Rex to riches folk tale
Burkhead’s time to shine
FOXBORO — Most of the Patriots had left the practice field by late morning yesterday with the team scheduled for joint practices with the Texans in West Virginia this week.
In one end of the field, however, Rex Burkhead remained, still hard at work.
He was lined up outside the hash marks and ran routes as Jimmy Garoppolo tossed passes his way. It was nothing extraordinary, but an indicator of the new running back’s mentality.
More than two weeks into training camp, it seems Burkhead’s spot on the team’s 53-man roster is safe — an accomplishment itself with such a crowded backfield — and he seems poised to rotate with the starting group. His versatility — displayed in a quick snapshot on that practice field with Garoppolo — is naturally of great value to the Patriots as they want running backs doing as many jobs as possible.
It’s why Burkhead was brought in after three years with the Cincinnati Bengals. And he’s made a strong impression, at least in a practice setting.
“I still have a long ways to go in some areas, for sure, but definitely getting more comfortable,” Burkhead said. “Just have to keep doing the little things right, and making sure I stay on top of those.”
There’s not a lot to say about Burkhead because he didn’t play in their only preseason game.
It doesn’t appear as though he has been nursing any injuries through camp, but he was held out of the Patriots’ 31-24 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in their preseason opener last Thursday.
It’s probably a good indication of Burkhead’s early progress and development in a new system, as coach Bill Belichick and his staff didn’t need to see the running back immediately in a game setting.
In fact, it was a common theme in that first game as the Patriots sat an NFL-high 40 players — mostly those who are starters and roster locks — and opted for a closer look at players who are further down on the depth chart or on the bubble for cuts. In the backfield, with newcomer Mike Gillislee (hamstring) and Super Bowl-hero James White also sitting out, that meant more touches for Dion Lewis and Brandon Bolden.
Burkhead isn’t reading much into that, though. For him, there’s still a lot to prove, which he’s trying to do on the practice field.
“I don’t look into any of that,” Burkhead said. “I’m just focused on getting better every day and this week, going against the Houston Texans, so I don’t really think about that.
“I know there are a lot of things that I have to improve upon. If I get caught up in that, then there’s going to be bad things happening, so I’m really just focused on what I need to do.”
The last time he played in a game, Burkhead was tearing up the Baltimore Ravens for 119 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the Bengals’ regular-season finale. But that was an aberration from most of his three seasons with Cincinnati, where he accumulated a total of 375 yards on the ground and 288 yards via receptions.
Burkhead probably can’t expect many 100-yard games with the Pats, either. But a bigger opportunity than he’s ever had is there for the taking.
It’s a chance for the 27-year-old, who signed a one-year deal with the Patriots, to prove himself as a reliable rotational player. Given the stable of backs the Pats own, he doesn’t have to be the big dog. But he can still be a huge contributor.
“I’m just approaching it one day at a time,” he said. “Whatever role I earn on this team, that’s what I’m going to be, and I’ll do, so I’m really not trying to get caught up in all of that. I’m just focused on what I can do to help this team, better the team and come together and get some wins.”
He can do it many ways. So far in camp, the burly 5-foot-10, 210-pounder has been showcased in goal-line situations and even split out wide. And with Gillislee still out, he was getting the majority of running reps on handoffs with the first-team offense yesterday.
It’s early, but Burkhead is showing signs that he belongs here, and that big things could be in store.
“There are things I have to improve upon, but I’m definitely more comfortable than the first day I walked out here,” Burkhead said. “There are certain areas I need to spend a little more time on, but things have definitely come a long way.”