Damien Harris transition from college football to the NFL was an adjustment, to say the least.
The talented running back was a focal point in the University of Alabama offense, where he posted three consecutive seasons of 1,000-plus yards from scrimmage with 24 total touchdowns over that span. His role as a rookie with the New England Patriots was far different. Harris played in just two games and carried the ball four times for 12 yards. The Patriots offense was hit hard by injuries at several positions in 2019, but running back was not among them.
The best thing rookies can do when they don't receive many snaps is just soak up as much information as possible from teammates and the coaching staff. Harris was committed to this aspect of the game.
"The biggest thing for me last year was learning as much as I could," Harris told Patriots.com writer Paul Perillo. "Everybody's path is different. I focused on learning as much as I could and learning from the older guys in the room. There's a lot of experience in that room. Any opportunity to improve physically or mentally that was my mindset all year."
What message have Harris' teammates given him?
"They all played their part in helping me learn and develop," Harris said, per Perillo. "The message from all of them is the same: Be ready because you never know when your time will come and you don't want to miss it. Stay the course, keep learning and be available."
It's unknown what the Patriots offense will look like in the 2020 season.
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Tom Brady left in free agency, leaving the Patriots with a competition at quarterback for the first time in nearly 20 years. We could see the Patriots lean more on their run game next season regardless of who starts at quarterback. A dependable run game would be a huge benefit to a young quarterback such as Jarrett Stidham, who's the likely starter entering training camp. Aiding the Patriots run game is the improved health of the offensive line, which has been bolstered by center David Andrews being cleared to return. He missed all of the 2019 season due to blood clots. The team also drafted two good blocking tight ends in Dalton Keene and Devin Asiasi.
A bigger focus on running the football should create more opportunities for Harris, who plays with the type of punishing style that makes him difficult to tackle.