All eyes are on Mac Jones in the aftermath of the Patriots releasing Cam Newton on Tuesday, signaling that the Alabama rookie is set to be New England's starting quarterback to begin the 2021 season. Of course, that's a seismic shift for Bill Belichick's team heading into the new year and worthy of the gallons of attention that will inevitably be dumped on it between now and Week 1. That said, there's another former member of the Crimson Tide who will now be even more in the limelight with Newton gone: Damien Harris. Last season, Harris led the team in rushing yards and was already pegged for a breakout campaign in 2021 prior to this news. Now, that hype is about to go nuclear.
Newton was tied with Harris -- who was limited to just 10 games in 2020 -- for the team lead in carries with 137. With Newton along with Sony Michel (traded to Rams) and Rex Burkhead (signed with Texans) gone, there are 283 carries from last season that will now need to be redistributed. With Jones being more of a pure pocket passer, it's unlikely there will be many designed runs for him, truly leaving those touches to those in the backfield.
Yes, rookie Rhamondre Stevenson and second-year back J.J. Taylor will see a solid piece of that pie as they continue to develop within the Patriots rushing attack, but Harris will in all likelihood be the main beneficiary of those touches that are now up for grabs.
Specifically, Harris should see an opportunity to reach the end zone more than the two scores he totaled in 2020. Of Newton's 137 carries last year, 73 of them came inside the red zone and 31 of those carries were inside the 10-yard line. He accounted for 75% of New England's carries inside the 5-yard line in 2020, which was the third-highest in the league (h/t PFF).
Again, Jones is not the type of quarterback who's going to simply slide into Newton's role. Those opportunities will now be given to the backs starting with Harris, giving him double-digit touchdown potential (Newton had 12 rushing scores in 2020).
Naturally, the Patriots passing attack will be featured a bit more in 2021 under Jones than it was with Newton last season, so those rushing opportunities won't be an exact transfer from year to year. That said, Josh McDaniels and the rest of the Patriots offensive coaching staff will likely lean on the run early in the season as the young quarterback continues to get his feet wet in the league, setting up a pivotal period for Harris and company out of the gate.
With any player looking to make a name for himself in the NFL, getting an opportunity is half the battle. For Harris, the door has now swung wide open for him to make a name for himself and potentially put together one of the better statistical seasons in the NFL in 2021 now that Newton has exited stage left.
What does Cam Newton's release and Mac Jones' promotion mean for the rest of the Patriots' players? Download the CBS Sports app to find out! Plus, get insight from our resident Patriots insider, Tyler Sullivan. If you already have the CBS Sports app, make sure to pick the Patriots as your favorite team for up-to-the-minute news.
