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Patriots writer maps out potential trade targets, including Alvin Kamara
"Relative to what Stevenson should be able to do, he's about 50, 60, 65% of himself."
With the NFL trade deadline just a few weeks away on Nov. 4, the onus is now on Eliot Wolf and his staff to potentially bolster a roster that currently sits in first place in the AFC East.
While some of the focus on New England’s midseason needs center on pass-catching pickups like A.J. Brown or Chris Olave, the Patriots’ most glaring deficiency on offense likely revolves around their ground game — or lack thereof.
As Drake Maye and the Patriots continue to torch defenses through the air, New England’s rushing attack has left a lot to be desired.
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During Sunday’s Week 6 win over the Saints, New England only gained 73 yards on 31 carries — generating just 2.4 yards per carry. As noted by Chad Graff of The Athletic, the Patriots rank 32nd in the league in both expected points added per rush and success rate per rush, while also ranking 29th in yards per rush.
“We’ve had some good runs, we’ve had some pitiful ones, too,” Mike Vrabel said on Monday. “We just have to make sure that there’s a consistency, that we’re coaching the details, that we’re coaching the demeanor.
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“(We need to) understand that it’s going to be some dirty runs in there and that we’re going to have to make a guy miss or break a tackle … and be able to do all those while taking care of the football and trying to move the line of scrimmage. Probably wished we had some more production in the run game there at the end (of Sunday’s game).”
Even with Maye’s ascension as one of the top playmaking QBs in the league, the Patriots are going to need either Rhamondre Stevenson or TreVeyon Henderson to get going to avoid the risk of New England’s offense being too one-dimensional.
If that doesn’t work, longtime Patriots writer Tom E. Curran noted on WEEI that the Patriots could explore the trade market in search of an impactful running back.
“Undeniably, it has to be,” Curran said on WEEI’s “Jones & Keefe” on Thursday. “Tight end depth, I think, is the other sneaky thing that I would look at. Offensive line has got some stable backups, it seems like, right now.
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“But I would definitely say running back, tight end — not because those guys aren’t performing, but because they’re so indispensable, Hooper and Henry. And then I think I would like to see a little bit more defensive end depth and edge depth. So those are three big places.”
And if the Patriots want to capitalize on what is shaping up to be a wide-open AFC field, Curran wouldn’t be surprised if New England targets a top weapon out on the market.
“I think they’d be open to anything, which is kind of a cop out on my part,” Curran said. “But what will it cost for Alvin Kamara? What will it cost for Breece Hall? Would Breece Hall even be entertained by the Jets within the division? Look – any point in the storm, you cannot walk around with a running back and a half, which is basically what they are doing right now.
“Because relative to what Stevenson should be able to do, he’s about 50, 60, 65% of himself. Because his forte, I always thought, was getting to contact and fighting through it. Now he’s afraid to do it, understandably so. But they need another running back, more running backs.”
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Kamara, 30, would be a versatile weapon in New England given both his rushing ability (six seasons with 750+ rushing yards) and knack for snagging passes (six seasons of 60+ catches).
As unlikely as it might be that the Jets would want to deal a talent like Hall in their own division, ESPN’s Mike Reiss also tabbed the New York running back as a potential option for New England in his latest Patriots notebook.
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