Can Damien Harris Run His Way to Top of Patriots' Backfield?
During the 2019 NFL Draft many were up in arms when the New England Patriots took running back Damien Harris in the fourth round. The thinking was with Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead, and James White on the roster and with pressing needs still yet to be addressed in the draft, the pick of Harris made little sense.
Frustration would kick in for fans, as Harris would spend his rookie season as essentially redshirted, suiting up for just two games the entire season.
Now, in year two, Harris might just show everyone why teams shouldn't draft by need. He might just do so by becoming the top running back on the New England depth chart with Michel, Burkhead, White and newly-added veteran Lamar Miller.
Can Harris really beat out these four guys for the top spot on that depth chart in just his second year in the league, after seeing very little playing time during his rookie year? According to many many reporters on-scene for training camp practices, Harris looks ready to make an impact in 2020.
With this news coming to light, it is tough to envision the Patriots sitting Harris on the bench once again, especially after last season's running back production, where Michel most notably struggled after a strong rookie campaign.
Michel - who is currently on the active/physically unable to performance list - is once again looking like a question mark to start the season for the third time in his three-year career. Tack on the fact that Miller is also on the active/PUP, and there is a surplus of early-down carries available for the taking in New England's backfield at the moment.
While in a loaded backfield like the Patriots', it is unlikely that Harris will be the only running back to play. The team will likely unload some sort of running back by committee method, like they have kind of done in years past. With lots of mouths to feed, Harris standing out above everyone else calls into question the job security of players like Miller, Burkhead, and especially Michel, in my eyes.
As Michel enters a contract year next season, his opportunities are beginning to run thin to earn a second contract. White and Burkhead are also entering the final year of their respective contracts, and a good season by Harris would make it difficult for either of them to earn another contract with New England. Along those lines, Miller signed a one-year deal, and it is unclear whether he will stay past 2020 with the Patriots.
Only Harris and Michel are signed on for next season with New England, along with J.J Taylor, who is a undrafted rookie and not a lock to make the 53-man roster this season.
Could Harris and his newfound success lead to a much different look from the Patriots' backfield next season? We will all just have to wait and see. However, we do know that a combination of Harris with quarterback Cam Newton will be way more dynamic and explosive on the ground than any combo New England has deployed before.
