Boardregeln » Read more: How Damien Harris fits into the Patriots offense

"Entering the draft Youth Julian Edelman Jerseys , running back was one of the deepest positions on the New England Patriots’ roster and therefore not a need that necessarily had to be addressed. The team decided to invest in the position nevertheless: in round three, the Patriots selected Alabama running back Damien Harris to add even more depth to a group already consisting of Sony Michel, James White, Rex Burkhead and Brandon Bolden.Given his college role and skill set, Harris is expected to serve as the top rotational option behind Michel on early downs as well as in short-yardage and goal-line situations. But despite sharing plenty of attributes with the 2018 first-round selection, the newest Patriots back does not want himself to be compared to Michel as he pointed out during his introductory conference call on Saturday.“Everybody’s different. Everybody is good in their own ways,” Harris said shortly after hearing his name called as the 87th overall selection in the draft. “He’s a great running back. He was always great in college. He even had a great season last year. So, I just want to go in and be the best version of myself. I don’t like to compare myself to him, but just come in and work hard and add to the team and help the team become more successful.”How Harris can and will help the team remains to be seen, but the aforementioned role could be a part of it. Whatever it will be, though, the 22-year-old has trust in himself to be ready for it — in part because of the experience he collected at Alabama. “Some games we were gap schemes, sometimes we were zone schemes, and I think being able to do both of those well will help in the future Julian Edelman Jerseys Stitched ,” said Harris.“Not being a zone runner or a gap runner, being able to do both, I think that will help when it comes to the next level,” he continued. New England, for example, uses both man and zone blocking schemes similar to the Crimson Tide offense under former Patriots assistant coach Brian Daboll. The connections between the two organizations do not stop there, of course — a fact not lost on the Patriots’ third-round selection.“Obviously, Coach Saban and Coach Belichick are very similar, they know each other, they’re friends, so I think that on top of Coach Saban being the coach that he is, I think him having that relationship will also help me transition to the NFL and the Patriots and help me be successful,” said Harris when asked whether or not he felt that playing for Alabama head coach Nick Saban helped him prepare for what lies ahead in New England.More Damien Harris storiesMark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsPatriots draft RB Damien Harris with the 87th pick3 reasons why the Patriots drafted Damien HarrisHow Damien Harris fits into the Patriots offensePC’s Picks: My take on drafting Damien Harris in round threeHaving familiarity with the culture is good, but only one advantage a player has when coming to the Patriots. Another Youth Rob Gronkowski Jerseys , at least according to Harris himself, is his dependability as a runner. “I think I’m just a dependable player, somebody that whenever you ask me to do something, I’ll do it,” he said when answering a question about his own strengths. Dependability is obviously something the Patriots value — especially considering their current group of running backs.While Michel had a tremendous rookie campaign, he missed games due to two separate knee injuries during the 2018 season. As a result, New England had to rely on versatile wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson to serve as the lead back at one point. With Harris now in the fold, the Patriots have more depth at the position and a viable insurance option in case Michel either suffers another injury or needs a breather every now and then.Harris sounds confident in his abilities to fill this or any other role. “I think I just show a lot of great attributes on the field, things that help me be a great running back and they can help the team be successful. There’s a lot of things that I can do well, there’s a lot of things I can still improve on, so I’m just ready to come in and be my best me and get to work day one,” he continued when speaking about his strengths.The rookie’s work will also likely include the game’s third phase: special teams. While his experience as a returnman is limited — Harris ran back nine kickoffs for a 19.3-yard average during his 2015 freshman season and one punt for 19 yards in 2017 — he did see considerable playing time in the kicking game at Alabama. “I had snaps at almost all special teams [units],” said Harris when talking about his versatility to help the Patriots.“I played primarily on punt and punt return and always loved doing it. It was always fun for me and I just wanted to help make our special teams better — help change field position, be an attribute in the kicking game Rob Gronkowski Jerseys Stitched ,” he continued. And even though Harris’ usage has yet to be decided on, seeing him get a notable number of snaps on special teams in year one would not be a surprise.The rookie should therefore be able to help the Patriots in more than just one way. And while his pick seemed to be a luxury when it was made, the team will certainly find a way to harness Harris’ strengths on offense and in the kicking game — and thus turn him into a valuable piece of the 2019 puzzle. The most significant piece of information regarding Patriots quarterback Tom Brady‘s new contract was completely omitted from the flurry of reports that emerged regarding the deal on Sunday.Ian Rapoport of the NFL reports that the new Brady contract contains a clause that voids the agreement on the final day of the 2019 league year, and that prevents the Patriots from using the franchise tag or the transition tag on Brady in 2020. Thus, barring a new deal before the start of the 2020 league year in March, Brady will become a free agent.That said, the Patriots and Brady could still choose to work out a new contract before Brady hits free agency. A source with knowledge of the contract tells PFT that the deal falls beyond the category of contracts that cannot be renegotiated for at least one full calendar year. Thus, a new contract can be executed before the current one expires.Now that the truth has emerged, the for the contract is simple: Brady got an $8 million raise for 2019, the Patriots created $5.5 million in cap space for 2019, and Brady will escape potential application of the franchise tag or transition tag in 2020.Of course, there’s no guarantee that the Patriots would have applied the franchise tag or the transition tag to Brady. When receiver Randy Moss became a free agent in 2008, after perhaps the greatest single season for any receiver in league history, the Patriots didn’t apply either tag before eventually re-signing him to a three-year Color Rush Damien Harris Jersey , $27 million contract.Regardless, to the extent that Sunday’s incomplete (erroneous) reports created the impression that the Patriots have dibs on Brady for 2020 (if willing to pay him $30 million next year), the true and accurate state of affairs is that the clock now ticks toward Brady hitting free agency for the first time in his career. Which means that every owner without a clear franchise quarterback and with the urgency to generate offseason excitement — and revenue — should consider making it known, discreetly, than an obscene amount of money awaits the greatest quarterback in league history.Brady would sell tickets. Brady would sell luxury suites. Brady, who continues to move merchandise like no one else in the league, would sell tens of thousands of jerseys.Of course, Brady would first have to want to change teams. If he does, he has a clear path to a new address. To become a free agent in March, he needs to do nothing at all.