New England Patriots: 7 standouts from minicamp
#34 Rex Burkhead, RB
Rex Burkhead joined New England in March as an unrestricted free agent. In four seasons with Cincinnati, he combined for 777 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns.
On the second day of mini-camp, Burkhead finished with seven catches and a drop, according to Doug Kyed:
Rex Burkhead was involved heavily with seven catches, one drop. Hawkins, Allen, Edelman, DeAndrew also had drops.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) June 7, 2017
ESPN’s Mike Reiss uploaded a video to his Twitter account of Burkhead taking reps with quarterback Tom Brady:
QB Tom Brady and RB Rex Burkhead are in the early stages of developing a rapport ... pic.twitter.com/rTqq8h4wVG
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) June 8, 2017
A combination of James White, Dion Lewis, and Rex Burkhead would give Brady a premium stable of pass-catching running backs.
The Boston Herald’s Carl Brooks discussed Burkhead’s impressive performance thus far, writing:
"“Burkhead saw plenty of first-team reps, catching passes from both Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo. He pulled in passes while working from all over the field, coming out of the backfield, shifting out to the slot and lining up outside. He was even spotted on the punt coverage team, communicating well when asked to do so.” – Carl Brooks"
Like Carolina Panthers’ first-round pick, Christian McCaffrey, Burkhead has already begun to exhibit the ability to line up in multiple spots on offense and special teams.
Burkhead’s $3.15 million contract suggests he’s a lock to make the roster but he’ll need to impress over the summer to earn snaps over White and Lewis.