The Patriots are building their running back room from scratch, and bringing in Myles Montgomery as an undrafted free agent makes genuine sense. After loading up on rookie talent last offseason, Eliot Wolf doubled down this year by adding Montgomery to a backfield that now includes Deneric Prince, Elijah Mitchell, TreVeyon Henderson, and Rhamondre Stevenson. This isn't chaos—it's intentional depth construction.
Here's what matters: Montgomery joined the club immediately after the draft, which means the Patriots saw something worth developing. In today's NFL, undrafted backs don't get invited to OTAs unless coaches believe there's a functional skill set to build on. The fact that we're already evaluating him seriously in May suggests Mike Vrabel's staff is taking this guy seriously. That's the vote of confidence that matters more than any pre-draft grade.
The youth movement in the backfield makes strategic sense given the salary cap reality and the offensive line situation. With offensive line anchors like Yasir Durant, Vederian Lowe, and James Hudson III in place, the Patriots can afford to be patient developing a young back. Montgomery has time to learn the system, get comfortable in pass protection, and find his role without the pressure of being a Day 1 contributor. That's luxury, frankly.
The real question isn't whether Montgomery *can* help—it's where he fits in a room that's getting crowded. Henderson and Mitchell project as veterans who'll eat carries early. Stevenson is still in the mix. But a quality undrafted free agent who's been invited to practice? He's got a legitimate shot to carve out special teams value at minimum, and if he flashes anything in the run game, he could push for snaps by fall.
This feels like smart, low-risk roster construction from Wolf and the staff. You add depth, you add competition, and you do it without tying cap dollars to question marks. Montgomery gets a platform. The Patriots get another evaluation. Win-win.
Based on reporting from Pats Pulpit.