The Joey Iosefa-Brandon Bolden-James White combination seemed to work fairly well for the New England Patriots during their 33-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, but Pats head coach and personnel czar Bill Belichick apparently wasn't pleased with the overall result and felt it necessary to add to the position. According to a Monday report from ESPN's Josina Anderson, the Patriots will be signing veteran running back Steven Jackson to a one-year deal.
Jackson, a former first-round pick of the St. Louis Rams, last appeared in a game for the Atlanta Falcons in 2014. During 15 games that season, he collected 707 yards and six touchdowns rushing on 190 carries. He also added 20 receptions for 148 yards. Jackson met with and worked out for the Pats last week and there was talk that he could sign, but nothing ultimately came of it.
With LeGarrette Blount done for the season, the Pats desperately needed to find a big back who could take over the lead role in the backfield. Iosefa seemed to play well against the Titans after getting the call-up from the practice squad earlier in the week - 14 carries for 51 yards - but he wasn't able to stake a claim to the Pats starting gig. While Jackson isn't close to the game-breaking player he once was for the Rams and wasn't picked up by a team this season, he has a proven track record of success in the NFL.
And considering the way in which Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady have been able to take cast offs and spare parts from other teams and turn them into contributing members of the Patriots machine, it really wouldn't be all that surprising to see Jackson manage something of a career resurgence down the stretch and into the playoffs for New England.
But with Brady performing at an MVP level and players like James White providing an important added element to the offense, Jackson may not be relied on to do much other than keep defenses honest and close out games when the Pats already have the lead.
And while there hasn't been any confirmation from the team yet, Jackson tweeted this early Monday...