FOXBORO — The Patriots are well aware of their biggest current need for veteran depth on their roster.
That’s why the team has brought in free agents Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette and Darrell Henderson for visits or workouts since reconvening at Gillette Stadium last week. The Patriots need a veteran running back.
But since they haven’t signed one yet even though they released James Robinson in June, Ty Montgomery is “day to day” with an injury and starter Rhamondre Stevenson — who spent Monday’s practice on a side field working on his conditioning — is having his load managed in practice, per a source, the Patriots were counting on 2022 NFL Draft picks Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong on Monday in the first fully padded practice of the summer.
“It’s a huge opportunity for me and Kevin,” Strong said after practice Monday. “We’re both in our second year, both young. We’re just trying to get our roles on the team and showcase it out here.”
It’s entirely possible that Harris and Strong are just the running back depth that the Patriots need behind Stevenson. Harris is a thickly built fire hydrant of a running back who can plow between blockers and pick up yards in short-yardage situations. He said Monday that he worked this offseason on his pass catching, and it’s showing in practice. Harris looks comfortable catching the ball. The Patriots believe Harris has seen major improvement over the past season.
And Strong is a thinner, faster back who probably best projects in the mold of a Kevin Faulk or James White as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Clocked with a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine last year, the hope is that Strong could be a home run hitter either as a ball carrier or pass-catcher out of the backfield.
But Harris and Strong combined for just 35 touches as rookies last season behind Stevenson and Damien Harris, who departed for the Buffalo Bills in free agency. It was assumed that Robinson would fill Harris’ void, but injuries caused a short stay in New England.
“They’re two other guys that have taken a big jump in year two,” head coach Bill Belichick said about the second-year backs. “Good offseasons, way ahead of where they were last year. Both showed flashes of good things last year. I think the experience and confidence with them is much greater than it was last year.
“Obviously, the biggest challenge for all backs is pass protection and blitz pickup in the passing game. All of those guys are more comfortable carrying the ball than some of those other things that come with the position, but they’ve worked hard at that, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Harris, who was the lead back in practice Monday with Stevenson limited and Montgomery out, started last season on the practice squad but finished his rookie campaign with 18 carries for 52 yards with a touchdown. Strong had some special-teams miscues but carried the ball 10 times for 100 yards with a touchdown and caught seven passes on seven targets for 42 yards.
“It’s a big opportunity to get better at knowing the plays because (Stevenson) gets certain plays,” Harris said about his increased workload Monday. “And now when he’s not in, we all get the plays.”
Harris came to the Patriots as a sixth-round pick out of South Carolina last season. He earned All-SEC honors in 2020 after leading the league in rushing with 1,138 yards on 185 carries with 15 touchdowns. He saw his production decline in 2021 after undergoing back surgery and wound up with 153 carries for 655 yards with four touchdowns before declaring for the draft.
Harris said he has “a lot of confidence in myself” when asked how he would feel if he had to carry the load for the Patriots.
Strong was a fourth-round pick out of South Dakota State. He finished his college career averaging 7.2 yards per carry over four seasons. He registered 1,686 yards on 240 carries with 18 touchdowns as a senior while adding 22 catches for 150 yards.
Harris and Strong both said they’re not focused on whether the Patriots sign another running back.
“It’s good to learn from the vets about the game within the game,” Harris said, however.
“I just focus on myself and what I can do better, what I’m trying to do for my future,” Strong added. “That’s a coach question.”
The Patriots also have running back J.J. Taylor, who originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona, but he’s now in his fourth season with the bulk of that time spent on the practice squad. The 5-foot-6, 185-pound back has averaged 3.0 yards per carry in his career.