German_Force » Belichick once again taps into Nick Saban’s program

to add a tough-nosed player to his team."WhitePatriots News Opinion and Analysis Contribute! FanPostsFanShotsAbout the Site List of Patriots Twitter AccountsWrite For Pats Pulpit!New User Welcome and Commenting GuideCommunity GuidelinesMastheadTopics Patriots Off-Season CoveragePatriots Opinion/AnalysisPatriots NewsPatriots Draft CoverageSportfolio ManagementNFL DraftPatriots Opinion/AnalysisNFL Draft GradesGrading the Damien Harris selection and how he fits the Patriots offenseNew Womens Montee Ball Jersey ,17commentsBelichick once again taps into Nick Saban’s program to add a tough-nosed player to his team. EDTShareTweetShareShareGrading the Damien Harris selection and how he fits the Patriots offenseMatthew Emmons-USA TODAY SportsThe Patriots entered the draft pretty much set at the RB position. Sony Michel became an emerging star after a strong postseason run while the versatile Rex Burkhead and elite pass receiver James White are also on the roster. The team brought back ST stalwart Brandon Bolden after a 1-year stint in Miami, which gave the Patriots four players at the position to work with. Apparently Bill Belichick doesn’t think that’s enough as the Patriots spent a 3rd round pick targeting Alabama RB Damien Harris.Strengths:Does everything at a solid level: runner, receiver, pass protectsRuns behinds his pads wellExcellent field visionNightmare to tackle in spaceWeaknesses:Not particularly great at any skillAverage athletic profileRookie Year ProjectionHarris is used to the split backfield situation that he had with Josh Jacobs (who went 24th overall). That would continue to be the case although he’ll be sharing with Sony Michel, James White, and Rex Burkhead. It seems to me the Patriots are shifting their offensive philosophy to running and playaction given there will likely be 5 RB locks on the roster unless the Patriots don’t think Burkhead can hold up any longer. Pats Pulpit reacts to the Damien Harris and Yodny Cajuste picksSubscribe to the Pats Pulpit podcast for more draft reactions!Long Term ProjectionNot much will change from Year 1 to Year 4 with Harris. He will be spelling Michel in order to keep him fresh for the postseason. His versatility as a RB makes him a perfect #2 back behind Michel, especially if he can contribute on special teams as well. Michel and Harris are under team control through the 2022 season and could very well be the 1-2 punch in the backfield over the next 4 years.How Many Downs Can He Impact: 3Basically he will be asked to do mostly running with the occasional passing and pass protect in this offense on play-action. Pick Grade: BI think the Patriots could addressed other needs http://www.patriotslockerroom.com/authentic-troy-niklas-jersey , hence the low grade, but it looks like they’re going to be running the ball a lot in 2019. There are concerns with the backfield such as Rex Burkhead and Sony Michel’s long term health, so adding another player to the backfield certainly doesn’t hurt. The Patriots are certainly now set at the position with young talent combined with veteran leadership. EDIT: I’ve had a bit of time to think more about this selection and I’ve decided to improve the grade to B when factoring in the injury histories of the RBs on the roster. I think there’s more value with Harris after realizing that the Patriots are another Michel injury away from being screwed at the position. My original grade was a C because I didn’t think the Patriots needed a RB before Day 3. With Harris in the fold, that is much less of a concern. New England returned to the practice fields on Monday." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhitePats Pulpita New England Patriots communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpPatriots NewsOpinion and AnalysisContribute!About the SiteTopicsPatriotsOddsShopStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhitePatriots News Opinion and Analysis Contribute! FanPostsFanShotsAbout the Site List of Patriots Twitter AccountsWrite For Pats Pulpit!New User Welcome and Commenting GuideCommunity GuidelinesMastheadTopics Patriots Off-Season CoveragePatriots Opinion/AnalysisPatriots NewsPatriots Draft CoverageSportfolio ManagementFiled under:Patriots NewsPatriots organized team activities see the return of multiple previously injured playersNew,9commentsRelated: 7 stories to watch as the Patriots open their organized team activitiesEDTShareTweetShareSharePatriots organized team activities see the return of multiple previously injured playersPhoto by Elsa/Getty ImagesOn Monday, the New England Patriots kicked off their 2019 organized team activities: over the next four weeks, all of the club’s players — veterans and rookies — will have the voluntary opportunity to work alongside each other and the coaching staff. The media will only have limited access to the practice sessions Ja'Whaun Bentley Jersey , with the first open one taking place on Thursday. However, that does not mean that there is nothing to report about already.After all, the Patriots released a behind-the-scenes clip on social media following Monday’s practice and we can already draw some conclusions:First and foremost, some previously injured players were spotted: safety Patrick Chung, who broke his arm during New England’s Super Bowl win against the Los Angeles Rams, was an active participant — as was a trio of 2018 draft picks. Wide receiver Braxton Berrios and tight end Ryan Izzo were shown watching drills, while linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley also appeared to be present for the session.Berrios and Izzo spent all of their rookie campaigns on injured reserve after being placed on the list during roster cutdowns. Bentley Womens Phillip Dorsett Jersey , meanwhile, appeared in New England’s first three games of the season as a rotational linebacker and showed plenty of promise against the pass and the run. Unfortunately, he hurt his biceps in week three and subsequently had to undergo surgery. Seeing all three players on the field at this point in time certainly is encouraging.Additionally, we now know some jersey numbers. Free agency additions Dontrelle Inman, Jared Veldheer and Benjamin Watson will wear numbers 15, 77, and 84 (Watson’s old number during his first tenure in New England) Youth Dont’a Hightower Jersey , respectively. Meanwhile, the rookies were once again handed numbers in the 50s — with first-round rookie N’Keal Harry being given the lowest among them.