Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
The injury bug has stung the New England Patriots’ backfield. Starting running back LeGarrette Blount suffered a right knee injury in Patriots training camp yesterday.
#Patriots LeGarrette Blount down in practice with apparent right knee injury. Down for a while before walking off field with trainer #wbz
— Dan Roche (@RochieWBZ) August 7, 2015
While it’s encouraging that Blount was able to walk off the field, this is worrying. Anytime your top running back hurts his knee, whether the month is August or February, you cringe. Especially with a bulldozer like Blount, who helped power the Patriots to the Super Bowl last year.
Over the course of his 21 regular season games with the Patriots, Blount has averaged 4.9 yards per carry. That’s better than his figures in Tampa Bay (4.6) and Pittsburgh (4.1). Not only do the Patriots and their fan base enjoy having Blount around, but also No. 29 evidently likes running the football in New England.
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Blount is already set to miss the opener against his former black-and-yellow clad-teammates because of a one-game suspension. Missing any more time in September would be bad news indeed.
The Patriots will already be adjusting to life with Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm. If Blount misses significant time at the beginning of the season, Jimmy G’s four games as the starter will be that much more difficult.
But the Patriots being who they are, adjustments will be made. The well-oiled winning machine will plug ahead.
Since it’s still summer and Week 1 is just under five weeks away, we’re going to dig a little deeper into the thought of an elongated Blount absence. Read on for three ramifications of Blount’s knee injury.
Next: 3. Will Gray be the starter?
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3. Jonas Gray stands to be the starter for Week 1… and beyond.
Before yesterday’s injury development, Gray was preparing to start in Week 1 against the Steelers. Now, with the possibility of Blount missing additional games, Gray may see more time as the Patriots’ top running back.
Keep in mind that Gray appeared in only nine games last season (eight in the regular season and the AFC Championship Game). His 200-yard, four-touchdown outburst against the Indianapolis Colts in mid-November endeared him to the Patriots’ fan base, but he only rushed for 86 more yards all the way through the postseason.
So that begs the question: is Gray ready for the No. 1 spot? Like Blount, he is powerfully built and finishes runs with the best of them. It’s rare to see Gray get stopped in his tracks by anyone, as he usually falls forward for an extra half-yard.
Considering the Patriots’ unpredictable use of running backs, it’s possible that Gray will carry the balls 33 times in the opener and then see a scant few attempts the next week, even if Blount is healthy. But it’s reasonable to say that if Blount’s injury is as bad as it looked, Gray figures to be the Patriots’ top ball carrier heading into the regular season.
Next: 2. Bolden could have more work
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2. Brandon Bolden could see more carries.
A Bill Belichick Patriot if there ever was one, Bolden is used more as a special teams ace than as a ball carrier. That being said, he wouldn’t have stuck around in New England for over four years if he didn’t have solid rushing ability.
Worth noting is Bolden’s stat lines from his first two seasons. As a rookie in 2012, the Ole Miss product posted 274 yard and two touchdowns on 56 attempts. The following year was nearly identical, as Bolden churned out 271 yard and three scores on 55 carries.
Those first two seasons of decent rushing output indicate that Bolden can handle a minor role in the ground game without taking away from his special teams prowess. However, his next-to-nothing contributions as a running back last year are hard to ignore, as he tallied just 89 yards and a touchdown on 28 attempts.
The possibility of the Patriots enduring the first week or more of the regular season with barely any returning backfield veterans could mean that Bolden hears his name called in the huddle more often. If he can channel his 2012 and 2013 form, in which he average nearly five yards per carry in both seasons, then Bolden will definitely see a lion’s share of the workload with Blount on the sideline.
Next: There will be a new guy
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1. There will be a new running back on the 53-man roster
Again, this would have been true before Blount’s injury yesterday. But with Blount possibly missing more games, there is no doubt that the Patriots will bring on a new running back to the final roster.
Travaris Cadet, Dion Lewis, James White (he barely played last year, so he counts as a new guy) and Tyler Gaffney have already been in a heated training camp battle for the precious few spots on the 53-man roster and practice squad.
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The smart money is on the veteran Cadet to carve out a role for himself because of his threat as a receiver. During his four years in New Orleans, Cadet actually participated in wide receiver meetings, indicating how specialized he is in that part of the offense.
Breathing down Cadet’s neck as Shane Vereen’s replacement is the sophomore White, who has been a stud in Patriots training camp for two years running now. White had some hiccups in yesterday’s practice, which could set him back in the competition. However, the Patriots are very keen on him and it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which he doesn’t at least make the practice squad.
Lewis hasn’t taken a carry in a meaningful NFL game since 2012 when he was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. However, he has been turning heads at points throughout training camp. It’s true that Lewis may be the most slippery of this group of four running backs, but his diminutive stature at 5-foot-8, 190 pounds means that he’ll have to prove himself on special teams (kick returner?) to make the team.
Bringing up the rear of this battle is Gaffney, who hasn’t practiced since getting clocked by defensive tackle Sealver Siliga in a one-on-one tackling drill on the first day of padded practice. If he can re-conjure his Stanford form, Gaffney stands a chance to make the practice squad, but he’s behind the eight ball as it stands right now.