The New England Patriots are riding high following a huge 23-20 victory against their division rival, the Buffalo Bills, in Week 5. Unfortunately, as the Patriots displayed what they're capable of to the national audience, running back Antonio Gibson suffered a season-ending ACL injury on a kickoff.
Unsurprisingly, Gibson's injury led the Patriots to hold some running back tryouts on Tuesday. The workouts resulted in former UFL RB Jashaun Corbin signing with New England; however, that doesn't mean the Pats shouldn't also sign one of the other runners who were in attendance: Damien Martinez (h/t @MikeReiss).
Patriots Must Sign Damien Martinez After Tuesday's Tryout
With Gibson sidelined for the remainder of the season, the Patriots need another running back, with only Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie second-rounder TreVeyon Henderson on the active roster. While Corbin might eventually work his way onto the active roster, there's strength in numbers, which is why New England should take a flier on Martinez.
The former Miami (FL) running back was a seventh-round selection in the past season's draft by the Seattle Seahawks, but would be released from the team's practice squad on Sept. 19. He's looking for the perfect spot to begin his NFL career, which may as well be with an RB-hungry Patriots team.
Before entering the league, Martinez spent three years in college, with the first two being at Oregon State and the last year being at Miami. During that stretch, the Lewisville, TX native turned 514 touches into 3,169 rushing yards (6.2 per carry) and 26 touchdowns, while being named a member of the All-Pac-12 first team in 2022 and 2023.
Martinez is a bigger back, standing at 5'11" and weighing 217 pounds at the NFL Combine. He's the type of physical back who isn't afraid of contact, which could add another layer to the Patriots' backfield.
When examining Martinez, one positive aspect was his ball security. He had only three career fumbles on over 546 touches from scrimmage in college, which looks fairly attractive compared to Stevenson's mistake-filled performances.
By signing Martinez to the running back room, the Patriots would add a powerful back who is reliable with the ball in his hands. While Martinez wouldn't come in and become the top back, his skill set is perfect to come in when Stevenson or Henderson may need a breather or aren't having strong games.
Based on all the issues surrounding the backfield through five games, the Pats can't afford to let Martinez leave town without a contract, even if he has to take someone's spot on the practice squad for it.