The New England Patriots made some changes to their backfield this offseason. They lost Damien Harris in free agency. However, the team replaced the former Alabama star with James Robinson.
After starting his career as an undrafted free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Robinson got traded to the New York Jets last year. Unfortunately, the young running back struggled. He had only 29 rushing attempts for 85 yards in four games with the Jets.
New York could have made Robinson a restricted free agent this offseason. Instead, they let the running back hit the open market. He signed a two-year contract earlier this offseason with the Patriots. Unfortunately, New England waived the running back earlier this week. Robinson’s health played a role in his waiving.
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What Did The Patriots Running Backs Accomplish Last Year?
With Robinson gone, the Patriots have five running backs on the roster. Rhamondre Stevenson is the lead back. Last year he had 210 rushing attempts for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns. The former Oklahoma star also had 69 receptions on 88 targets for 421 receiving yards and a touchdown in 2022.
Next on the depth chart is the veteran Ty Montgomery. Unfortunately, he only played one game last season. Yet, he did score the first touchdown of the year for New England.
Behind the two veterans are the trio of younger running backs. The Patriots used a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on Pierre Strong Jr. and a sixth-round selection on Kevin Harris. Both running backs played sparingly last season, totaling 28 rushing yards for 152 yards and two touchdowns combined.
Last on the depth chart is J.J. Taylor. The former Arizona star was an undrafted free agent in 2022. He had only 10 rushing attempts for nine yards last season. His roster spot is far from guaranteed.
Who Is The Patriots RB2 After James Robinson Was Released?
Stevenson will be the featured running back this season, as no one on the roster can threaten his workload. However, who will be the No. 2 running back? While many thought Robinson could have a consistent role for the Patriots, The Athletic correctly had other ideas.
Some think Montgomery will be the No. 2 running back behind Stevenson on the depth chart. Others believe he will take away passing game work from Stevenson. However, Strong is the running back fantasy players should target.
The former South Dakota State star averaged 10 yards per rushing attempt last year. He should be the favorite to win the RB2 role during training camp.
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