Sony Michel started camp on the PUP list in New England. He underwent a knee surgery in the offseason, described as a minor cleanup procedure. He's since been activated and is practicing with the team, so he's fine for now. But it's a situation that will need to be monitored, as should third-rounder Damien Harris.
Should Michel (who has a history of knee issues) miss any games, the former Alabama back would be the heavy favorite to pick up the inside running duties in the Patriots offense, including around the goal line. And it's an offense that's very friendly to running backs in terms of scoring.
Though Tom Brady gets the most ink, New England annually ranks among the league leaders in rushing touchdowns. Over the past five seasons, only two teams, the Saints and Bills, have more rushing scores than the Patriots.
| TEAM RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS, 2014-2018 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | '14 | '15 | '16 | '17 | '18 | Tot |
| New Orleans | 16 | 16 | 17 | 23 | 26 | 98 |
| Buffalo | 7 | 19 | 29 | 12 | 15 | 82 |
| New England | 13 | 14 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 80 |
| Kansas City | 18 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 80 |
| Dallas | 16 | 8 | 24 | 18 | 13 | 79 |
| Carolina | 10 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 77 |
| LA Rams | 11 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 23 | 76 |
| Cincinnati | 19 | 18 | 17 | 6 | 13 | 73 |
| Philadelphia | 16 | 15 | 16 | 9 | 12 | 68 |
| Baltimore | 16 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 19 | 67 |
| Atlanta | 11 | 13 | 20 | 12 | 11 | 67 |
| Pittsburgh | 10 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 67 |
| Tennessee | 6 | 10 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 65 |
| Denver | 15 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 18 | 65 |
| Washington | 15 | 9 | 17 | 10 | 12 | 63 |
| Minnesota | 12 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 63 |
| Seattle | 20 | 10 | 13 | 4 | 15 | 62 |
| Cleveland | 17 | 5 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 61 |
| Chicago | 8 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 60 |
| Green Bay | 14 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 60 |
| Arizona | 6 | 16 | 20 | 6 | 9 | 57 |
| NY Jets | 11 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 56 |
| San Francisco | 10 | 7 | 15 | 15 | 7 | 54 |
| Indianapolis | 9 | 6 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 52 |
| Oakland | 4 | 7 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 50 |
| Detroit | 11 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 48 |
| Miami | 12 | 11 | 14 | 4 | 7 | 48 |
| Jacksonville | 9 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 7 | 47 |
| Houston | 12 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 47 |
| LA Chargers | 6 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 46 |
| Tampa Bay | 7 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 46 |
| NY Giants | 13 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 43 |
For now, Harris is best viewed as a handcuff for those who draft Michel, but we'll see. Definitely should be one of the first No. 2 running backs selected. A lot of upside in the rookie should he find his way into the lineup.
--Andy Richardson