“I just had to let them know the first day back, I missed them all — even Bill.”
Brandon Bolden isn’t one of the popular names among New England Patriots players.
But, he has been one of the more consistent and integral pieces during the second half of the Patriots’ dynasty. The 31-year-old running back spent seven of his eight seasons with the team and mostly made his impact as a special teamer — while still totaling 1,568 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns.
Bolden was one of the eight players to opt out last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and he’s happy to back on the field with his teammates now. While speaking with reporters after Monday’s training camp, Bolden touched on a few topics.
“I opted out for health reasons but had a great time with my kids, was a dad for a year so that was different,” Bolden said, transcribed by Masslive.com. “But it’s great to be back out here with the guys. I just had to let them know the first day back, I missed them all — even Bill. Yeah, me and him had a little heart-to-heart when I got back.
“It’s been great. It’s been fun getting back into the swing of things, just break a sweat and chasing other grown men instead of kids all day.”
Bolden elaborated on his relationship with Belichick.
“I did. I did,” Bolden said. “Me and him stayed in contact. We texted every now and then, but just being around the guys in the locker room and stuff like that. You miss stuff like that when you are away.
“Me and Coach talked pretty much since the time I told him I was making the decision to opt out. Me and him stayed in contact with each other. He knew how I felt about the situation. He knew how I felt about coming back. He told me how he felt about.”
He even dove into his Sunday mornings away from the game, explaining how he had an extra set of eyes from a different perspective.
“It sucks. It was bad,” he said. “I tried to keep my same schedule because I know if it’s a 1 o’clock game I know I have to be up at 8 o’clock. So I’m up at 8 fixing breakfast. And it was like, ‘Hey, sit down and shut up, we’re watching the game.’ So me and the kids had a great time. It was still fun.
“I was able to watch the game. I was into it. I knew what was going on. I could hear the calls on TV and I was able to text the guys like, ‘Hey, this is what this sounds like.’ So it was like an extra set of eyes. But we don’t get to talk about it until after the game. So, stuff like that, I was still able to be part of the team just not with the team.”
Bolden joins a crowded backfield that includes Sony Michel, Damien Harris, James White, Rhamondre Stevenson and JJ Taylor.
Brandon Bolden changes his jersey number for a special reason.
New England Patriots running back Brandon Bolden spent all eight of his NFL seasons donning the No. 38 jersey number.
Bolden’s been an integral part of the Patriots as a special teamer and back for seven of those seasons and he’s on the latter part of his most recent two-year contract. The 31-year-old will be a lock for the 53-man roster, but this year he’ll be sporting a No. 25 jersey.
Bolden went to Instagram on Thursday and explained why he’s changing his number now.
“So yesterday I was ask ‘Why I changed my number,’ ” Bolden said. “Well long story short my Grandfather wore it for 11 years and I thought it would be best that he at least saw his oldest grandson play in the same number he played in, even though it’s the NFL now and not the AFL he remembers.”
It’s clear there was no bad blood when Tom Brady took his talents to Tampa Bay.
The 43-year-old gave everything he had to the New England Patriots and that resulted in nine Super Bowl appearances and six victories. He dedicated two decades of his life to the franchise, and he was ready to experience life outside of Gillette Stadium. Now, the Buccaneers quarterback is en route to his tenth Super Bowl appearance after defeating the Green Bay Packers 31-26 in the NFC Championship Game.
Following the astounding feat, Brady’s former Patriots teammates went to Twitter to congratulate him on the victory — making sure it was known he’s the greatest to ever do it.
Extremely happy for @TomBrady and @RobGronkowski ! You fellas played a hell of a game and now you’re headed to very familiar territory. Congratulations, you both deserve every bit of It. #win
Veteran running back Brandon Bolden is the first of that group to publicly announce his intention to return to the Patriots. Bolden’s spent eight seasons in the NFL and seven of those years were in New England. His value comes primarily from special teams but he contributes at running back when needed, with the occasional over-the-shoulder touchdown catch.
He opted-out because of concerns with COVID-19, but the vaccine is out and the 2021 season will hopefully be much more organized. Bolden announced his intent to return on Twitter.
The other opt-outs include Dont’a Hightower, Patrick Chung, Marcus Cannon, Marqise Lee, Danny Vitale and Najee Toran. Hightower and Cannon will be the most important players to return and the 32-year-old Chung will be a game-changer if he doesn’t retire.
New England has a lot of uncertainty ahead, but here’s one positive the team can look forward to.
The 2019 season wasn’t what anyone surrounding the New England Patriots organization hoped for. They struggled to find their identity and keep up with the elite teams across the league.
No group was criticized more than the running backs. With an injury-riddled offensive line, and without a true fullback, the backs weren’t a strength for the Patriots’ offense.
Now, with an experienced fullback and a healthy unit in front, New England’s stable of running backs hope to produce big. And, with the talent and different skillsets they have on the roster, this positional group could be one of the most complete and deepest in the Patriots’ locker room.
Sony Michel
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As the workhorse back, Michel received the brunt of the criticism last season. He finished the year averaging just 3.7 yards per carry and failed to reach 1,000 yards again. Another surgery this offseason means the Georgia product will be battling more to return to the field.
Michel has a bit to work on, including his pass-catching, red-zone running and his ability to make defenders miss. However, with a healthy offensive line, his effectiveness should shoot back up. If he plays to his strengths and stays healthy, Michel could see his first 1,000-yard season in the NFL.
James White
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Like Michel, White had some critiques tossed his way in 2019, but most of them were unwarranted. By the end of his season, he recorded 72 receptions for 645 yards and five touchdowns through the air, and 67 rushes for 263 yards and one touchdown on the ground. This was the second-most productive season of his career.
Entering the final year of his contract, White will be looking to put up big numbers to cash in next offseason. The arrival of Cam Newton could mean big things for White, as Newton heavily relied on his pass-catching back in Carolina. Fans should expect White to continue his successful career as the best pass-catching back the Patriots have had in the Bill Belichick era.
Rex Burkhead
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As the third back on the depth chart, Burkhead doesn’t get a ton of action, but he’s been effective when he’s on the field. The former Nebraska back rushed for 302 yards and three touchdowns last year and added 27 receptions for 279 yards in the receiving game. While those numbers won’t blow anyone away, Burkhead seemed to get the job done when Michel couldn’t.
At points in this offseason, it felt like Burkhead’s eventual release was a forgone conclusion as a cap casualty. However, the 30-year-old agreed to a reduced salary, creating just under $1 million in cap space. With some uncertainty in the offense, New England will need as many weapons as they can find, so Burkhead may be sticking around for another season.
Damien Harris
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Despite being a third-round pick in last year’s draft, Harris didn’t see the field much at all. The Alabama product was given four carries in his five offensive snaps in 2019. By the end of the season, fans were calling for Harris to be given more reps, as Michel just wasn’t getting it done.
This season probably won’t see Harris getting 100 carries unless Michel and Burkhead go down with injuries, but there should be an increase in opportunities. The biggest problem for Harris is how deep the position is for New England right now. With multiple backs in the final year of their contract, the Patriots may be keeping and coaching Harris for the 2021 season.
Brandon Bolden
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Eight years into Bolden’s career, the Ole Miss product has yet to get real opportunities as a running back. Most of his duties are spent on special teams, playing on 71 percent of the special teams snaps. On offense, however, he hasn’t reached 10 percent since 2015.
Despite the lack of carries and targets, Bolden still provides depth in New England. He’s proven that he’s capable of filling in if a lead back goes down (4.5 yards per carry in his career) and has shown how dangerous he can be on a wheel route. If Bolden makes the team again this year, he will bring those things as well as his consistency on special teams.
J.J. Taylor
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Taylor went undrafted in this year’s draft before being scooped up by New England afterward. The 5-foot-6 back played four seasons at Arizona, totaling 3,263 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground and 62 receptions for 487 yards and two touchdowns in the passing game.
It would be extremely tough for Taylor to make the 53-man roster come the regular season. However, it isn’t impossible. If there are a couple injuries, he may be able to sneak his way on. New England can also keep a running back around on the practice squad and get Taylor some coaching while the depth chart is full.
Danny Vitale
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The Patriots signed Vitale this offseason to help replace James Develin who retired after missing the majority of last season with a neck injury. The fullback has spent his four years in the NFL split between Cleveland and Green Bay, primarily as a blocker.
Vitale’s spot is far from guaranteed, as his signing bonus was only $100,000. However, he’s the fullback with the most experience on the roster and could ease that transition for the post-Develin Patriots. If the running game is to return to its glory in New England, Vitale will need to step up.
Jakob Johnson
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Johnson was signed by the Patriots last offseason through the International Player Pathway. New England had the option to register his as their IPP player which would’ve allowed him to stay on the practice squad and not count against the 10-man limit, but he couldn’t be activated during the season. Instead, the Patriots signed him to the practice squad as a regular member.
When Develin went down, Johnson was activated from the practice squad and played in four games before going down with an injury of his own. Johnson seems to be a bit more of an H-back, tight end/fullback combo, compared to Vitale. He’s very strong and seems to have the determination to be in the NFL. If he continues to work, Johnson may very well find a way to stick around in New England.
The New England Patriots may have one of the deepest running back rooms in the NFL entering the 2020 season.
Workhorse back Sony Michel will likely get the majority of the carries after a dip in production last season. James White and Rex Burkhead provide pass-catching ability out of the backfield. Sophomore back Damien Harris is a virtual unknown after receiving only four carries in his rookie season as a third-round pick.
As far as veterans, Brandon Bolden seems to be at the bottom of the depth chart, but that doesn’t mean he’s lacking in talent. In a pinch, Bolden has filled in and performed like a lead back when necessary. Mainly, he’s spent his eight years in the NFL (seven with New England and one with Miami) working on special teams.
“I was talking to Rex about this the other day — jelly beans,” Bolden said. “You just reach in the pack, you don’t know what you’re going to pull out or what you’re going to get. You might have an exploding pack one day. You just never know. I’m actually the oldest one. It’s kind of weird for me. I’ve never been the oldest guy, for this long, in the room. It’s refreshing. They keep me young as well. They keep me on my toes. I’m excited. I can’t wait to see how this season goes.”
This season, more than any time in the Bill Belichick era, the Patriots running backs will receive a lot of attention. With either Jarrett Stidham or Brian Hoyer expected to fill the G.O.A.T.-sized hole left by Tom Brady, a successful running game will be imperative to the success and growth of the 2020 iteration of the New England Patriots.
