Stevenson set for another run at 1,000 yards
FOXBOROUGH — Rhamondre Stevenson is up for making history.
The Patriots running back, who finished last season with 1,040 rushing yards, is attempting to become the first back Bill Belichick has ever had (including his time in Cleveland) to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Corey Dillon, LeGarrette Blount, and Antowain Smith were among those who finished with one 1,000-yard season in New England, but no back has gone back-to-back under Belichick.
Informed of the stat after Friday’s practice, Stevenson was surprised, and then expressed confidence he could be the one to break through.
“I’m very confident in myself and my line, [offensive coordinator] Bill
O’Brien, and just our whole offense,” he said. “I think I can do it.”
Stevenson is attempting to distinguish himself during an uncertain time for running backs in the NFL. He provided a sizable portion of New England’s offense last season, averaging 5.0 yards per carry and rushing for five touchdowns.
At the same time, Saquon Barkley’s contract situation with the Giants has sparked conversation that the running back position continues to be devalued. A group of backs met recently via a Zoom session to try to find the way best forward. And there’s talk across the league of trying to find a fairer way to reward the men who play the position.
Stevenson, 25, who has two years left on his current deal, said he’s not paying attention to that talk, at least right now.
“I’m just focused on the game of football,” said Stevenson, who would not comment on whether he was part of the Zoom summit. “It’s training camp season. I’m not really focused on that. I’m just focused on getting better and playing the game.”
One report this week indicated the Patriots might have interest in Dalvin Cook, a free agent who rushed for 1,173 yards last year with Minnesota before being cut loose last month. New England also worked out veteran Leonard Fournette.
Stevenson sounded OK with the idea of adding another body to the backfield.
“I’m totally confident in our room right now, but if we get another, I’m with that, too,” he said. “I’m just playing the game right now. I’m not really worried about who we sign.”
In the meantime, Stevenson is backed up primarily by Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris, two second-year backs who played well in limited reps Friday.
“They’re trying to be students of the game,” Stevenson said. “They’re trying to learn. They put their best foot forward out here and in the classroom. I’m just proud of those guys stepping up, and we’ll see where it takes them.”
Jones is keeping up
One of the highlights of the 2022 season was the emergence of returner Marcus Jones. The rookie played offense (4 catches, 78 yards, 1 touchdown) and defense, and was the only player in the league to finish in the top five in kick-return and punt-return yards, providing one of most memorable moments of the season with his dramatic late-game return for a touchdown against the Jets.
In the early days of camp, he has picked up where he left off, working as a cornerback (both in the slot and on the boundary) as well as a returner. He hasn’t been called upon to work on offense yet, but based on what he showed last year, it seems like only a matter of time before he gets back into the mix on that side.
“He’s been great,” Belichick said. “He’s up on everything, everything we’ve asked him to do. He’s worked extremely hard at both mentally and sharpening his skills in [all phases], so we’ll see how it goes.”
For the 24-year-old Jones, it was an offseason of work to build on his memorable rookie year.
“The main thing that I was worrying about — taking care of — was just making sure that my legs were right,” he said. “Hamstrings, ankles. Just making sure my lower body is good.”
He anticipates being a part of all three phases again.
“My main focus is to make sure I know what to do and how to do it,” he said. “Whether that’s offense or defense or special teams. Just trying to get better each day. That’s the main thing.
“The main thing is making sure I’m in the playbook, day and night. Being able to know both sides of the ball definitely helps out from the aspect of the formations on defense and things of that nature. It’s like school — you’ve got to study, over and over.”
Missing persons
Offensive linemen Calvin Anderson (non-football injury list) and Mike Onwenu (physically unable to perform list), special teamer Cody Davis (PUP), running back Ty Montgomery, and defensive tackle Christian Barmore were not spotted during practice. On an Instagram post, Barmore announced that he welcomed a child Thursday, which likely explains his absence. Meanwhile, Belichick described Montgomery, who went down after colliding with linebacker Terez Hall, as “day-to-day.” . . . The Patriots are off Saturday, but will get back to public practices Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Gates are set to open at 11 a.m. For more information, check out www.patriots.com/trainingcamp.