There’s plenty of reason to doubt New England, but this rag-tag unit has glimmers of hope if you look hard enough.<\/p>\n
Mike Onwenu is among the league’s best downhill blockers and pass-protecting guards. David Andrews, Hunter Henry, and Jacoby Brissett are quality, if unspectacular, starters. And while Kendrick Bourne is an unknown coming off a torn ACL, he’ll bring savviness, strong hands, and energy to the field.<\/p>\n
Those veterans should help the offense compete in close games, but a handful of breakout seasons could give them the firepower to challenge defenses.<\/p>\n
In this story, I’ll spotlight players who could take a significant step for New England. Breakout candidates will be defined as:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Established starters with top-10 potential at their position<\/li>\n
- Second-year players with quality starter potential<\/li>\n
- Backups with quality role-player potential<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The list will not include players without an NFL snap under their belt.<\/p>\n
Let’s get into it.<\/p>\n
RB Rhamondre Stevenson (Starter, 4th season)<\/strong><\/p>\n
Rhamondre Stevenson’s recent extension<\/a> showed the Patriots think he’s a top-10 running back<\/a>. The four-year, $36 million deal made him the 6th-highest-paid back by total contract value and the 7th-highest-paid by average annual value and total guaranteed money. Stevenson’s stats justify his reward, as he’s been elite after contact, a consistent chain-mover, and an elite pass-blocker<\/a> since entering the league.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\nDespite his resume, the NFL doesn’t seem to value Stevenson as highly as New England. League execs, coaches, and scouts didn’t rank him in the top 10 or honorable mentions of Jeremy Fowler’s running back rankings<\/a>, though he received at least one vote. This could be tied to Stevenson’s inconsistent role in 2021, criminal overuse in 2022, and\/or slow start in 2023. He’s also dealt with some poor blocking over the past two seasons. But there’s reason to believe he’ll ascend the ranks in 2024, starting with a significant scheme shift.<\/p>\n
When asked how the run game would look under Van Pelt, Stevenson told reporters, “More outside zone-heavy, not just straight gap schemes. Just more plethora of runs and different schemes to run it out of. … We didn’t run too much outside zone last year.”<\/span><\/p>\n
In recent years, the Patriots have run an almost exclusively downhill scheme. According to PFF, duo (330) and inside zone (217) were the only concepts they ran more than 150 times since 2021. Thanks to his vision, fancy feet, and elusiveness, Stevenson thrived in the role. But plowing straight into the teeth of defenses is tough on any back.<\/p>\n
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Rhamondre Stevenson's best touches from last season<\/p>\n
He's always been a top-tier downhill runner, but his numbers could look even better with more outside zone opportunities pic.twitter.com\/cB64lyqXa2<\/a><\/p>\n
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) June 20, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n