I think that “lead back” is somewhat just semantics. At the end of the season Ridley and Blount had almost equal amounts of carries. What this year proved is that you need a diverse and deep backfield in today’s NFL. Injuries and inconsistent play are just too big a part of the position.
Everyone gets concerned with who’s out there first and who the “starter” is, but it’s not that cut and dry. Few would argue that Blount isn’t running the best of the backs right now, but that doesn’t mean if Ridley starts having success they won’t keep feeding him.
I expect Blount to be out there first, but expect to see Ridley get in there on the third possession or so and then we’ll see how the game unfolds. If the Pats get in a hole we might see only Shane Vereen.
Either way, the Pats have options and all three backs have come through and sparked the team at various times despite who is on the field for the first possession.
As for the interior offensive line that figures to be one of the most interesting storylines of the offseason. Wendell is a free agent, Connolly is in the final year of his deal and due to make a whopping $4 million.
My early guess is that they re-sign Wendell to a team-friendly deal and plan on bringing in competition. As for Connolly, I think they try to cut-and-re-sign him at a more manageable number. Maybe even plan to move him back to center where he played in 2011, or the interior swing position.
I think they could definitely use some young interior talent to at least compete. I’ll be closely researching the draft at those spots.
Both have upside, especially in the run game, but have we seen both of their ceilings? It’s possible.