Through his first three NFL seasons, New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson has showcased a versatile skill set. He's averaged 4.5 yards per carry on 499 career totes, and he's added 121 receptions, to boot -- an average of 40 per season.
Heading into Year 4, Stevenson believes he is "pretty close" to reaching an extension to remain in New England beyond this season, which is the last one on his rookie contract, via MassLive. The running back market took a step forward this offseason as several backs inked long-term deals, and it's possible Stevenson could benefit from that.
So far in his career, Stevenson has largely split the snaps with another back. For his first two years, that was Damien Harris. Last season, it was Ezekiel Elliott. This year, it looks like he'll share the backfield with Antonio Gibson, whom the Patriots signed to a three-year deal in free agency.
Still, bringing in another back to complement him doesn't mean the Pats lack confidence in Stevenson. In fact, new head coach Jerod Mayo appears to think quite highly of the fourth-year back.
"I think he's one of the better backs in the league. It's no doubt about it," Mayo said, via CoachspeakIndex. "I think over the last couple of years it's been kind of tough on him, as far as just getting started, so I'm excited to see what he does this season."
The last couple years have seen the Patriots offense rank near the bottom of the league in pretty much every conceivable category as things crated first under Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, and then Bill O'Brien. Stevenson ran for over 1,000 yards and caught 69 passes during the disastrous Patricia-and-Judge-led campaign, but he slipped to a career-low 4.0 yards per carry and dropped to 38 receptions last season as he dealt with injuries and the offense once again faltered.
With a new quarterback in either Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye, a new offense, and a new coordinator (Alex Van Pelt), the hope is that the Pats can generate some different results. Stevenson will be a valued piece out of the backfield as both a runner and receiver, if what his new (head) coach has to say about him is any indication.