The New England Patriots don't need to sign another running back

The New England Patriots have been connected to free agent running backs as of late, they don't need to bring one in and instead need to feature Rhamondre Stevenson more. I do think that adding another playmaker on offense could be a good idea, but I don't necessarily think it needs to be at the running back spot.

I for one am immensely excited to see Rhamondre Stevenson in this offense in 2023. In fact, even though teams in the NFL tend to feature multiple running backs, I happen to think that Stevenson is one of the few RBs in the NFL who can hold a full workload. To me, signing someone like Ezekiel Elliott or Leonard Fournette could be a mistake for the team.

Now, I will say, the Patriots being able to sign Dalvin Cook would be a different story. Cook is coming off of four-straight Pro Bowls and has rushed for at least 1,100 yards in each of the last four seasons, so Cook would be a special circumstance. But man, I would hate to see the Pats add to the RB spot and see that new addition take carries away from Stevenson, who rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2022.

Moreover, he averaged 5.0 yards per carry and also caught a whopping 69 passes. He finished with nearly 1,500 yards from scrimmage in a year where he wasn't beginning the year as the true RB1. With his insane production in 2022 and only starting seven games, I think the Patriots need to make him the feature point of the offense and feed him the ball as much as possible.

Yeah, he'll need a break and a few plays off, but it's not like an RB taking the majority of carries doesn't happen anymore. Derrick Henry got a whopping 378 carries in 2020. The next closest Titans' RB got 47. In 2022, Josh Jacobs got 340 carries. The next closest was Derrick Carr, who had 24. Saquon Barkley rushed the ball 295 times in 2022, and the next closest RB got just 54 carries.

There is no reason to not give Rhamondre Stevenson the ball that many times in 2023. He can catch, receive, and can easily cross the 2,000-yard mark. It might not be the best idea to chase a free agent running back.