The Patriots are set to enter the free agency phase of the 2016 off-season and we\u2019ll explore some of the biggest needs of the team moving forward. And some of the names of their own free agents as well as some of their potential targets.<\/p>\n
First up on the free agency positional list: Running Back<\/strong><\/p>\n Team Need: High<\/strong><\/p>\n Given the injuries to the offensive line and then losing both starters (Dion Lewis, LaGarrette Blount) to IR during the season doomed the Pats running game in 2015. Truth be told, they ran the ball very poorly overall for most of the season and it was a major reason for their failure in the AFC Championship Game. Play-action passing, a big staple of their offense was rendered moot, when they ran only 14 times, and were ineffective on all of them.<\/p>\n Returning players: <\/strong>Brandon Bolden, James White, Dion Lewis (IR), Tyler Gaffney (IR), Joey Iosefa<\/p>\n Free Agents<\/strong>: LaGarrette Blount, James Develin, Steven Jackson<\/p>\n The team really needs a big, physical running back that can grind out the yardage between the tackles, take the heat off of Tom Brady and the passing game and have the ability to put games away late.<\/p>\n Being in the Patriots offense, the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield as well as pass protection are things that are always important as well.<\/p>\n Here is a snapshot of the free agents that are available for New England when free agency begins on March 9:<\/p>\n Matt Forte:<\/strong><\/p>\n The Chicago Bears workhorse will not be retained this season and the talented back instantly became the fan favorite of every Patriots fan clamoring for his services. Forte has been extremely durable and productive over the course of his career both running and catching the football.<\/p>\n He can run the football between the tackles or outside and is a very good pass catching threat with outstanding hands out of the backfield. In the Patriots offense with Brady and Josh McDaniels, Forte could be a dynamic weapon, a true dual threat running or receiving.<\/p>\n Forte made it clear that he values Super Bowls over money at this point, stating on Twitter his desire to win now, something that would resonate well with Bill Belichick.<\/p>\n Speaking of Belichick, he praised Forte heavily before the Patriots played the Bears in 2014 stating, “He\u2019s a threat every time he steps on to the field in a number of different ways: passing game, running game,” Belichick said.<\/em><\/p>\n “Any time he gets the ball in his hands he\u2019s a good solid player. He\u2019s tough, great vision, great balance. He definitely has the ability to turn nothing into something in a hurry and he can turn something into a lot in a hurry too. Hard guy to tackle, does a good job of creating space for himself and finding openings, getting to places where there are fewer defenders and then taking advantage of it. But even when he\u2019s boxed in or guys get a shot of him, he still makes yards. He\u2019s a terrific player. Couldn\u2019t say enough good things about him. He\u2019s very good. He gets tough yards, gets yards in space. Catches short passes, runs downfield routes. He\u2019s a very, very complete player.”<\/em><\/p>\n So if the money is right this is a no-brainer right? Not so fast.<\/p>\n First there is the question of age, Forte is 30, and will be 31 by the end of the 2016 season. That is at the age where running backs begin to break down and do so quickly. Remember the difference between the 2004 and 2005 seasons for Corey Dillon?<\/p>\n Last season Forte rushed 218 times for 898 yards, a 4.1 average and 4 touchdowns. He also caught 44 passes for 389 yards for another 3 touchdowns. His 1287 combined yards, while still quite good were also his career low.<\/p>\n Forte wouldn\u2019t be my first choice if I were Belichick, and while age is a big factor, the money he\u2019ll likely command, despite what he said publicly will be another.<\/p>\n But his biggest contribution would be in the passing game. That\u2019s where Forte is so effective and the Patriots already have two talented pass receivers out of the backfield in Dion Lewis and James White. They could opt for a much more cost effective back who can handle the running duties and still lean on their other two in the passing game.<\/p>\n Next up\u2026 a talented back whose numbers keep going down.<\/p>\n Alfred Morris<\/strong><\/p>\n Morris is the Washington Redskins workhorse back and at 27 would be a few years younger than Forte and likewise would be a great fit for the Patriots offense. Morris is a between the tackles kind of runner who is very good at finding and exploiting the holes that the offensive line can open up.<\/p>\n He\u2019s been compared to former Patriot running back Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis who made the tough yardage inside but with better burst without putting the ball on the ground. Morris hasn\u2019t fumbled since October of 2014 in a game against the Seahawks.<\/p>\n Morris is only a so-so pass receiver out of the backfield, having never caught more than 17 passes in any season. But he\u2019s an outstanding pass blocker, something the Patriots value highly in any of the running backs. Having Morris on the field would definitely help in play-action situations.<\/p>\n Morris could come significantly cheaper as well. After notching a career high 1613 yards and 13 touchdowns as a rookie in 2012, he\u2019s seen his numbers drop every season since then. He rushed for a career low 751 yards with only a single touchdown in 2015. Critics pointed out his lack of explosiveness and his tentativeness in the backfield, however that could be attributed to the injuries along the Washington offensive line last season.<\/p>\n The Patriots could possibly sign him to a short-term type prove-it deal for 2016 and see if they can re-ignite his career in Foxboro. Morris is an exemplary player on and off the field and would be an intriguing player to watch in free agency.<\/p>\n Next up\u2026could the Pats poach from a divisional rival?<\/p>\n Chris Ivory<\/strong><\/p>\n The Patriots would love to add the talented Ivory for a couple of reasons. One, is that he\u2019d be a perfect fit for the offense, running the ball and catching it out of the backfield. The other is that Bill Belichick loves to pick free agents from his division rivals and weaken them in the meantime.<\/p>\n Ivory is set to become a free agent in March and it is looking increasingly unlikely that the Jets will bring him back in 2016. Unlike the first two players, Ivory put up career best numbers in 2015. After toiling as a backup his first few seasons in New Orleans, he was used as a tandem back with the Jets in 2013 and 2014.<\/p>\n This past season he was their featured back and was a big part of the offense. He carried the ball 247 times for 1070 yards, good for a 4.3-yard average and 7 touchdowns. Ivory also caught 30 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown out of the backfield.<\/p>\n He\u2019s a workhorse type of back who runs with authority and hits the holes decisively. He gets the yards between the tackles and is tough to bring down once he gets going. The Patriots have faced him and know his value. He\u2019d bring a huge boost to the Patriots offense and like the above players would be a perfect fit for Brady and McDaniels.<\/p>\n Ivory is going to be 28 but doesn\u2019t have as much wear on his tires due to his being used very little while with the Saints. Plus, he\u2019d be an added weapon out of the backfield on early downs as the Patriots could find ways to get him the ball in space.<\/p>\n So what\u2019s the downside to Ivory? Money\u2026<\/p>\n Ivory is looking for (and rightfully so), his first and probably only big payday in the NFL. In a couple of seasons, he\u2019ll be at that age where teams won\u2019t want to invest in a big running back north of 30 years old. The time is right and he\u2019ll command in the neighborhood of perhaps $ 7-8 million dollars on the market.<\/p>\n The Patriots won\u2019t commit that kind of money to a back, their past history dictates that so unless they can convince him to take much less for a chance at a ring, the chances of him coming to the Pats is slim.<\/p>\n Next up, \u2026a young talented runner looking for a shot.<\/p>\n Lamar Miller<\/strong><\/p>\n Miller is a very talented running back and is also the youngest listed here at just 24 years old. He\u2019ll turn 25 in April and is slated to be a free agent in 2016. Miller has been often under-used and underrated while a member of the Dolphins.<\/p>\n Miller had good numbers in 2015, 194 carries for 872 yards, good for a 4.5-yard average per carry to go along with 8 touchdowns for Miami. He also hauled in 47 passes for 397 yards and a pair of touchdowns out of the backfield.<\/p>\n Miller would be a terrific fit for the Patriots offense, he\u2019s an outstanding runner and pass receiver who could be a dynamic force either running or catching the ball out of the backfield. His only drawback as a player has been his so-so ability to pass block which would be an area the team would want to address immediately.<\/p>\n Miami made a decision to limit his carries as they went to a pass-first, pass happy offense that wasn\u2019t a fit for their backs or their QB and they suffered for it. He has made it clear that he wants to go to a team and offense that will utilize him to the most of his abilities. Well New England would be a great place to do just that.<\/p>\n His value especially as a pass receiver has grown each season as he\u2019s caught 26, 38 and 47 passes in his last three years. That would bode quite well with Brady and the Patriots offense. Plus the fact that he, like Ivory would be weakening a divisional rival while helping the Pats.<\/p>\n But the sticking point with Miller will be the same as with Ivory\u2026cash. Miller is probably set to earn in the $6-8 million-dollar range which would be out of the Patriots price range. They have traditionally paid about half that for their running backs.<\/p>\n If they can convince him to sign for a discount and play for a chance at a ring, Miller could be an option. They could ink him to a 2 to 3-year deal that would still give him a chance for a big pay day down the road. But the chances of that happening are pretty remote.<\/p>\n And of course the Patriots could also opt for an option that won\u2019t make Patriots fans happy. They could re-sign Blount and take a running back in the draft. That would fit their typical financial M.O. and look for depth at the end of April.<\/p>\n Follow me on Twitter\u00a0<\/em>@SteveB7SFG<\/em><\/a>\u00a0or email me at\u00a0<\/em>stevebpatsfans@gmail.com<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Listen to our\u00a0<\/em>Patriots 4th<\/sup>\u00a0and 2<\/em><\/a>\u00a0podcast on blog talk radio as the writers Russ Goldman, Derek Havens and I from\u00a0<\/em>PatsFans.com<\/em><\/a>\u00a0discuss the latest Patriots news Wednesdays at 12 noon.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Given the injuries to the offensive line and then losing both starters (Dion Lewis, LaGarrette Blount) to IR during the season doomed the Pats running game in 2015. Truth be told, they ran the ball very poorly overall for most of the season and it was a major reason for their failure in the AFC Championship Game.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":3548,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,10],"tags":[185,464,806,799,48,527,34,216,112,204,78,24,63,817,45,47,70,8,713,201,117,13,816],"class_list":["post-4968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots-commentary","category-patriots-news","tag-2015-nfl-season","tag-2015-patriots-season","tag-2016-nfl-off-season","tag-2016-patriots-roster","tag-53-man-roster-projection","tag-alfred-morris","tag-bill-belichick","tag-brandon-bolden","tag-chris-ivory","tag-dion-lewis","tag-james-white","tag-lagarrette-blount","tag-lamar-miller","tag-matt-forte","tag-miami-dolphins","tag-new-york-jets","tag-nfl","tag-patriots","tag-patriots-running-backs","tag-pittsburgh-steelers","tag-rob-gronkowski","tag-tom-brady","tag-tyler-gaffney"],"yoast_head":"\n