Who Should I Start? Trey Benson or TreVeyon Henderson

Monday, August 31, 10:44 AM

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) entered camp with a chance to push for more of the backfield. That never really happened. Henderson was explosive as a rookie, finishing with 911 rushing yards, 221 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns, but New England leaned heavily on Rhamondre Stevenson during the playoffs. That carried into August. Patriots.com called Stevenson the team's most consistent between-the-tackles runner, pass protector and route-runner and said he remains the lead back, while Henderson was described more as a change-of-pace option. Henderson also hurt his right ankle when he slipped during practice on Aug. 24. He avoided a serious injury and is expected to be ready for Week 1, so the ankle itself isn't the biggest concern. The bigger issue is that the expected Year 2 role growth never showed up. Henderson still has enough speed to create fantasy points on limited touches, but his path to taking over this backfield looks weaker than it did entering camp.