The New England Patriots appear ready to replace Shane Vereen by committee.
The Patriots added pass-catching threat Travaris Cadet on Tuesday, leading many to believe the former New Orleans Saint would replace Vereen as New England’s third-down back. Cadet proved to be a solid option catching the ball out of the backfield last season, recording 38 receptions for 296 yards and one touchdown for the Saints.
However, Cadet likely can’t replace Vereen’s production on the ground and as a pass-blocker. Cadet has just 11 career carries for 37 yards, with a long run of 8 yards. In three seasons with the Saints, Cadet has just seven reps as a pass blocker during the regular season and allowed two pressures.
Cadet, 26, lists himself as a running back/wide receiver on his Twitter bio, and that’s an apt description of his skill set. He has the hands and route-running ability of a receiver, with the size and athleticism of a running back. At 6 feet and 210 pounds with 4.64-second 40-yard-dash speed, Cadet won’t run by many defenders, but he’s a solid mismatch while being defended by a linebacker.
Cadet played a number of roles at Appalachian State, including quarterback, and he still has plenty of moldable upside for the Patriots to form on offense and special teams.
Cadet can contribute as a kick returner and could compete with wide receiver Danny Amendola for that role in 2015. The third-year pro has 50 career returns for 1,293 yards and a 25.9-yard average. He’s never scored on a kick return, but he ran kicks back 82 yards in 2013 and 75 yards in 2014.
Cadet is likely to share the Patriots’ third-down role with 2014 fourth-round draft pick James White, who played just three games in his rookie season. White ran the ball nine times for 38 yards and had five receptions for 23 yards. White was known as a solid pass-blocker during his time at Wisconsin, but he’ll likely need to improve those skills to gain Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s trust.
The Patriots also have 2014 sixth-round pick Tyler Gaffney, who could contribute on early downs and in the passing game. He missed all of last season with a knee injury but caught 32 passes for 264 yards and four touchdowns in four seasons at Stanford. Special-teams ace Brandon Bolden also has experience on third down — he took over the role in 2013 after Vereen went down with a wrist injury.
Sharing third-down duties is nothing new for the Patriots. Kevin Faulk and Danny Woodhead split the role in 2011, and Woodhead and Vereen shared the duties in 2012. The Patriots might not go into 2015 with a proven commodity, but they have plenty of upside with Cadet, White and Gaffney, and they still could add another player in free agency or the draft.
Starter LeGarrette Blount only is locked up for one more season, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Patriots use an early draft pick on a between-the-tackles running back next month.
Thumbnail photo via Andrew Weber/USA TODAY Sports Images
