Stevan Ridley was beginning to challenge BenJarvus Green-Ellis for lead running back role when his season came to an end last year.

It wasn’t an injury that did him in. It was fumbles.

After losing a pair of balls in the regular-season finale and the divisional round of the playoffs, Ridley fell out of favor with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and remained sidelined for the remainder of the Super Bowl run.

Ridley was embarrassed with how his season ended and is looking to win back the trust of teammates.

“(I’m trying to prove) that this team can depend on me and that’s all aspects of the game,” Ridley said. “It’s not just one thing. I just have to go out there and just be the player they know I can be.”

Ridley stopped short of carrying a ball everywhere with him this offseason like Omar Epps’ character in The Program, but he said he took measures to improve his ball security during the offseason and has positioned himself to be the Patriots’ top running back.

In fact, the competition isn’t even close.

The second-year player out of LSU has carried 34 times for 152 yards this preseason, an average of 4.5 yards per carry. Perhaps more important, he showed the ability to carry the offense Friday night against Tampa Bay when the passing game stalled early.

Shane Vereen has also been solid, but his 3.5 yards per carry falls well short of Ridley’s mark. It’s also worth nothing that Vereen suffered a foot injury in the last preseason game, though the severity is yet to be determined.

The others -- Brandon Bolden (3.3) and Danny Woodhead (3.2) -- aren’t even in the discussion.

Here’s a look at three other players who have improved their stock this preseason:

DE Chandler Jones: Deemed a project following April’s draft, Jones has been the most impressive member of New England’s revamped front seven. Jones has consistently created pressure and shown a knack for getting after the quarterback. He should be a big contributor this season.

CB Kyle Arrington: Everyone had Ras-I Dowling pegged to start opposite Devin McCourty entering training camp -- everyone except Arrington, that is. After recording seven interceptions last season, Arrington put together a strong camp and has reclaimed his starting position, effectively relegating Dowling to a reserve role.

QB Ryan Mallett: Mallett has rebounded from a shaky training camp to complete 25 of 52 passes for 260 yards with three touchdowns and one interception this preseason. His strong performance against Tampa Bay may have pushed him ahead of Brian Hoyer in the race for the backup job.

Nick Underhill covers the Patriots for MassLive.com. Follow him on Twitter @CBSSportsNFLNE or @nick_underhill.