The New England Patriots have their No. 1 running back in Rhamondre Stevenson but need more than him to have a successful rushing attack. That is where ex-Patriots coach Ivan Fears sees Ty Montgomery fitting into coordinator Bill O'Brien's offense this coming season.
As part of an appearance on the "6 Rings and Football Things" podcast, Fears spoke about the Patriots' running back room going forward, where he mentioned his thoughts on the veteran Montgomery.
“I think he has a great chance to be the third-down back and take some of the load off Rhamondre [Stevenson], so [Rhamondre] can be fresh when we really need him on first and second down carrying the ball as the featured guy," Fears said. "We need some help for Rhamondre, and I think Ty is looking really good right now. He’s healthy.”
Montgomery, 30, signed with the Patriots an offseason ago after a two-year stint with the New Orleans Saints, yet injuries would hamper his first season in Foxboro. Montgomery suffered an ankle injury in the Patriots' final preseason game before he'd later hurt his shoulder, which ended his season just three games in.
The vision of being that third-down back who could feature as a pass-catcher was the idea the Patriots tried to implement last season under then-play-caller Matt Patricia. Montgomery's role would've been very similar to that of James White, yet injuries prevented that from ever developing further.
Now with the veteran do-it-all back healthy as the Patriots will begin OTAs, he will have his chance to earn a spot in the offense behind Stevenson. But it won't just be Montgomery vying for that role on third down as the Patriots signed James Robinson in free agency.
Despite being viewed as a typical "powerback," Robinson possesses an underrated ability as a pass-catcher. Robinson amassed 334 yards and three touchdowns on 49 receptions in his rookie season for the Jaguars, which also saw him rush for over 1,000 yards.
Follow Harrison Reno on Twitter
More Patriots coverage from Sports Illustrated here.
More must-reads: