The Facts: The free-agent signings of running backs Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead have sparked thoughts by some on how it might affect Lewis' standing with the Patriots. Albeit not in full pads, Lewis' quickness and explosiveness still stood out on the practice field Thursday, as I only saw Gillislee among the running backs hit the line of scrimmage with close to the same noticeable burst.

Diehards Line: So wrote ESPN.com's Mike Reiss, who went on to advise readers it had him thinking that Lewis' skill set still has value to the club and he could fall into a Danny Amendola-type classification as a player who is carefully managed. Gone are the days when he plays 73 snaps (Sept. 20, 2015 at Buffalo), but as a kickoff returner and reserve running back playing 15-20 snaps per game in hopes of preserving his health, Reiss still sees a spot for him on the club.