Best of the AFC East: Close race for top RB group

2020 Best of the AFC East: tight competition ahead for top RBs in division

The AFC East is home to some impressive running backs. The NFL has trended toward running back duos over the bell-cow backs in recent years, so really your No. 2 running back is more of a No. 1B at times.

Ranking the backfields of AFC East teams is quite a challenge. There’s no overall studs like Saquon Barkley or Ezekiel Elliott. But these guys ca play.

Le’Veon Bell, who signed a massive four-year deal with the Jets, is arguably the most talented back. The Patriots have a good complementary system. The Bills have an explosive young, talent in the backfield. The Dolphins, for their part, have used free agency to rebuild their running back corps this offseason.

For the backfield strength of each team, though, a question lingers in each.

On any given day, one of these units can take the top spot. But as of now, how do we see it heading into 2020 season?

Here’s our the ranking of the AFC East’s backfields:

Patriots running back Sony Michel. Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

1. New England Patriots

The Patriots strike an ideal balance with their backfield. Sony Michel is the primary runner, while James White is a matchup nightmare in the receiving game. Michel led the AFC East with 912 rushing yards, while White led all running backs in the division with 72 receptions. Rex Burkhead restructured his contract this offseason to also return in 2020 to help the Pats feature a trio-attack of experience.

Michel averaged 3.8 yards per carry last year, which was not stellar. However, he did carry the load during times when Tom Brady was showing his age. White, while not putting up the catch totals of his breakout 2018 season (87 receptions), is still a prominent part of the team’s short and intermediate passing attack. Michel had foot surgery in May and is currently on the PUP list. However, he should be back to form for the season.

The duo may benefit (gasp!) from having Cam Newton as the quarterback. Newton, while banged up at times over the past few seasons, will still work to run the ball. This option will force defenses to consider a more agile quarterback. Center David Andrews also returns from injury, but right tackle Marcus Cannon did opt out. Still it’s an overall strong O-line and even though the Patriots running backs aren’t high on your fantasy football charts, as an overall, experiences group, it’s a talented one.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4