What signing RB Antonio Gibson in free agency means for the Patriots

The Patriots have made their first move of free agency week.

The New England Patriots want to improve their offense this offseason, and their first step in that direction is bolstering the running back group. The team will reportedly sign former Washington Commanders RB Antonio Gibson to a three-year deal in free agency.

What does adding the 25-year-old mean for the Patriots from a big-picture perspective, though? Let’s find out.

New England adds a serious receiving back to the mix

Whether it was Kevin Faulk, Shane Vereen or James White, the Patriots have traditionally kept a receiving back on their roster and gotten solid production out of them. Since White suffered a serious hip injury in October 2021 that eventually led to his retirement, however, the team has been lacking in that department.

Neither Ty Montgomery nor Pierre Strong Jr. ever developed into dependable players at that position, leaving the receiving duties to the bigger backs. Case in point: Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott led New England in receptions the last two years.

With Gibson now in the mix, the Patriots have a player who is more suited to fill that role. A former college wide receiver who was regularly split out during his time in Washington, he caught a combined 174 passes for 1,287 yards and seven touchdowns in his 62 total regular season and playoff games so far.

Numbers only tell half of the story, though. Gibson, who ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine in 2020, is a dynamic player who is capable of attacking downfield to a level that neither Stevenson nor Elliott proved themselves capable of.

In addition, he has been an able pass protector. Pro Football Focus has Gibson with surrendering 16 quarterback pressures on 176 career pass blocking reps. He may not be the sturdiest back at 220 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame, but he has shown a willingness to get his hands dirty.

The running back depth chart now stands at five deep

With Gibson now aboard, the Patriots have five running backs signed for the 2024 season. Rhamondre Stevenson will continue to be the No. 1 option on early downs, and likely lead the group in touches yet again; like the newest addition, he seems to be a lock to be on New England’s 53-man roster this fall.

The same cannot be said for the other three backs under contract. Kevin Harris, who was promoted from the practice squad late in the year, has had his moments but also failed to make too big an impact in back-to-back seasons now. JaMycal Hasty and Ke’Shawn Vaughn, meanwhile, have played a combined 10 snaps since arriving in New England — all of them by Hasty, exclusively on special teams

Gibson could be a factor in the return game

With Marcus Jones set to return from a season-ending shoulder injury, the Patriots will have one of the most dynamic punt returners in football back in 2024. Their kickoff return job, meanwhile, remains up for grabs. Jones could handle it, too, but Gibson also might factor into the mix in that regard.

The newest Patriot has run back 35 kicks for 826 yards and an average of 23.6 yards per return in his career. Those numbers do not necessarily jump off the page, but Gibson at the least offers experience and might compete for the top job when all is said and done.

New England is not worried about his injury history

Gibson has missed six games over the course of his career due to injury, not yet playing a full season since arriving in the NFL.

The number of contests he has been unable to attend is relatively small for a player at a physically punishing position. Gibson still has had to deal with his fair share of issues, particularly in regards to his toes: he suffered toe injuries in three of his four seasons in the league, resulting in three missed games.

The Patriots signing him to a three-year deal, however, indicates that they are not worried about any long-term effects of those injuries.

All eyes are on Ezekiel Elliott

The Patriots entered the week with one member of their running back group headed for the open market, the aforementioned Ezekiel Elliott. The team’s leader touches and scrimmage yards a year ago remains unaccounted for at the moment.

New England bringing him back still seems to be in play, but his role would look different if he is re-signed. As opposed to 2023, when the club had to rely on him to be more active as a receiver out of the backfield, he would project as a more traditional RB2 behind Rhamondre Stevenson again.