The New England Patriots have looked within to fill the backfield vacancy left by Stevan Ridley.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday the Patriotsplan to promote running back Jonas Gray from their practice squad ahead of Thursday night's matchup against the New York Jets.
Gray was active against the Jets on Thursday night. The running back finished the game with three carries for 12 yards.
Ridley was lost for the season after suffering a torn ACL and MCL during Sunday's win over the Buffalo Bills. Gray is a power back out of Notre Dame who had 37 carries for 142 yards during the preseason. The Pats waived Gray on Aug. 30, then added him to the practice squad the next day.
Shane Vereen and Brandon Bolden are expected to take on an expanded role with Ridley out for the year. Don't assume Gray will be buried on the depth chart, however. Bill Belichick can be unpredictable in how he deploys his backfield.
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