The Patriots seem to be re-emphasizing the screen pass.
New England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley (22) runs with the ball during practice on the second day of training camp at the NFL football team's facility in Foxborough, Mass., Friday, July 27, 2012. FOXBOROUGH – Stevan Ridley still hears his voice, pushing him, telling him to work harder.
Joseph Addai may have been here and gone before ever making an impact beyond a line in the yearly transactions, but Ridley will still look to the fellow LSU alum for inspiration and advice.
“Unfortunately it just didn’t work out. Why? I don’t really know,” Ridley said. “For me, I just wish the best to Joe. I’m going to stay in touch with him and keep working hard, just like Joe would want me to do.”
Addai’s release came last week after he failed a physical, leaving the New England Patriots with a backfield consisting of second-year backs Ridley and Shane Vereen, undrafted rookie Brandon Bolden, and veteran Danny Woodhead.
In some combination or form, the team is hoping that they there’s enough talent in that group to piece together a solid backfield.
From the early look of things, it appears that Ridley may have the inside track at the top job that was vacated when BenJarvus Green-Ellis signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as a free agent during the offseason.
"Oh, man," Ridley said. "I think that's every little kid's dream, you know what I mean?"
After averaging 5.1 yards per carry last season, Ridley began to ascend into that role but his efforts were cut short when he fumbled twice late in the year and lost the trust of the coaching staff, effectively ending his season.
He spent his winter working on ball protection and has been receiving the bulk of the carries with the first team during the first week of training camp. He says that he feels more comfortable in the offense now, but admits there’s a lot of ground to travel before he’s fully comfortable in the system.
“I feel a little bit better with the offense. Where I need to be, I’m not even close to that,” Ridley said. “I feel a little bit better than last year, but that doesn’t say much. We have a job to come here and do and I’m working hard every day.”
But even if Ridley claims the top job, it seems likely that the job will be handled more by the committee than a single player. A big reason for that is because there has been a new emphasis placed on the screen pass.
New offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels seems to intent on bringing the play back after the team attempted just 45 screen passes last season under Bill O’Brien. Considering that Ridley has little experience in the passing game (17 receptions for 94 yards at LSU), it could open an area for Vereen (74 receptions for 674 yards at Cal) to excel.
“I think it fits into the offense as well (as my game),” Vereen said. “We have to be able to do multiple things as an offense, and we got to be able to do them well.”
“(The screen pass) puts defense on their heels, it opens a new chapter on offense,” he continued. “I enjoy any time that coach can get the ball in my hands, and anything I can do for the team.”
The Patriots will gladly take whatever Vereen can give them this season after his rookie year was effectively wiped out by a series of injuries, limiting him to 15 carries for 57 yards.
That experience has put a chip on his shoulder and he is now looking to prove his worth and improve in all facets of the game.
“I’m hoping to get better, there’s a lot of areas I need to improve on. All of them,” Vereen said. “I’m hungry and more motivated to stay on the field, learn how to take care of my body."
The Patriots could still make a move to bring in a veteran running back, but for now it looks like they are going to roll the dice and see if they can harvest results from their 2010 draft class.
It may be a bit of a gamble, but in Ridley and Vereen the Patriots believe the potential is there for a solid backfield.