Patriots: Damien Harris’ impressive training camp could save New England’s backfield

Patriots RB Damien Harris has continued to impress at training camp.

With the start of the 2020 regular season less than three weeks away, the outlook of the New England Patriots’ backfield is anything but encouraging. Of course, two-year starter Sony Michel was placed on the physically unable to perform list (PUP) right before the start of training camp following offseason foot surgery.

The Patriots responded by signing veteran Lamar Miller last week, but he’s still rehabbing from ACL surgery and was placed on the PUP list after finalizing his contract.

This has left the likes of James White and Damien Harris to compete for the bulk of the carries at camp, and the latest buzz suggests that the latter is really making the most of his opportunities. While it doesn’t come as a huge surprise that the 23-year-old running back is outperforming his running mate, who is clearly more effective as a pass catcher than a runner, this is undoubtedly huge news for the Patriots.

All reports indicate that Harris has been one of the most impressive on the entire Patriots offense since padded practices began last week. Assuming that Michel and Miller aren’t up to speed by the start of the campaign, the Alabama product could be the starting running back come Week 1, and the sheer hype surrounding his name of late suggests that he’s ready to assume that role.

Fans in New England shouldn’t be shocked by Harris’ performance this preseason as he did much of the same as a rookie, logging 16 carries for 88 caries before injuries derailed any chance he had at receiving consistent playing time. As a result, the 2019 third-round pick was buried on the depth chart and appeared in just two games.

Nobody ever denied Harris’ talent. The debate on whether he was worth a third-round pick was more so a question of whether the Patriots would ever unleash him. Amazingly enough, it appears that New England finally realizes what it has in the former Crimson Tide stud, and that could set the stage for a breakout season from him in Year 2.