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New England Patriots: 5 players better off without Tom Brady

By Tarringo Basile-vaughan

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots walks to the sideline during the first half against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots walks to the sideline during the first half against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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New England Patriots running back Damien Harris (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
New England Patriots running back Damien Harris (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

New England Patriots RB Damien Harris has a real shot to carry the load.

Even if Tom Brady was suiting up for the New England Patriots in 2020, second year running back Damien Harris was expected to see more reps in the offense.

Without Brady, the Patriots will lean on the running game even more.  Whether it is Jarrett Stidham, Brian Hoyer or someone else, Bill Belichick will go back to an offensive game plan that mimic the early part of the Patriots dynasty that leaned on a great defense and power running game.

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We actually saw that in the team’s march to Super Bowl glory just two seasons ago when the Patriots ran over opponents led by Sony Michel and Rex Burkhead.

With those two back, Harris will still have to compete for playing time, but with more of the focus being on the running game, the Alabama product should see more opportunity as a power back who has some explosiveness.

So, as long as he stays focused and ready, Damien Harris will be poised to make a difference, especially with what he learned during his rookie season despite not seeing any time on the field during the regular season.

"“The biggest thing for me last year was learning as much as I could,” Harris said in an interview with Patriots.com writer Paul Perillo.  “Everybody’s path is different.  I focused on learning as much as I could and learning from the older guys in the room.  There’s a lot of experience in that room.  Any opportunity to improve physically or mentally that was my mindset all year.”"

With an ability to also catch the ball out of the backfield, Damien Harris could prove to be a valuable outlet for whichever quarterback is under center.  If it was Tom Brady as this stage of his career, the New England Patriots would’ve been less focused on committing to the running game given Brady’s ability to change plays at the line of scrimmage.

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