Entering the
draft
White Steve
Grogan Jerseys , running back was one of the deepest positions on the New
England Patriots’ roster and therefore not a need that necessarily had to be
addressed. The team decided to invest in the position nevertheless: in round
three, the Patriots selected Alabama running back Damien Harris to add even more
depth to a group already consisting of Sony Michel, James White, Rex Burkhead
and Brandon Bolden.Given his college role and skill set, Harris is expected to
serve as the top rotational option behind Michel on early downs as well as in
short-yardage and goal-line situations. But despite sharing plenty of attributes
with the 2018 first-round selection, the newest Patriots back does not want
himself to be compared to Michel as he pointed out during his introductory
conference call on Saturday.“Everybody’s different. Everybody is good in their
own ways,” Harris said shortly after hearing his name called as the 87th overall
selection in the draft. “He’s a great running back. He was always great in
college. He even had a great season last year. So, I just want to go in and be
the best version of myself. I don’t like to compare myself to him, but just come
in and work hard and add to the team and help the team become more
successful.”How Harris can and will help the team remains to be seen, but the
aforementioned role could be a part of it. Whatever it will be, though, the
22-year-old has trust in himself to be ready for it — in part because of the
experience he collected at Alabama. “Some games we were gap schemes, sometimes
we were zone schemes, and I think being able to do both of those well will help
in the future,” said Harris.“Not being a zone runner or a gap
runner
Steve
Grogan Jerseys 2019 , being able to do both, I think that will help when
it comes to the next level,” he continued. New England, for example, uses both
man and zone blocking schemes similar to the Crimson Tide offense under former
Patriots assistant coach Brian Daboll. The connections between the two
organizations do not stop there, of course — a fact not lost on the Patriots’
third-round selection.“Obviously, Coach Saban and Coach Belichick are very
similar, they know each other, they’re friends, so I think that on top of Coach
Saban being the coach that he is, I think him having that relationship will also
help me transition to the NFL and the Patriots and help me be successful,” said
Harris when asked whether or not he felt that playing for Alabama head coach
Nick Saban helped him prepare for what lies ahead in New England.More Damien
Harris storiesMark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsPatriots draft RB Damien Harris
with the 87th pick3 reasons why the Patriots drafted Damien HarrisHow Damien
Harris fits into the Patriots offensePC’s Picks: My take on drafting Damien
Harris in round threeHaving familiarity with the culture is good, but only one
advantage a player has when coming to the Patriots. Another, at least according
to Harris himself, is his dependability as a runner. “I think I’m just a
dependable
player
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Faulk Jerseys , somebody that whenever you ask me to do something, I’ll do
it,” he said when answering a question about his own strengths. Dependability is
obviously something the Patriots value — especially considering their current
group of running backs.While Michel had a tremendous rookie campaign, he missed
games due to two separate knee injuries during the 2018 season. As a result, New
England had to rely on versatile wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson to serve as
the lead back at one point. With Harris now in the fold, the Patriots have more
depth at the position and a viable insurance option in case Michel either
suffers another injury or needs a breather every now and then.Harris sounds
confident in his abilities to fill this or any other role. “I think I just show
a lot of great attributes on the field, things that help me be a great running
back and they can help the team be successful. There’s a lot of things that I
can do well, there’s a lot of things I can still improve on, so I’m just ready
to come in and be my best me and get to work day one,” he continued when
speaking about his strengths.The rookie’s work will also likely include the
game’s third phase: special teams. While his experience as a returnman is
limited — Harris ran back nine kickoffs for a 19.3-yard average during his 2015
freshman season and one punt for 19 yards in 2017 — he did see considerable
playing time in the kicking game at Alabama. “I had snaps at almost all special
teams [units],” said Harris when talking about his versatility to help the
Patriots.“I played primarily on punt and punt return and always loved doing it.
It was always fun for me and I just wanted to help make our special teams better
— help change field position, be an attribute in the kicking game,” he
continued. And even though Harris’ usage has yet to be decided on, seeing him
get a notable number of snaps on special teams in year one would not be a
surprise.The rookie should therefore be able to help the Patriots in more than
just one way. And while his pick seemed to be a luxury when it was made, the
team will certainly find a way to harness Harris’ strengths on offense and in
the kicking game — and thus turn him into a valuable piece of the 2019 puzzle.
Mike Tomlin hasn’t had to worry about helmets this offseason. But he is going to
New England this
week
Kevin Faulk
Jerseys 2019 , which means headsets are an issue again.The Steelers coach
generally tried to downplay the communications issues that plagued him during
their opening week loss in 2015 at Gillette Stadium, a place where he has said
they “always” have problems.“I’m not overly concerned about that,” Tomlin said,
via Nick Goss of NBCSportsBoston.com. “We have technicians, and the league has
technicians on site. That’s their area of expertise. I’m gonna worry about
preparing and coaching the football team. . . .“These guys are competitors. It’s
a competitive environment up there. I’d like to change some of those outcomes,
but the only one we can control is the one that lies in front of us.”That
comment could stand as Tomlin’s preemptive warning, as he tries to act like it’s
not a big deal. What he can’t talk around, however, is his team’s lack of
success there.The Steelers are 1-5 at Gillette Stadium, their only win coming in
2008, when Matt Cassel was subbing for an less-pliable Tom Brady.
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