Shane Vereen

There have been rumors popping up ever since BenJarvus Green-Ellis signed with the Bengals that the Patriots are a potential landing spot for such veteran running backs as Matt Forte and Cedric Benson.

But with two second-round picks already on the roster in Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen does it make sense for the Pats to bring someone else in?

There’s some risk relying on Ridley and Vereen to make a jump, even with Danny Woodhead still in the mix, but if you’ve spent two second round picks on them you need to give them the ball to see what they can do.

Ridley showed a lot of flashes until coming down with severe fumblitis at the most important time of year and that put him on the bench. Vereen flashed in the Chiefs game, but otherwise battled injuries for most of the season which essentially made 2011 a red shirt year for him. Still, Vereen was the higher pick than Ridley and that has to say something about his potential.

But more confusing than relying on two second year backs is linking Forte and Benson to the Pats. Take this nugget from Rotoworld about Forte:

Forte has done his best to make the organization look bad in repeated ESPN appearances, complaining about his contract status. He was particularly displeased with the Bears’ signing of Michael Bush, even though shared rushing attempts could actually work to prolong Forte’s career.

In what universe does this sound like the kind of guy the Patriots would want to bring into their locker room? Not to mention the kind of money they’d have to give him. Doesn’t make much sense to me.

Benson turned things around after multiple off-field incidents early in his career. Still, is he really going to be worth the money and snaps you’d have to give him, which would come at the expense of two young backs who could both potentially be better than him?

Perhaps the easiest answer is to bring back Kevin Faulk for one more year. He’ll be a full two years removed from his ACL injury, and while he might not have the same explosion he once did, he will undoubtedly be a reliable leader and mentor for Vereen and Ridley. There should also be some options at running back in the draft for the Pats to protect themselves should Ridley or Vereen turn out to be a bust.

I’m all for turning over the running back position and giving Vereen and Ridley a full chance to show what they can do. Sometimes you have to go with a youth movement. There will be growing pains, but in the long term you could be setting the stage for two dynamic players that could be the kind of threats out of the backfield that the Pats have not had before.

Veteran runningbacks are expensive and already have a fair share of wear and tear, making them a financial risk the Patriots don’t truly need to make.