Patriots by Position: Running Back

As camp continues in Foxboro, our position-by-position analysis of the Patriots roster focuses on the running backs.

The Returners 

Brandon Bolden – RB, 6th season, Mississippi

Dion Lewis – RB, 6th season, Pittsburgh

James Develin – FB, 5th season, Brown

James White – RB, 4th season, Wisconsin

D.J. Foster – RB, 2nd season*, Arizona State

The New Guys

Rex Burkhead – RB, 5th season, Nebraska (Cincinnati)

Mike Gillislee – RB, 5th season, Florida (Buffalo)

The Rookies

LeShun Daniels Jr. – RB, Iowa

The Skinny: Gone is LaGarrette Blount, but in his place New England has re-stocked and re-loaded. Bringing in Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead, the Patriots added a pair of rushers to a backfield that already sports a traditional back in Dion Lewis and Super Bowl hero James White. Burkhead broke out last season for the Bengals when both Jeremy Hill and Giovanni Bernard went down with injuries. He really started producing Week 11 and ended the season with a pair of touchdowns and a 4.65 yards per attempt average – almost a full yard more than Blount. Burkhead also emerged as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, similar to Danny Woodhead and Shane Vereen.

Gillislee is a traditional rusher who averaged 5.71 YPA in 15 games last season. With 3rd down specialist Brandon Bolden providing depth, expect the Pats to have a vaunted running game that will keep defenses guessing, giving Brady an even bigger advantage.

The Top Talk: Dion Lewis on the running back group: 

"It's a great team, we've got a lot of great weapons, but as a running back you've got to have a little something different in you. And I feel like the group we have, everybody has that in them. Everybody has come out here and wanted to work, nobody's afraid of competition. That's how we look at it every day, just come out here and try to be the best group we can."

David Souza is an intern in the Boston 25 Sports department. Follow David on Twitter: @DSouza4717

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