New England Patriots second-year running back Lan Larison is looking forward to two things this offseason: playing and competing. “That’s it.”
The 24-year-old returned to the field during OTAs and continues to practice with the team through mandatory minicamp after missing the entirety of his rookie season due to a broken foot he suffered during a preseason game.
“Yeah, there’s still a bit of an adjustment period, just coming back after missing so much time,” Larison said after Wednesday’s practice
on getting reacclimated. “But it’s been fun, man. It’s just been fun to be out there and compete.”
This offseason, Larison primarily focused on improving his strength and conditioning following his injury but added that he’s looked a little stronger and faster.
“He worked really hard to work through the injury and continue to get stronger and give himself another opportunity going into training camp,” head coach Mike Vrabel said of Larison on Tuesday. “Mentally, he’s not a rookie. I think just the experience probably may seem somewhat new to him again when we get to training camp.”
“Half the battle for the [running backs] is being able to identify where the pressure’s coming from, what the [offense’s] blitz pickup is … So, he’s done a good job with that.”
The physical tolls injuries take on players are typically evident, but the mental battle is another obstacle that can often be undermined. Larison mentioned that injuries happen, so for him, a lot of the recovery process is mental, and he had to find ways to stay busy.
After spending extended time on the sideline last season, landing on season-ending injured reserve, the UC Davis product had the opportunity to watch the other ball carriers on the team and learn from veteran Rhamondre Stevenson.
“You can learn a lot from watching [Stevenson] and [TreVeyon Henderson],” Larison said. “You just have to take what they do, and then apply it to your own game … The one thing I know about [Stevenson] is just the way he kind of carries himself and how calm he is. It doesn’t matter whatever the situation is. He’s always really calm on the surface, and I think that’s a huge asset to his game.”
During OTAs earlier in the spring, Larison repped as the top back behind Stevenson and Henderson, showing positive strides heading into his second year in the league and with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Larison adds that the competition in the running back room has been “awesome”, with everyone pushing each other in the weight room.
“I was able to step back and watch and learn last year,” Larison said of going into his second year in McDaniels’ system. “So I would just say diving deeper into the offense has made me a bit more comfortable. It’s just easier. Things happen a lot faster.”
