Breece Hall
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Breece Hall remains in New York.
The New England Patriots want to boost the running back position despite Rhamondre Stevenson’s successful season, but finding a new back for depth just became a little harder.
One of the top free agents, Breece Hall, just came off the market on Tuesday as he received the franchise tag from the New York Jets. That means the Patriots will be game-prepping for Hall twice a season instead, amid his $14.3 million franchise tag with the AFC East rival.
Hall has enjoyed a successful career thus far in New York with 755 carries for 3,398 yards and 18 touchdowns in 56 career games. He also has 188 receptions for 1,642 yards and nine touchdowns in his career.
“Always been the type to bet on myself. Been working…see yall soon,” Hall wrote via X on Tuesday in reaction to the franchise tag.
Hall was a trade target for the Patriots during the regular season when it looked like the Jets were poised to trade him. Instead, the Jets kept him at the trade deadline, and he finished with a 1,000-yard season.
New England wasn’t likely to pursue him in free agency, but the more immediate challenge is that there is one less running back for teams to pursue on the free agent market. The Patriots cut running back Antonio Gibson earlier this offseason, so New England will look for another back to replace him.
Patriots RB Free Agency Outlook
New England’s top backs are Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, Terrell Jennings, and Lan Larison. Neither Jennings nor Larison are significantly experienced. Therefore, the Patriots will likely seek a running back in free agency for depth.
“This offseason, the free agency market is filled with mostly instant-impact backs who are short-term fixes for teams,” Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar wrote on Tuesday.
Notable free agent backs include the Seattle Seahawks’ Kenneth Walker III, the Carolina Panthers’ Rico Dowdle, and the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ Travis Etienne. Other running backs on the market include the Los Angeles Chargers‘ Najee Harris, the Washington Commanders’ Austin Eker, and the Houston Texans’ Nick Chubb.
2 Running Backs Make Sense For Patriots
Lazar sees a couple of free agent running backs who make sense for the Patriots that aren’t No. 1 back-type players since the Patriots already have the one-two punch in Stevenson and Henderson.
“Realistically, it would make sense for the Patriots to show interest in backs with skill sets similar to Gibson’s, as dual-threat backs and potential kickoff returners,” Lazar wrote. “The few names that stand out are [Pittsburgh] Steelers free-agent Kenneth Gainwell and [Tampa Bay] Bucs back Rachaad White.”
“Both are plus-players in the passing game and have experience returning kicks. Gainwell, in particular, could move the needle as a receiving back in McDaniels’s offense, but again, he could be overpaid for an RB3,” Lazar continued.
“If those two price themselves out of the running back depth roles, the Pats could take a flier on veterans like Austin Ekeler, who might have one more season in the tank, or special-teams ace Jerome Ford, who was a kick returner in Cleveland,” Lazar concluded.
At the very least, it’s a good year for the Patriots to find a free agent back for depth, as the draft isn’t as deep this season.