Patriots Roster Building Just Begun, Options Still At RB
 Pierre Thomas could be another addition to the Patriots roster after May 12. Thomas is still a very effective receiver out of the backfield. (USA TODAY Images) |
Pierre Thomas could be a nice addition after May 12
With the 2015 NFL Draft in the books and the first wave of UDFAs being brought in, the initial phase of free agency and the draft is now done. A couple of surprises were the lack of attention in the draft to the CB, RB and WR positions as the team opted to beef up the trenches and the pass rush.
Here is a look at the Patriots 2015 Draft Class and the first Undrafted Free Agents
1st Round (32nd Overall) – Malcom Brown, DL Texas
2nd Round (64th Overall) – Jordan Richards, SS, Stanford
3rd Round (97th Overall) – Geneo Grissom, DE/OLB Oklahoma
4th Round (101st Overall) – Trey Flowers, DE Arkansas
4th Round (111th Overall) – Tre’ Jackson, G Florida State
4th Round (131st Overall) – Shaq Mason, G Georgia Tech
5th Round (166th Overall) – Joe Cardona, LS Navy
6th Round (177th Overall) – Matthew Wells, LB Miss State
6th Round (202nd Overall) – A.J. Derby, TE Arkansas
7th Round (247th Overall) – Darryl Roberts, CB Marshall
7th Round (253rd Overall) – Xzavier Dickson, DE/OLB Alabama
UDFA Signings:
David Andrews, C Georgia
Devin Gardner, WR/QB Michigan
Jimmy Jean, CB UAB
Chris Harper, WR Cal
Brandon King, LB/S Auburn
The team brought in two potential wide receivers in Michigan’s Devin Gardner and Cal’s Chris Harper. Gardner is a QB trying to make the transition to WR ala Julian Edelman but he has a long way to go. Harper is probably going to play in the slot. He was the “X” WR at Cal, but is undersized and doesn’t have the straight-line speed for the outside at the next level.
With the top three starters returning,a healthy Aaron Dobson returning, and a second year in the system for Brian Tyms the team isn’t in dire need of another wide out.
The Patriots chose to basically stand pat at the cornerback position, by-passing a number of potential draftees, finally signing Darryl Roberts from Marshall and Jimmy Jean, a bigger, 26 year-old rookie who comes from a basketball background. The free agency pool is pretty much dried up at this point and unless they swing a trade, they will roll with they have.
Free Agent Running Backs: It is at the running back position where the team still has some options in free agency. With the May 12 deadline for compensation for free agents; don’t expect any moves to be done until then. After the 12th, if a team signs a free agent, they will be not charged any compensation. With Shane Vereen gone in free agency, the team will be looking to replace his production on third down and in the passing game. With James White, Travaris Cadet and Tyler Gaffney competing for the job, the team can still opt for an upgrade.
There are a couple of intriguing names still out there, Pierre Thomas, Knowshon Moreno and Chris Johnson. The Patriots may choose to kick the tires on these three.
Moreno is the youngest of the three at age 27 but is coming off of an ACL tear from last October and may not be ready to start the season. What makes him attractive is when healthy, he’s still an effective runner averaging 4.3 and 4.8 yards a carry respectively in 2013-14. Two years ago in Denver, he caught 60 passes out of the backfield for 548 yards (9.1 avg), and three touchdowns.
Johnson was cut loose by the Jets after posting career lows in rushing yards and receptions in 2014. For the first time in his career, Johnson failed to rush for 1000 yards (663), and caught only 24 passes for Gang Green last season. He was shot in the shoulder in a drive-by shooting in March but is expected to be fine.
Thomas Still Viable: Thomas is arguably the best fit for the Patriots. The oldest of the three at age 30 and with a lot of wear on his tires, Thomas was clearly being phased-out of the Saints offense. He was mainly relegated to third downs, something he’d also do in New England but is still an active/able pass receiver.
Thomas, 30, has played all eight of his NFL seasons with the Saints after signing with the team in 2007 as an undrafted free agent. He played in 108 games for the Saints, amassing 6,353 total yards on offense. He leaves the franchise No. 4 in career rushing yards, No. 6 in career receptions and 14th in career receiving yards.
Thomas rushed nine times for 30 yards and caught six passes for 55 yards and a touchdown in the Saints’ victory over Indianapolis in Super Bowl XLIV.
And although he only carried the ball 45 times in 2014 for 222 yards (4.9 avg), he still showed the ability to make people miss at the second level. He also caught 45 passes out of the backfield, good for 378 yards and a touchdown. He remains an outstanding option for screens and providing mismatches on linebackers.
While Thomas is on the downside to his career, a stint as the Patriots third down back in a committee setting could extend his career by a couple of years. He’s a proven, reliable veteran who has been on a Super Bowl winning team and could be a really nice pickup in about…..10 days. Stay Tuned.
Follow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at [email protected]
Listen to our Patriots 4th and 2 podcast on blog talk radio as the writers Russ Goldman, Derek Havens and I from PatsFans.com discuss the latest Patriots news Wednesdays at 12 noon.
