New England Patriots: Backfield talent will be tough to cut down to size

The New England Patriots are finally back in action, as they took a 22-13 victory over the Washington Football Team in their preseason opener.

While the buzz surrounded rookie quarterback Mac Jones, there was much more to the game than how he performed (which was very solid, if unspectacular.) Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of watching the offense came from the running back group.

All five backs that made a rushing attempt had over four yards per carry. Each of them looked like they had their own unique skillset to bring to the table.

Damien Harris only carried the ball four times for 17 yards, with his biggest run being called back due to a holding penalty on Jonnu Smith. Harris seems to be in line to be the starter as he only played the first two drives of the game.

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Sony Michel played well into the third quarter, with six carries for 26 yards. Michel is likely to make the roster, but will likely be competing for snaps behind Harris.

JJ Taylor only ran the ball twice, for 10 yards. His production came mostly through the air, as he caught all five of his targets for 31 yards.

Rhamondre Stevenson shined, with 10 rushes for 127 yards and two touchdowns, albeit mostly against third stringers.

With James White (two receptions for 22 yards in the game) and Brandon Bolden (did not play) also in the fold, the Patriots will be making some tough decisions when it is time to cut the roster down. Odds are, they’re not going to carry six backs.

Which running back is the odd man out for the New England Patriots?

Harris and White are all but locked into a roster spot, while Michel is expected to be there as well. The easy response on the surface would be to cut Bolden, who typically doesn’t play on offense, but Bill Belichick deeply values Bolden’s abilities on special teams so it is not guaranteed that he will be the odd man out.

JJ Taylor seems like he could have a legitimate future on this team. He has shown that he has the potential to fill in the pass catching role out of the backfield in the future, especially with James White only being signed for one year.

Taylor has also proven to be a solid change of pace runner on top of that, something that White has not been consistently throughout his career. The Patriots signed him as an undrafted free agent last year, giving him limited playing time in the regular season. It appears that this coaching staff sees something in him, but his job is by no means secure.

As a fourth round rookie, Stevenson probably has the biggest uphill battle here. However, if he can continue to impress like he did against Washington he will make it difficult to part ways with. In any case, he is a likely practice squad candidate if he doesn’t make the final roster.

There are still two more preseason games to make things more clear, but right now the running back depth for the New England Patriots appears to be a really good problem to have. It is a positional battle that will be among the most entertaining to watch going forward.