2024 marks the dawn of a new era for the New England Patriots. For the first time since 1999, the franchise has someone other than Bill Belichick as the head coach.
Belichick and the team parted ways this offseason. Taking over with the impossible task of replacing him will be one of his former players, Jerod Mayo.
It will take some time for Mayo and Eliot Wolf to turn things around. The New England Patriots haven’t been overly competitive since Tom Brady departed in 2020, with the 2023 campaign being one of the worst in franchise history.
They are hoping that Drake Maye will be the new franchise quarterback to lead the team back to prominence. Patience will have to be exhibited, but Maye has immense talent to work with.
To ensure he has every opportunity to succeed, the New England Patriots need to upgrade the supporting cast around him. There are some solid pieces when it comes to skill position players, but Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report believes they should dip into free agency to add at least one more.
He has suggested that the New England Patriots sign veteran running back Cam Akers. Akers started the 2023 season with the Los Angeles Rams before being traded to the Minnesota Vikings.
Unfortunately, his season was cut short as he tore his Achilles in November. He knows what the rehab entails, as he already sped through that once; he tore his other Achilles in July of 2021 before returning during the Rams’ Super Bowl run.
“Akers, who had 167 rushing yards between Minnesota and Los Angeles in 2023, could come to New England and carve out a supporting role in the ground game alongside Stevenson.
There is a very real scenario in which the Patriots have to rely on the ground game in a few games to take some pressure off Drake Maye.
If that is the case, the Patriots would like not to completely wear down Stevenson, and that is where someone like Akers could make a difference,” Tansey wrote.
Rhamondre Stevenson has proven more than capable of handling the lead-back role. The New England Patriots rewarded him with a new contract this offseason, agreeing to a four-year, $36 million deal that makes him one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL.
Akers wouldn’t be a threat to unseat Stevenson but would provide the New England Patriots with some insurance behind him. Right now, the depth chart has Antonio Gibson, Kevin Harris and JaMychal Hasty.
If Stevenson were to miss any time, an already underwhelming New England Patriots offense would get even uglier.
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