Patriots' rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson gets bad depth chart news for Week 1

Billy Heyen

Patriots' rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson gets bad depth chart news for Week 1 image

It's the time of year when NFL teams put out Week 1 depth charts and everyone acts a little confused together.

That's what happened when the New England Patriots put out their first depth chart of the season and everyone saw where TreVeyon Henderson was.

Let's just say it wasn't where people saw the Ohio State RB ranking after his second-round selection and solid preseason.

The Patriots listed Henderson as their RB3, behind not just Rhamondre Stevenson but also Antonio Gibson.

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The reality? It probably doesn't matter that much. Teams defer to veterans all the time on these unofficial depth charts. It's not like they actually have to follow them in games.

Henderson has too much talent and has had too good a summer to not get ample action right out of the gates.

His first preseason touch came on a kick return, and he took it back 100 yards for a touchdown.

Henderson was a special player for the Buckeyes, and he's set to be a special player for the Pats.

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It's safe to expect Stevenson to get plenty of work in the early going, too. He's an established, powerful RB on a sturdy contract. There's no reason to push Henderson beyond his limits right off the bat, either.

But Henderson should still get action, especially in the passing game but also as a rusher. 

There's no way to keep a talent like that off the field for long. Gibson certainly won't be the reason Henderson ever finds himself on the sideline. It's just an unofficial depth chart, nothing more.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle