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The New England Patriots strengthened their offense significantly this offseason, adding tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, wide receivers Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor, and offensive tackle Trent Brown.
One area the Patriots are yet to strengthen is running back. There are still several quality running backs in the free agency market, and the New England Patriots have been linked with two of the very best - Chris Carson and Leonard Fournette.
But which of these two running backs should New England bring in?
Let's take a look at some pros (and cons) of each:
Chris Carson would be a great signing for New England
His 2020 campaign was significantly disrupted by injury, but Chris Carson remains one of the NFL's elite power-running backs.
681 rushing yards and five touchdowns are not exactly eye-popping stats, but Carson's yards-per-carry in 2020 was higher compared to the two previous seasons. Last season, Carson averaged 4.8-yards per carry, his highest since being drafted in 2017. If not for the foot/knee sprain Carson struggled to overcome, he could have had the biggest year of his career so far.
The Patriots are still thought to have some $30 million available in cap space, so signing a player of Carson's caliber is a possibility. The running back is reportedly looking for around $6-10 million per year, meaning the Patriots could get a deal done and still have money to play with as coach Bill Belichick continues his rebuild of the roster.
The only concern regarding Carson is his fitness. If the Patriots are willing to overlook the time he missed last season as an anomaly, they can certainly sign him for the upcoming season and beyond.
Leonard Fournette could be the Patriots franchise RB for years to come
Leonard Fournette is coming off an incredible season in 2020. The former Jacksonville Jaguar left for Tampa Bay during the 2020 offseason, and got his season off to a great start. Notably against the Carolina Panthers in Week 2, where he racked up 103 yards and 2 touchdowns.
But the success didn't last long. Fournette saw his snap count decrease exponentially, with coach Arians using Ronald Jones ll in the backfield for most of the regular season. The game against the Panthers was Fournette's high point of the year. Injuries and a subsequent loss of form conspired to ensure that Fournette failed to post a 100-yard game in the regular season.
Then came the playoffs. With Ronald Jones ll unfit, Fournette seized his chance, re-entering the backfield alongside Tom Brady. He produced some top performances on the way to Tampa Bay's historic Super Bowl win.
The bruising back tallied 132 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown against the Washington Football Team in the wildcard round in a comfortable victory for the Buccaneers. He followed that up with a 107-yard, one-touchdown performance in the Buccaneers' upset win over the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional round. In the NFC championship against the Green Bay Packers, he ran for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Fournette was at his spectacular best against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, registering 135 yards from scrimmage and scoring a touchdown. If the Patriots sign Fournette and he continues to perform at the level that he did in the playoffs, they will get their starting running back for the foreseeable future.
Rex Burkhead and Damien Harris were the lead backs in New England last season. Both players are honest, dependable runners, with decent hands but neither can take the Patriots to the Super Bowl, certainly not without help.
A one-two punch with Harris and Fournette is a tier-one running back rotation in my opinion and could help take the Patriots back to the playoffs and maybe even the Super Bowl.
Leonard Fournette would be the ideal acquisition for coach Belichick's team and would complete the Patriots' offensive overhaul. Fournette is younger than Carson and is more durable. He's a Super Bowl champion and is more than capable of posting 1,500 yards from scrimmage.
Fournette to the Patriots makes perfect sense to me. The Patriots should act quickly, though, as both the Buccaneers and the Seahawks are rumored to be offering new deals to their running backs.
