Travaris Cadet ready to contribute no matter where he lines up
There’s a long lineage of versatile running backs who have suited up for the New England Patriots. Perhaps the most noteworthy is Kevin Faulk, who was one of the first true “Swiss Army Knife’’ type of players that could do anything he was asked to do. Danny Woodhead filled the role for a short period of time, as did Shane Vereen.
But it’s possible that none of them possessed the combination of versatility and athleticism that Travaris Cadet brings to the team. The latter led to the former in his time with the New Orleans Saints, as coaches found out how to use him on the fly.
“I came to New Orleans as an athlete, pretty much,’’ he told reporters after practice on Thursday. “I never really stayed at one position. It just was my role. That’s just the type of player I am, I think. Because when I was coming in, some people were saying I’m a receiver or I’m a running back. And pretty much when I got to New Orleans they just used me everywhere. I played all four core special teams. I played slot [receiver]. I played outside. I was moved to receiver full-time in the middle of the season, but I made the transition back toward the end of the season — depending on personnel calls and all that. So pretty much I was all over the place.’’
Cadet has always found his way into the box score more due to his abilities as a receiver than as a runner. He has 45 career receptions for 345 yards and two touchdowns, but only 11 career carries for 37 yards in his three years in the league.
Cadet may not turn out to be the all-time Patriots legend that Faulk became, but he has the skill set to follow in the footsteps of Woodhead and Vereen, the two more recent scatbacks to grace the turf at Gillette Stadium.
His experience in New Orleans will serve him well in that role in New England, due to the high demands of playing on passing downs with Drew Brees at quarterback. But it’s about more than just catching the ball; blocking is a big part of the job description as well. Pass protection was not one of his primary roles with the Saints — according to stats website Pro Football Focus, he stayed back in pass protection only seven times in his three years in New Orleans — but the importance of the role is not lost on him.
“If you can’t protect the quarterback, you can’t get the ball off,’’ he said. “Whether I did it a lot or I did it less (with the Saints), I did it. I know what it takes to pass protect. I’m just trying to work on my technique and my skill.’’
Cadet fits neatly into a niche as a third-down back, where the Patriots don’t have an abundance of options — right now, only Tyler Gaffney and James White are major threats for snaps in passing situations.
Thanks to a wide range of skills, from runner to receiver to returner, Cadet could command a majority of the opportunities in the third-down role.
Patriots 2015 schedule
[bdc-gallery id=”118609″]
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com