Antonio Gibson hints reason for choosing Patriots, says he isn’t here to just be a third-down back

18/03/2024 Raymond AMERICAN FOOTBALL, New England Patriots 0

Antonio Gibson, an experienced running back, was the Patriots’ first external signing of the free agency period. Gibson was brought in to increase the depth of the team’s offensive backfield.

Gibson, a versatile back who was selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, made an impact with the Commanders during the previous season. Gibson’s explosiveness makes him a suitable fit in the outer zone design of new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, in addition to his pass-catching abilities. For these reasons, Gibson was reportedly signed to a three-year contract by the Pats after they actively chased him in free agency.

For the first time since joining the Patriots, Gibson spoke with the media about his role in the offense and his initial thoughts on head coach  Jerod Mayo, and teaming up with Rhamondre Stevenson in New England’s offensive backfield this season.

This season, Rhamondre Stevenson and Jerod Mayo will form New England’s offensive backfield.

Patriots open free agency by adding Brissett, Gibson, bringing back Bourne, AP sources say | Sports | tribdem.com

Mayo’s vibe is the key reason

Gibson provided an overview of the culture that Mayo is attempting to create in his first season as head coach, beginning with his reasons for joining the Patriots and his early exchanges with him.

“A bunch of young guys, a new coaching staff, I got a chance to talk to a lot of the coaches and I’m super excited for what they’ve got planned and how they plan on moving things forward,” Gibson said. “Definitely a different vibe from a head coach. It sounded like he was talking to one of the guys. That might be a positive thing in the locker room for him to be able to relate and communicate like that and kind of understand both sides of it.”

Here to compete

Regarding his position in the offense, a lot of people predict that Gibson will be a plus receiver out of the backfield who will be crucial to the passing game. Because of his experience as a receiver, the former collegiate wideout has also run flex routes outside and added branches to his route tree. The 25-year-old, nevertheless, wants to play a bigger part than just passing along knowledge.

“I’m not going to stick myself to just the third down back. I want to compete just the same as everybody else. I feel like that’s only going to make the running back room better,” Gibson explained. “A lot of guys can catch out of the backfield, but I can line up outside and run routes. That’s where the advantage [of playing wide receiver] comes in.”

“I’m just a guy that’s able to make plays. I can run the ball. I can catch the ball. You can line me up outside. I can block, too. Whatever you need, I can get it done,” Gibson continued.

Gibson’s 4.39 speed, which goes well with Stevenson’s powerful running style and fits well with Van Pelt’s playbook, is another reason the Patriots brass is drawn to him. AVP has experience working in outside zone offenses, where the blocking scheme extends defenses horizontally to create cutback lanes across the middle of the field. These offenses won’t be solely zone schemes, though. Gibson is a dynamic back with quickness while cutting upfield.

“I would say wide zone [is my favorite blocking scheme]. Wide zone just to be able to stretch the defense and it’s up to you and the O-Line to pick and choose. If they’re overflowing, you cut up. If not, you get to the edge,” Gibson said, confirming his fit in an outside zone-heavy scheme.

The newest member of the Patriots running back room has already communicated with their lead back, Gibson, who claims to have spoken with Stevenson about their shared journeys through junior colleges (JUCOs) to the NFL.