The New England Patriots may have put a majority of their early NFL free agency focus on retaining a couple of key members of their defensive secondary, but that hasn't stopped them from perusing the market for pieces they'd like to add from other NFL destinations.
According to a report from Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal, the Patriots are keeping a particularly watchful eye on running back Roy Helu.
"On Monday, the Providence Journal learned that the Patriots have shown interest in the Washington Redskins running back, who just finished up his fourth season in the NFL," writes Daniels. "The 26-year-old is a logical replacement for Shane Vereen, who is also a free agent."
With Vereen and Stevan Ridley both expected to become former Patriots, the addition of a player like Helu would seem not just a likely but a near necessity.
Vereen, a strong pass-catching back and versatile second element in the backfield along with LeGarrette Blount, finished last season with 52 receptions for 447 yards and three touchdowns.
Helu, a similar, but stouter back, finished with 42 receptions for 477 yards and two touchdowns in two less games.
Helu had a fantastic start to his NFL career, logging 640 yards rushing on 151 carries and adding 49 receptions for 379 yards his rookie season. He missed the majority of the next year, managing to appear in only three games and tallying just two carries.
Helu doesn't have a Super Bowl pedigree like Vereen, so his price tag is expected to be much lower than the soon-to-be-former Pat.
That doesn't mean he'll come cheap, though. Other teams are reportedly already vying for the ascending runners services.
"Helu might cost the Patriots less, but they're not the one team bidding for the running back's services. The Boston Herald reports there are two other teams in the running and according to NJ.com, the New York Giants are one."