Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen rush to fill void – BostonHerald.com

Two questions surround Ridley and Vereen. First, can Ridley make more of an impact in the passing game? Second, is Vereen better between the tackles than anyone realizes? If the answer is “yes” to either question, one of the young backs would have a chance to monopolize the in-game reps. Otherwise, it could turn into something of a split, with Danny Woodhead and Joseph Addai getting their reps, too. And if Ridley and Vereen see a similar amount of reps, the Patriots could have two backs with at least 100 carries in the same season for the first time since 2006. But if Ridley takes the lead role on the ground and Vereen garners the reps in passing situations, each player will have plenty of opportunities to leave his mark on the offense. It also will fall in line with the Patriots’ multi-back philosophy, and the pair has complementary skills to make that an effective strategy.