TreVeyon Henderson was expected to be one of the New England Patriots' offensive weapons when they drafted him in the second round last year, and while he did have a solid rookie campaign (911 rushing yards on 180 attempts, nine rushing touchdowns, 35 receptions, 221 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown in 17 games), he never exploded the way many anticipated.
Rhamondre Stevenson was New England's starting running back for the entire season, outside of his three-game absence in the middle of the campaign due to injury (even after his early-season fumble issues -- three in his first five games, including two in a 21-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2), and it looks like the job is his to lose once again.
The Athletic's Chad Graff already said it will at least look like an even workload for the two running backs, but according to Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston, Stevenson is having an "unbelievable" camp and looks primed to lead New England's backfield once again.
"He is standing out during training camp, too. It's interesting. I've been on the radio, and other people have, too ... talking about what the roles and what the division of labor will look like in the backfield. Throughout training camp, Mike, it's Rhamondre Stevenson," Curran said during an episode of 'Quick Slants.'
"He has had an unbelievable camp. He actually looks slimmer. He has caught the ball so well out of the backfield. He's getting the ball, I would say, 60-70% of the time, relative to TreVeyon Henderson ... just hold on to the ball."
TreVeyon Henderson still has a lot of room to grow
It's no secret why fans and analysts were so bullish about Henderson coming into the league. He has incredible explosiveness and is a real home-run threat (we saw this multiple times last year, but his 65-yard touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in Week 15 might be my favorite instance).
The Ohio State alum is also just 23 years old and still has a lot of untapped potential. He has all the tools to be a successful running back in the NFL, but he still has some areas for improvement. Most notably, he is a poor pass blocker (even by running back standards), doesn't have great vision, and still struggles with shaking off defenders and running between the tackles.
He can terrorize defenses in the open field and should develop into an exceptional asset in New England. But it's not his time to shine fully yet. That day should happen eventually, but as long as Stevenson has anything to say about it, nobody should expect it to happen anytime soon.
In the meantime, Henderson will look to further develop his game and make as big an impact as possible this season in what is essentially going to be another limited role. He is still a player fans should keep an eye on. The future is bright for him; it's just likely going to be a while before we really see what he can do.
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