The redshirt rookie year has been something of a rite of passage for New England Patriots running backs.
Shane Vereen, James White, Damien Harris and now J.J. Taylor all have played limited snaps as rookies. Vereen, White and Harris became integral parts of the Patriots’ offense in their sophomore seasons. Taylor also could see his role blossom in Year 2.
Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears sounded very excited about Taylor’s potential Saturday in a video conference call. Fears believes Taylor can be an early-down runner and a pass-catcher in New England’s offense.
“Oh yeah. Yeah, he can do both,” Fears said.