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Does Damien Harris Deserve To Be Patriots' RB1?

Harris has yet to play in a game in 2020, but his performance in training camp could have him earning a bulk of the carries out of the backfield when the regular season is underway.
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We knew at some point the New England Patriots would have to use running back Damien Harris. And it looks like the start of the 2020 regular season could be his showcase. 

Heading into training camp, no one really knew how the Patriots' backfield would shake out. The projected top guys on the depth chart were expected to be third-year back Sony Michel and veteran Lamar Miller, but they both began camp on the active/physically unable to perform list. Brandon Bolden opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, so that left James White, Rex Burkhead, Harris and J.J. Taylor as the running backs that were on the active roster during training camp.

And when the padded practices were underway, Harris hit the ground running. 

These tweets are some of the many optimistic remarks made by reporters on-scene for training camp practices regarding Harris. 

Should we be surprised by Harris' surge during his second NFL training camp? No. In case you forgot, Harris was the go-to guy in Nick Saban's Alabama offense for several years, even with running backs like 2019 first-round pick Josh Jacobs in the backfield with him. So to see him rising to the top of a depth chart that is stricken with injuries isn't surprising at all. 

But how will Harris' production during training camp impact his role in the Patriots offense during the regular season?

Well, Harris' training camp performance should lead to a heavy dose of carries early in the regular season, at the very least. But trying to predict how New England is going to distribute the touches in their backfield is never an easy thing to do. Even in the event that Michel and Miller weren't quite ready for Week 1 vs. the Dolphins, Rex Burkhead and James White are still on the roster, and Burkhead would absolutely chew into Harris' early-down workload. But Michel returned to practice last week and Miller returned on Monday, so the chances of at least one of them being ready for the team's opener (in the event that Miller is still on the roster) are strong. 

So while it remains to be seen how the touch distribution in the Patriots' backfield plays out, a very strong case can be made that Harris deserves the majority of the touches among the running backs. 

Damien Harris' ability as a runner and pass-catcher, paired with a fresh body that isn't plagued with injuries provides the six-time Super Bowl champions with the explosiveness, reliability and versatility that they need from the running back position. 

Now it's up to Bill Belichick to decide how he will utilize the Alabama product in his second year in the NFL. 

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