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New England Patriots Should Sign RB Pierre Thomas

By Dan Schmelzer

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Since being drafted in the second round by the New England Patriots in the 2011 NFL Draft, Shane Vereen has become one of the most dangerous receiving running backs in the NFL. Vereen’s natural route running skills has allowed him to get open on consistent basis out of the backfield, helping him become an incredible safety valve for Tom Brady in the passing game.

Vereen had the best season of his career in 2014 where he hauled in 52 receptions for 447 yards and three receiving touchdowns during the regular season. Vereen also pitched in 391 yards on the ground on 96 carries (6.0 yards per carry average) and two rushing touchdowns. He capped off his impressive season with an incredibly clutch 11-catch, 64-yard performance in the Patriots’ Super Bowl XLIX victory.

Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen (34) catches a pass in front of Seattle Seahawks strong safety Kam Chancellor (31) during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

While Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman are the superstar receivers in the Patriots’ offense, Vereen proved to play an extremely valuable role as well. That being said, this off season, Vereen reached free agency where he signed a three-year, $12.35 million contract with the New York Giants. As important as Vereen proved to be, the Patriots are simply not going to allow themselves to overpay.

The loss of Vereen could certainly hurt, but the Patriots always seem to feature many players at the position anyway. LeGarrette Blount will likely enter the season as the Patriots’ starting running back. Blount has proved to be a nice player for New England, but the Patriots love to mix things up in the backfield.

Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

Finding a receiving back to compliment Blount is something that the Patriots will certainly do. In fact, I would not be surprised to see three or more running backs get significant playing time for the Patriots in 2015. Some combination of Travaris Cadet, Jonas Gray, James White, Brandon Bolden and Tyler Gaffney will likely round out the core of running backs for New England, with Cadet, White and Bolden having nice abilities as receivers out of the backfield.

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While the Patriots have a host of decent options in the backfield, it is not like they are completely loaded with talent. If the opportunity arises to add more competition to the position, I think they should strongly consider the option.

Pierre Thomas is a free agent running back who has flown under the radar this off season, and his balanced style would help solidify the position for the Patriots.

The 30-year-old Thomas may not have many dominate years left, but he could definitely still fill a role for the Patriots. Thomas is one of the few backs in the league who can rival Vereen when it comes to receiving skills. He has made a career of being a safety valve for Drew Brees, similarly to what Vereen has done with Brady and the Patriots. Thomas hauled in 45 receptions for 378 yards last season, but is only a year removed from his impressive 77-catch, 513-yard performance of 2014.

Thomas is a smooth route runner who has the natural ability to get open. He has benefited from sharing the workload his entire career, which could easily make his longevity greater than other 30-year-old running backs. Thomas is a very reliable and consistent player who could certainly play a role for New England.

While his receiving skills are what entice me the most for the Patriots, Thomas is good as a traditional running back as well. He has a career 4.6 yards per carry average, and is a legitimate short yardage threat. If Blount were to get injured at any point next season, Thomas would be better equipped to handle the full-time duties than any back currently on the Patriots’ roster.

This would not be a hugely significant free agent addition for the Patriots, but Thomas will likely sign at a low price, and simply gives them a solid veteran to battle for playing time at a relatively questionable position. Bill Belichick loves to mix things up at the running back position, and adding Thomas gives him a very versatile option to work with. This feels like a perfect match.

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