Backfield in Motion

The Patriots must be leading the NFL in transactions with all the roster maneuvering they're doing. It's happening so fast that I couldn't talk about the return of Navy alum RB Kyle Eckel. He was re-signed to the active roster on Monday.

Eckel's return isn't sentimental. For the early part of the week, running backs Laurence Maroney and LaMont Jordan didn't practice.

Maroney hurt his shoulder against the New York Jets in the second quarter. In relief of Maroney, Jordan stepped in and ran for 62 yards on just eleven carries. I guess that's over-using a back-up because now Jordan has a sore foot.

Cheap shot aside (I'm just kidding about Jordan), New England's depth at running back is down a little. While Laurence returned to practice, he only has a 50-50 chance of playing. Jordan's chances are slimmer, as he didn't practice Friday and is listed as doubtful.

This is a tough position for the Pats to be in as the offense is led by Matt Cassel, who is starting just his second pro game. This isn't meant as an insult to RB Sammy Morris, but the diverse running styles is part of the reason why the ground game is off to a good start. Morris pounds away, Maroney slashes, and Jordan is somewhere in between. If one or more cogs is out of the machine, that might mean Cassel has to produce more offense. That's not the position the coaching staff wants to put him in.

We already know Morris can carry the load. He did it last year against Cincinnati and Cleveland in consecutive weeks. Sammy gashed the Bengals for 117 yards, then he pounded his way for 102 yards against the Browns (In reality, Morris didn't start the Cincy game, but led in the team in carries).

Slammin' Sammy should approach this game against Miami as if he is the starter. If Maroney can play, then it's a bonus. If Laurence can't go, then we can depend on RB Kevin Faulk to generate yards on the ground or as a receiver out of the backfield.

Hopefully playing against his former team will get Morris geeked and he puts on a display that makes the Dolphins wish he was still on their team. No matter what happens, Morris knows he has help, even if it comes from Eckel.