The depth behind Patriots starting RB Rhamondre Stevenson is suspect.
While the NFL playoffs head into the conference championship round, the New England Patriots embark on a franchise-altering journey through the offseason.
In multiple aspects, they are very much starting from scratch. Parting ways with head coach and quasi-general manager Bill Belichick after 24 seasons, the rebuild is impacting all levels of the organization — from the coaching staff, to the personnel department, to the roster.
To start our offseason coverage, we will take a look at that latter part and analyze New England’s roster one position at a time. What is on the table coming off the 2023 season, what might be in store for 2024, and where the strengths and weaknesses lie. Today, the series continues at running back.
Position depth chart
Rhamondre Stevenson (25 | signed through 2024): Coming off his best season as a pro, Stevenson was unable to take the next step in his development. There are two primary reasons for that: 1.) He started slowly while playing behind a makeshift offensive line; 2.) He suffered a high ankle sprain after finally starting to hit his stride. As a consequence, he ended his 2023 campaign with 194 touches in 12 games for 857 yards and four touchdowns. His 71.4 yards per contest were the most on the team, but a step back from the 85.9 he had posted in 2022.
Ezekiel Elliott (28 | UFA): It took Elliott five months to find a new team after the Dallas Cowboys parted ways with him in mid-March. He ended up joining the Patriots in training camp, and proved he still had something left in the tank. Primarily serving as RB2 behind Rhamondre Stevenson but taking over the lead role over the final five weeks, Elliott finished the season leading the team in both carries (184) and receptions (51). He also was the most productive player on the roster in terms of scrimmage yards (955) and ranked second in touchdowns (5).
Kevin Harris (23 | signed through 2024): Harris was unable to make the Patriots’ active roster out of training camp, and had to begin his sophomore season on the practice squad. When he did get his chance after Stevenson’s ankle injury, he did have some positive moments: while seeing only marginal playing time, he ended the season with 123 yards and a score on 19 touches.
JaMycal Hasty (27 | signed through 2024): Between his stints in Jacksonville and New England, Hasty had a quiet 2023 campaign. He played just 30 total snaps over five combined games, with the Patriots using him exclusively on their kickoff coverage team: all 10 of his snaps came as part of that unit without registering any stats. Hasty was a healthy scratch for five of his seven games with the club.
Ke’Shawn Vaughn (26 | signed through 2024): After touching the ball 26 times for 44 yards in six games, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to part ways with Vaughn in early December. The Patriots signed him to their practice squad shortly thereafter, and he spent the remainder of the season there without seeing any game action.
Offseason preview
Despite their O-line being a major weakness throughout 2023, the Patriots were able to get solid production out of their running back group both on the ground and through the air. Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott proved themselves a solid one-two punch, and ended up accounting for a combined 36 percent of both New England’s yardage and touchdowns.
From top to bottom, however, the group is shrouded in uncertainty heading into 2024 and beyond. Take Stevenson as the most prominent example.
Not only is he coming off what turned out to be a season-ending ankle injury, he also is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Locking him up long-term might be in the team’s best interest given his past production and value to the offensive operation, but the position he plays plus a new offense possibly being installed might prompt the team to be cautious about making a long-term commitment.
Stevenson is one of four running backs currently under contract with the Patriots for next season, and the only truly proven commodity. While Kevin Harris has had some moments, the team felt he was not worthy of making the 53-man roster out of training camp in back-to-back years; JaMycal Hasty and Ke’Shawn Vaughn have been non-factors since their respective arrivals.
The same was not true for Elliott, who played a prominent role on offense even before Stevenson got hurt. With him an unrestricted free agent, however, any outcome appears to be on the table — from him rejoining the team under new leadership, to him taking his talents elsewhere.
For the sake of stability, re-signing Elliott might make sense. It should not be the only move to address the offensive backfield, though: the Patriots still lack a true receiving back, have no developmental young back outside of the aforementioned Kevin Harris, and might want to add a fullback to the mix again as well.
All in all, the team has some work to do.
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