Duffy of MassLive.com. 

It's more likely that running back LeGarrette Blount would pick up those seven extra carries per game than someone like James White or Brandon Bolden, who aren't as good between the tackles as Lewis was. Blount is at his best when lined up behind the quarterback, which allows him to build a head of steam before he gets the ball in his hands.

Then there's the question of how to replace Lewis' role in the passing game. Duffy also pointed out that most of Lewis' production as a receiver was earned on screens (15 receptions for 144 yards) and on option routes out of the backfield (eight receptions for 84 yards). The screen game will always be a big part of the Patriots offense, whether those passes are going to wide receivers, tight ends or running backs.

White has the quickness to evade defenders in the open field, so his presence could be felt in a big way on screens. That being said, those screens don't have to go to running backs in the backfield. Don't be surprised at all to see receivers like Danny Amendola, Julian Edelman and even Brandon LaFell lined up in the backfield to get them in favorable matchups on linebackers, before throwing a quick screen to them.

The Patriots have done it in the past, and they won't be afraid to do it again. 

Don't expect the Patriots to completely ignore their backs, though. In Week 7 against the New York Jets, Lewis was absent with an injury, which opened the way for White to play a season-high 43 snaps, compared to eight snaps for Blount and none for Bolden, according to Pro Football Focus.

That week was one of the pass-happiest offensive game plans in recent history. According to ESPN's Stats and Information, Brady dropped back on 90.9 percent of the Patriots' offensive plays, the highest percentage in the past 10 years), and White was on the field in a passing situation for 41 of his 43 snaps (26 as a route-runner, 15 as a blocker).

Speaking of Week 7 against the Jets, that game offers an interesting glimpse into what life might be like without Lewis. The Patriots offense struggled for much of the day until Brady pulled it together late and led the Patriots to two fourth-quarter touchdown drives and the eventual victory.

However, Brady has done more with less at other points in his career; he could easily keep pace even without Lewis at his disposal.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand.