FOXBORO, Mass. — Anyone who follows the New England Patriots should know how much Bill Belichick values versatility.
Well, there isn’t a more versatile player in this year’s Patriots training camp than Ty Montgomery.
Signed in March after a two-year stint with the New Orleans Saints, Montgomery has played his listed position of wide receiver this summer. But he’s also seen extensive action at running back, both as a pass-catcher and as a ball-carrier. The 29-year-old has been heavily involved on special teams, too, returning kickoffs and playing in kick and punt coverage.
That multipositional ability clearly has endeared Montgomery to Belichick and his staff. The veteran newcomer regularly has repped with the Mac Jones-led starting offense and could help fill an important void in New England’s backfield this season.
At the very least, he’s built a strong early case for a 53-man roster spot.
“Ty is another player that had a real good offseason for us,” Belichick said before Wednesday’s practice. “(He’s) a player we’re getting to know, trying to get familiar with what his skill set is, what he can do. He’s pretty versatile. It looks like he can do a lot. We’ll see how all that goes together.”
A third-round pick by the Packers in 2015, Montgomery entered the NFL as a wideout but began moonlighting as a running back in his second pro season. He totaled 457 rushing yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry for Green Bay in 2016, adding 44 receptions for 348 yards.
Montgomery’s offensive productivity has dipped considerably in the years since — he’s failed to crack 200 yards from scrimmage in any of the last three seasons — and he initially was viewed as a player who’d likely contribute mostly in the kicking game for New England.
That still may be the case. But with James White yet to recover from his season-ending hip surgery and rookie Pierre Strong limited by an undisclosed injury in each of the first seven training camp practices, Montgomery has put himself squarely in the mix for playing time as a third-down back.
With Rhamondre Stevenson also limited in Wednesday’s practice, Montgomery — who’s been in meetings with New England’s wideouts and running backs since he arrived in Foxboro — had perhaps his most active day yet. He caught all five of his targets in team drills (four from Jones, one from backup Bailey Zappe) and took four handoffs, including one near the goal line.
When projecting his potential role, the Patriots could view Montgomery as a replacement for Brandon Bolden: a core special teamer capable of contributing offensively when needed, as Bolden did after White’s injury shelved him last September. And unlike Bolden, who’s now with Josh McDaniels’ Las Vegas Raiders, Montgomery also can provide depth at receiver.
The Athletic’s Jeff Howe on Wednesday reported there’s “still no clear timetable” for White, who is on the physically unable to perform list and has yet to take the field this summer. If he remains on PUP, White would be ineligible to play until Week 7 at the earliest, leaving the Patriots without an obvious backfield option on passing downs.
Stevenson, who took steps to improve in the passing game after his impressive rookie season, is one candidate there. Strong is another, though only if he can get back on the field soon and quickly adjust to the NFL game. But don’t sleep on Montgomery, who’s made a positive impression thus far.
“He’s a smart kid, learns well,” Belichick said. “We’ll see how he does in the kicking game and in some different roles offensively and just go from there.”
