Football Outsiders Suggests ‘Bold, Outside-The-Box’ Move For Patriots

Fortune often favors the bold, so perhaps the New England Patriots should heed Football Outsiders’ advice while building their roster for the 2022 NFL season.

Several writers for Football Outsiders contributed to a piece Friday on ESPN.com that identified a “bold, outside-the-box” move for every NFL team this offseason.

Their suggestion for the Patriots: “Draft another power back in the middle rounds.”

This isn’t the craziest idea, especially since you never really know what Bill Belichick will have up his sleeve in the NFL draft. But the Patriots already have a very good rushing attack, thanks in large to the tandem of Damien Harris (third round, 2019) and Rhamondre Stevenson (fourth round, 2021), so it would be somewhat unconventional for New England to spend valuable draft capital on a running back again this year.

Then what’s the argument for adding another back when the Patriots have questions at other positions, including wide receiver, offensive line, linebacker and in the secondary?

Well, it basically boils down to strengthening the advantages that New England seemingly has over some other AFC contenders. Mac Jones had a solid rookie season, but the young quarterback could benefit from the Patriots continuing to place an emphasis on their power running game.

Here’s what Football Outsiders wrote, on ESPN.com:

But unlike conference rivals the Bills, Chiefs and Chargers, the Patriots lack a superstar quarterback talent who can elevate their offense with his physical gifts. And power backs complement Jones, who averaged 1.5 more yards per attempt with play-action than on traditional pass attempts, per Sports Info Solutions. They complement an offensive line that ranked in the upper-half in both run block and pass block win rate in 2021. And they let the Patriots zag against smaller, quicker defenses like the Bills and Chiefs have that are designed to stop each other rather than power-rushing offenses. With Harris poised to become a free agent after this season and with the high risk all backs have for injuries, the Patriots could reasonably draft a new back every year to try to sustain their rushing advantage.

Patriots Mailbag: Finding Wide Receiver Prospects For New England

Mar 4, 2022

The Patriots also could opt for a running back in an effort to capitalize on this year’s draft board. The class features several intriguing mid-round options that could be fits for New England.

Here’s more from Football Outsiders:

Brian Robinson Jr. from Alabama and Tyler Allgeier from BYU could be relative values and excellent fits for the Patriots offense. Robinson shined when the lights were brightest with 12 avoided tackles and 127 yards after contact against Cincinnati in the college football playoffs. And Allgeier led the FBS with 1,847 yards after contact in 2020 and 2021.

All told, the Patriots face an important offseason as they look to establish themselves as Super Bowl contenders in their third season since Tom Brady’s departure. It’s fair to assume they’ll be busy, perhaps even addressing areas where they’re already quite formidable.