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What Rex Burkhead’s signing with Houston means for Patriots’ running back room
Burkhead's departure clears the way for rookie Rhamondre Stevenson to earn snaps behind starter Damien Harris.
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Yet another veteran New England Patriot will ply his trade elsewhere this season.
Running back Rex Burkhead has signed with the Houston Texans according to the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain, joining former Patriots executive Nick Caserio in the Lone Star State.
After coming to New England as a free agent from the Cincinnati Bengals, Burkhead rushed for 1,026 yards and three touchdowns and caught 96 passes for 856 yards and seven touchdowns during his four years in Foxborough. He was a key contributor on two AFC championship teams and in the Patriots’ 2018 championship win.
But his future with New England was thrown into doubt when he suffered a torn ACL in Week 11 last year while on a one-year contract. He may not recover in time for the start the 2021 season.
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The veteran running back’s departure in free agency keeps the Patriots’ running back room from become even more crowded than it already is. The team currently has seven running backs under contract: Damien Harris, Sony Michel, James White, rookie Rhamondre Stevenson, Brandon Bolden, Tyler Gaffney, and J.J. Taylor.
The Patriots typically keep four running backs on their initial 53-man roster. They’ve done so in five of their last eight seasons dating back to 2013 — the team has kept five tailbacks on the other occasions. (Those figures do not count fullbacks — the last time New England went into a season without a fullback was 2014. So it stands to reason one will likely be on the roster this year.)
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Three of those backs — Harris, White, and Stevenson — stand good chances to make the squad. Harris is the presumed starter after having a breakout season in 2020. White returns as the Patriots’ best pass-catching threat out of the backfield and is easily the most proven option with Burkhead gone. Stevenson, the Patriots’ fourth-round pick this season, has the ability to run hard between the tackles and catch the football.
That leaves four players vying for one or two spots.
Normally, Michel would be an obvious choice to make the team, having topped 900 yards in his first two seasons. But his injury-filled 2020, along with his one-dimensional value as a runner only, make his position more precarious than it ought to be. The Patriots could feasibly move on from him if he’s not healthy or is deemed too redundant.
Bolden opted out of the 2020 season and could face an uphill climb to re-establish himself. But he gives the Patriots core special teams value that the rest can’t match.
Gaffney is likely just a camp body at this point and probably isn’t a real contender to make the roster. Taylor could be, though, if he proves capable of contributing on special teams and makes strides as a pass-catcher. It’s worth noting that Taylor didn’t make final cuts last year but made the practice squad and eventually got snaps with the team in 2020.
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Letting Burkhead go could certainly be a nod to his injury and questions about his availability this coming season. But it’s also a reflection of the depth the team currently has at running back and the Patriots’ belief in its young stable — and the veteran White — to carry the load in 2021.
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