The New England Patriots do not have long to celebrate their Super Bowl win as the team has several pending free agents they must make a decision about. Darrelle Revis is naturally getting the most headlines considering New England must make an expensive decision regarding his future. However, he is not the only free agent the team has entering the 2015 offseason. With the run game getting depleted, will New England target big names to help the rotation?
LeGarrette Blount is the only marquee rusher returning to the Patriots in 2015. New England re-signed the running back mid-way through the season after he was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Blount signed a two-year contract and the Patriots will likely retain that considering the running back has proven he is the ideal fit for Bill Belichick and the team's offensive plan. However, he is not viewed as the kind of back that carry the entire load which might have the Patriots eyeing free agency upgrades or a young rusher in the draft.
Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley are both approaching free agency and are not likely to return according to the Boston Herald. Both rushers had issues with turnovers during their tenure with the team and spent some time in the Belichick dog house. That leaves the team looking at roster additions big and small.
The Patriots are unlikely to chase big names like DeMarco Murray or trades for someone like LeSean McCoy. However, they could chase players like Mark Ingram, CJ Spiller or Knowshon Moreno who could run tandem with Blount in 2015. The 2015 draft class is also loaded with some of the best running back potential in the league. Todd Gurley will be an interesting pick once he returns healthy from a torn ACL. Ameer Abdullah from Nebraska and TJ Yeldon from Alabama both appear to be the type of backs that New England favors as well.
New England plans on trying to retain both Revis and Devin McCourty for the secondary which could end up causing salary cap casualties elsewhere on the roster. Players like Danny Amendola, Aaron Dobson or Tim Wright who had minimal impact during the 2014 season could be at risk. Getting a premier rusher will have to be a priority for New England before other moves get made.
