Brandon Bolden still ‘one of the guys’ despite status as elder statesman in Patriots backfield
Brandon Bolden’s transition from a young gun to the elder statesman of the New England Patriots’ backfield happened almost overnight.
It’s easy to understand, then, why not much has changed in his eyes.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve had as much of a role change,’’ Bolden said after practice on Thursday. “I’m still going to the max and just doing whatever I can to help the team.’’
His experience and his well-rounded skill set have helped him hang around over the years, but with a deep competition brewing at running back, everyone has to earn everything they get — and apparently, his status as the longest-tenured Patriots running back isn’t earning him any brownie points with the coaches.
“That doesn’t make him the statesman,’’ said running back coach Ivan Fears. “Brandon’s one of the guys. We’ll see. He’s one of the guys, that’s all we’ll say. We have a nice group of guys in there, they all have some experience on this level, so we’ll see what he does.’’
With the departures of Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen, Bolden is the most experienced running back on the Patriots’ roster. He signed with the team in 2012 as an undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss. Since entering the NFL, Bolden has amassed 139 rush attempts for 634 yards (4.6 yards per attempt) and six touchdowns.
Bolden has also become valuable as a special teams player, contributing in the core four coverage units (kickoff coverage, kickoff return, punt coverage, punt return).
He finds so many ways to make an impact, but his fellow running backs aren’t necessarily leaning on him for advice — more so, it’s a community effort.
“We make it a band of brothers in that room,’’ he said. “We’ve got a big group, we’ve got a great group. We’re all leaning on each other and trying to learn as much as we can from each other. Everybody is coming from different situations, different looks, and everybody sees something different in their own eyes. That’s how we learn in this group.’’
But now, with Vereen and Ridley both gone, it would appear as though the top spots on the depth chart are up for grabs. Bolden hasn’t been the bell-cow in the past, and that role appears to be LeGarrette Blount’s to lose, but with more experience than any of his compatriots, Bolden should be in the mix for a substantial role in the Patriots’ offense.
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