This New England Patriots running back has been labeled a rather surprising trade candidate this NFL offseason.
The New England Patriots need upgrades all over the roster this offseason, and while their primary areas of need are at wide receiver and along the offensive line, they also have some other positions they could stand to improve.
One of them is running back, as the tandem of Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson was pretty disappointing this past season.
Actually, Gibson was solid in his secondary role, but Stevenson struggled, rushing for 801 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 3.9 yards per carry. He also fumbled seven times.
The Patriots signed Stevenson to a three-year extension last offseason, so you wouldn’t think he would be going anywhere, but Michael DeVito of Musket Fire has named the halfback one of the team’s trade candidates entering the offseason.
“Rhamondre Stevenson is a good back and a prime trade candidate, as is safety Kyle Dugger,” DeVito wrote. “Trading those two for an edge or a left tackle is the type of business that Mike Vrabel and his personnel team should explore.”
New England is probably going to have a tough time squeezing any value out of Stevenson in a trade. He is now under contract through 2028 after the new deal, and while he carries a cap hit of just $5.3 million next season, it increases each year through the end of his contract.
The Pats may be able to get a Day 3 draft pick in exchange for the 26-year-old, but it seems hard to imagine any team trading a viable edge rusher or left tackle for a running back who has labored each of the last two seasons.
There was a time where Stevenson appeared to be an ascending player. He racked up 1,040 yards and five scores while logging five yards per attempt in 2022. Since then, however, the University of Oklahoma product has seen a sharp decline.
