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The Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe has been giving us some great updates on Ridley, and he tweeted today that Ridley has added a significant amount of muscle to his frame. He is already a powerful back, and the added strength is going to make him that much more scary for defenses. What Howe exactly said is extremely interesting, “Stevan Ridley looked like a house today. He’s added a noticeable amount of muscle. Might be even more difficult to tackle in 2013.”

A “house”? A “noticeable amount”? Now that sounds like something defenses should be scared of next season. Stevan Ridley was among the league leaders in missed tackles last season (top 15), and he is one of the top ten running backs in the NFL after the first hit. Ridley finished the 2012 season with an excellent total of 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns in a workhorse, 290-carry campaign. The added strength will not only make Ridley even tougher for defenses to bring down, but it will also allow him to be more durable going forward. It isn’t like durability has ever been a question for Ridley (that’s Shane Vereen), but health at the running back position is never a certain proposition these days.

It is great to hear that Ridley looks stacked, and I am looking forward to seeing some more great things from the Riddler in his second season as a starter. An inspired LeGarrette Blount could poach some carries from Ridley, and that might not be a bad thing. Ridley is still a feature back, but 290 carries is an awful lot, and less carries also means more efficiency per carry. Blount is a former 1,000-yard rusher himself, and we could also see Brandon Bolden vie for more carries next season. Those aren’t certainties, but what is certain (at least, to me) is that Stevan Ridley is clearly one of the feature backs in the NFL.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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Ridley has stated a couple of times that the hit was huge, and he also stated it was the biggest hit he has ever taken in his career. As we all know, Pollard can pack a mean punch and is one of the better in-the-box safeties in the league. We can only be thankful that Ridley emerged from that hit fine, and he also stated his thankfulness.

Here is what Ridley told the Boston Herald, “I thank the Lord that I’m healthy and brought me back. All I can do now is move forward from that, but it was a nice hit that I took. Just got to shake it off. Comes with the game. It wasn’t pretty at all. It was one of the worst ones that I took in my life. Besides that, it comes with the game. Sometimes it’s others, and sometimes it’s ourselves. But either way, I love the game, and I love football. I mean, it’s going to happen sometimes, but you’ve got to roll with it, adjust it. Make sure you’re squared away with your doctor, squared away with your team. I’ll be out here this year ready to go.”

Concussions can still have a negative effect on a player months after the injury, so it is great to hear that this isn’t the case with Stevan Ridley. He looks poised for another great season in his second season as a starter, but it will be interesting to see how many carries are plucked away from him this upcoming season. If LeGarrette Blount is inspired, he could be a factor for the Patriots rushing attack. However, less carries also means more efficiency for backs, so that could be a fringe benefit for Ridley. It will also be interesting to see how many carries former Ole Miss UDFA Brandon Bolden gets as a sophomore in the league.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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According to Scout.com NFL Insider Aaron Wilson, the New England Patriots sent renowned running backs coach Ivan Fears down to the Bayou to work out running backs Spencer Ware and Michael Ford. The Pats also worked out wide receiver Russell Shepard, and he was even worked out at defensive back. WR and DB are regarded as the two biggest needs for the Pats in this draft class, especially after they signed veteran defensive tackle Tommy Kelly to a two-year deal yesterday.

Ware led the Tigers in rushing in 2011, but he had a disappointing 2012 season thanks to a hamstring injury. He has good strength and athleticism, and he could be a nice sleeper pick for the Pats. The same can be said for Ford being a sleeper, but he’s the speedy back of the two with low 4.4 speed.

The St. Louis Rams had dinner with Spencer Ware recently, and he is expected to be selected very late in the draft (sixth or seventh round). Many people thought he should have stayed for his senior year to prove scouts of his 2011 form, but both he and Shepard decided to declare very early.

Shepard can play at cornerback, safety, or wide receiver, but he probably fits best staying at WR. The Baltimore Ravens have worked him out, and Shepard is drawing interest based on his mid-4.4s speed and ridiculous athleticism.

Ford received a draft projection between the fourth and sixth rounds, and I have a feeling he will be picked in around the sixth round. There hasn’t been news of much interest in him at this point in time.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.