NFL Rumors: Patriots Should Not Pursue RB Arian Foster

There has been recent buzz surrounding the Patriots and free agent running back Arian Foster. The former Texans star was recently scene in Boston, and that has led Pats fans to think about the possibility of Foster joining the team.

I personally don’t believe the Pats should kick the tires on Foster. I understand that Foster was once a great back, but he is getting up there in age, he is coming off a bad injury, and most importantly, there is a reason not a single NFL team has wanted Foster up until this point. It’s not like he’s a coveted free agent star who everyone wants. If that were the case, he would have been snatched up weeks ago.

For the Patriots specific situation, they are just fine at running back. They have Dion Lewis, LeGarrette Blount, James White, Brandon Bolden and Tyler Gaffney at their disposal right now, which is more than enough in my eyes.

Lewis is an extremely talented back both in the running and passing game, and for power between the tackles they have Blount. White, Bolden and Gaffney make up a good backup team in case anyone goes down, not to mention the untapped potential of rookie D.J. Foster, who might end up on the final roster as well.

When Lewis is healthy, he is one of the most talented players in the entire league. His vision, quickness, agility and elusiveness is quite surreal at times, as too often he turns what should be a two-yard loss into a 15-yard gain. When he is matched up against linebackers in the passing game he will burn them nine times out of 10, whereas someone like Foster would be lucky to win four of those battles.

I know a lot of Pats fans don’t like the idea of having Blount be the main power back between the tackles, but when he gets proper blocking, he is more than capable to handle that responsibility. He is one of the most patient backs in the NFL, and has terrific quickness and speed for someone that big. When he gets rolling, he is nearly impossible to bring down with just one defender.

If either Blount or Lewis goes down, the Pats have White, Bolden and Gaffney to split the responsibilities of the power back and passing back, and while those three wouldn’t be ideal, they make for solid depth behind the top duo of Lewis and Blount.

The bottom line is the Patriots have enough talented backs right now where they don’t necessarily need someone like Foster. New England has had enough injury problems lately, so bringing in an aging veteran who has struggled with injuries lately doesn’t seem like a wise idea.

If the Pats have their back to the wall and absolutely need a running back, working out Foster would be a fine idea. But I just think he is past his prime as a primary ball-carrier in this league. Injuries catch up to everyone in the NFL, but they hit running backs hard, and that appears to be the case with Foster.