Patriots Replacing Damien Harris: Exploring the Options

The New England Patriots will be without one of their most consistent playmakers thanks to Damien Harris' injury. What's the best route to replace him?

Will the new-century New England Patriots ever catch a break?

Foxboro returned to its former glory last Sunday ... in more ways than one ... when the Patriots crushed the Detroit Lions in a 29-point shutout. But the dominant victory, which put New England (2-3) back in the win column after consecutive losses, came at a price as running back Damien Harris was lost to a first-quarter hamstring injury.

The third-year veteran is said to be out for "multiple" weeks, including the Patriots' Sunday visit to the Cleveland Browns (1 p.m. ET, CBS). 

New England was able to survive without franchise quarterback Mac Jones last week, but Harris might be an even bigger loss to overcome: the Alabama alum has been, by far, one of the Patriots' most consistent offensive assets of the post-Tom Brady era, averaging 4.7 yards a carry and scoring 20 touchdowns over the last three seasons. 

But the NFL slows down for no one, and it will be particularly relentless to a team that's spent the better part of the last 20 years ending Super Bowl dreams. So, how do the Patriots recover?

The Case to Promote From Within

Though Harris has undoubtedly been RB1, he's been sharing the top responsibilities with Rhamondre Stevenson. The second-year back put in one of the best offensive individual performances of the season when Harris went down, tallying a career-best 161 yards against the Lions. There's thus no reason to believe that Stevenson wouldn't be the first option the Patriots turn to when looking to make up for Harris' lost production.

You know a player impressed when eternal curmudgeon Bill Belichick is downright giddy, flat-out declaring he "loved" Stevenson earlier this week.

The situation behind Stevenson is a bit murkier. Expecting Ty Montgomery's instant promotion off injured reserve seems to be overly optimistic, but if the Patriots are looking for an aerial complement similar to Montgomery's talents, they could turn to J.J. Taylor (62 collegiate receptions at Arizona) or former Miami Dolphins hybrid Lynn Bowden, both of whom are waiting to make their season debuts while on the practice squad.

The Harris injury morbidly justifies one of the Patriots' more questionable decisions of last spring's draft, namely that of adding two running backs with day three selections. Both Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris (no relation), respectively drafted in the fourth and sixth rounds, factor well into the Patriots' desires for short-yardage, bulky, power-rushing football and handled their preseason duties well, uniting for 132 on 28 carries, which included a Kevin Harris score. 

The Case to Study Abroad

It's great to have a rushers' room packed with potential. But if the Patriots want to create another playoff streak ... and, in this age of NFL parity and/or mediocrity, there's no reason they can't ... it's probably ill-advised to go into a potential playoff push with the most experienced option (Montgomery) is working off the effects of a lasting injury. 

Combine that with the uncertainty at the quarterback spot ... Mac Jones could return sooner rather than later, but who knows at what capacity ... and the Patriots might be better off looking for help from elsewhere.

Asking the Patriots to get involved in the Christian McCaffrey sweepstakes feels like a little too much to ask for, but there is veteran talent lingering on practice squads. Duke Johnson (Buffalo Bills) and Phillip Lindsay, for example, would be intriguing veteran options (Lindsay found his NFL legs when he subbed for Jonathan Taylor in the Indianapolis Colts' victory in Denver last week). Of the available veteran free agents, the 32-year-old Carlos Hyde (95 yards on 19 carries in Jacksonville last season) is perhaps the most valuable option. 

The coming trade deadline could serve as a potential avenue as well. New England is somewhat well-stocked in that regard (owning extra fourth and sixth-round picks as well as Carolina's third-round choice), but it's nothing that would probably convince teams to part ways with any potential difference-makers. 

The Verdict

At this point in time, the Patriots are better off exploring what they have on their active roster. 

Competing in the AFC will be a chore, especially when they're trapped in a division by the world-eating Buffalo Bills. There's no use in mortgaging a future when the team is not only far from the proverbial "one move away" from truly making championship noise but also when a perfectly capable substitute in Stevenson is ready to lead the way. 

There's no better way to prepare a new core for the future than thrusting some of the newest names into a potential playoff push. This way, if the gambit fails, the Patriots will know exactly who and what they have to work on for the future. What's done is done when it comes to the draft. You might as well work with what you have so you know what works and what doesn't. 

New England will no doubt enact its due diligence, but the Harris injury shouldn't cause them to throw the plan out the window. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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