FOXBORO — Over his 15 seasons within the NFL, Matthew Slater has seen tons of of second-year gamers swing by way of the Patriots’ locker room. Naturally, a number of stand out.
One of them stands only a few lockers down from Slater, a 225-pound operating again some may describe as a sleeping big within the Patriots’ offense: Rhamondre Stevenson.
“The improvement that I’ve seen from the day that he got here until now is unbelievable. One of the best I’ve seen,” Slater mentioned Wednesday. “That’s a credit to him and his work ethic and the way he’s applied the coaching that he’s gotten. it’s been fun to watch.”
Stevenson had a quiet season opener, taking eight carries for 25 yards and catching a pair passes for 2 yards in Miami over 14 offensive snaps. In a bigger pattern, his potential is extra apparent.
Last yr, Stevenson broke tackles at a better fee than starter Damien Harris. He performed extra snaps than any Patriots rookie operating again has in current reminiscence. And he flashed among the softest arms on the group, one thing Jakobi Meyers, the Pats’ main receiver for 2 straight seasons, may even admit.
Meyers remembers a standout play Stevenson made greater than a yr in the past, when he gunned straight upfield for a protracted catch like he was a wideout.
“When he first got here, just in practice, I saw him catch a seam out of the backfield. And that’s like a James White kind of play, you know what I mean?” Meyers mentioned. “But he’ll go out there and give you a dead leg, catch a seam, take one to the crib. He’s a really talented player.”
Following Ty Montgomery’s transfer to injured reserve Tuesday, Stevenson ought to have extra alternatives to make these catches because the Patriots’ new third-down again. Montgomery took over most of these duties in opposition to the Dolphins, whose blitz stress pressured the veteran into safety on a number of key downs. In coaching camp, Montgomery cut up these duties with Stevenson, who figures to take over after an offseason he mentioned was devoted to changing into a greater cross catcher and cross blocker.
“I wouldn’t expect a drop-off,” Meyers mentioned. “I really do have a lot of trust in Rhamondre. All of our backfield — they all are really good players, and they all do a lot of things really well. But especially him, too.”
Meyers repeatedly known as Stevenson “a great player” on Wednesday, noting he possesses uncommon velocity and make-you-miss potential at 225 kilos. Starting Sunday in Pittsburgh, time ought to inform.
“I feel like that’s a real rare talent of being big and skilled at the same time. He’s a great player,” Meyers mentioned. “I feel like he’ll play for a long time.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com