FOXBORO — Rhamondre Stevenson doesn’t know why he’s spent three of the Patriots’ first seven practices of coaching camp away from nearly all of his teammates engaged on a facet subject conditioning.
Following a sequence of questions on his restricted workload per week into apply, Stevenson paused.
“Honestly, you’ve got to ask Bill Belichick,” he stated. “I don’t know why I’m not practicing.”
Sources have instructed the Herald that the Patriots are merely managing Stevenson’s workload early in camp. Stevenson was banged up by the top of the 2022 season and registered the sixth-most touches by a Patriots participant in a single season since Bill Belichick took over as head coach in 2000. Entering his third NFL season, Stevenson shall be wanted to hold the load once more in 2023. So, the Patriots restricted his workload on Day 2 of camp final Thursday and of their first two padded practices of the summer season Monday and Wednesday.
“I’m itching to get in there, especially when we have pads on,” Stevenson stated Wednesday after apply. “When we don’t have pads on, not really itching as much. Since the pads are on and stuff, yeah, I’ve been itching to get in there. But just stay the course.”
Stevenson got here to apply Wednesday donninig full pads and his apply uniform. After warmups, he departed to the facet subject with two different Patriots starters, offensive sort out Trent Brown and outdoors linebacker Matthew Judon, plus gamers who’ve suffered accidents early in coaching camp. Stevenson re-emerged after aggressive drills ended, spending time with the primary staff throughout a three-quarter pace hurry-up drill to conclude apply.
“All these guys, all the coaches, the staff have been in the league for way longer than I have,” Stevenson stated. “So, whatever they say, I just take it and do what they say and just take it with a grain of salt.”
The operating again didn’t imagine his well being to complete off the 2022 season, when he carried the ball 210 occasions for 1,040 yards with 5 touchdowns and caught 69 passes for 421 yards with one other rating because the Patriots’ bell-cow again, is said to his limitations in apply.
“Just like anybody else — it’s 17, 18 games — so just like anybody else, I’m going to be dinged up by the end of the season,” Stevenson stated. “So, I don’t really think that was a big part of it. But just trying to decrease my workload.”
That’s when he paused and instructed reporters to ask his head coach. The reply was met with laughter.
“I don’t really ask too many questions when something is told to me,” Stevenson stated. “I just try the best I can to do what they say. It wasn’t really a conversation about it.”
The third-year operating again, who can’t signal a contract extension till after this season, was requested if he takes it as a praise that the Patriots are limiting his snaps in apply, that it’s an indication that he’s one of many staff’s most essential gamers, and so they don’t need him to get banged up.
“Yeah, I don’t really think about it that way, but once you said it, I mean, kind of, yeah,” Stevenson stated.
Stevenson isn’t the one Patriots operating again in an already shallow room engaged on a facet subject throughout apply. Ty Montgomery was injured through the first week of coaching camp and has been noticed engaged on conditioning Tuesday and Wednesday. The Patriots launched operating again James Robinson, who they signed in free company, in June and by no means changed him on the roster. They’ve introduced three veteran operating backs to Gillette Stadium for visits and exercises however have but to signal Leonard Fournette, Pierre Strong or Ezekiel Elliott.
That’s left 2022 draft picks Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong and long-time apply squad operating again J.J. Taylor to soak up plenty of blows in apply.
“I’m confident in our room right now,” Stevenson stated. “If somebody else comes in, we’re just going to see if they can work as hard as us. And just keep the train moving.”
The Patriots have seen vital enchancment from Harris since final season. He’s been the lead again whereas Stevenson has been out of shape and has regarded surprisingly comfy within the passing recreation. Strong and Taylor are additionally receiving early- and passing-down work within the Patriots’ offense.
The staff may actually use a veteran operating again simply to function insurance coverage in case one thing occurs to Stevenson. Beyond that, they might merely use one other physique within the room to take extra hits throughout fully-padded practices to restrict the work Harris, Strong and Taylor are receiving. The Patriots have gone from having six obtainable backs through the spring to only three throughout fully-padded practices.
Source: www.bostonherald.com