Committee likely to replace Shane Vereen, Travaris Cadet 'most intriguing' candidate

Shane Vereen caught 124 balls in 29 games over the past two years. His presence will undoubtedly be missed.

No single player on the Pats roster will fill his void. So here's what may happen: The Patriots have more talent at the No. 2 tight end spot than they did a year ago, so that position figures to command more targets while the running backs figure to command less.

The pass-catching role out of the backfield could be filled by a combination of Travaris Cadet, James White and Brandon Bolden.

Of that group, Cadet, a free agent signee from New Orleans, is the most intriguing. He has great receiving skills, as you'll see here, and seems comfortable splitting out wide and running routes, a rare trait for a running back.

If any single back wins the Patriots' pass-catching role outright, he'll suddenly be a factor in PPR formats. Vereen averaged 4.3 catches per game over the past two years (including the postseason). That projects to 68.8 receptions over a full 16-game season.