FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots are scheduled to hit the practice field Tuesday afternoon (around 12:45 p.m. ET), which could provide the local media the first look at veteran running back Steven Jackson.
The Patriots haven't officially announced the signing of Jackson, which was first reported by ESPN's Josina Anderson.
As an appetizer of sorts, NFL Nation teammates Nick Wagoner (Rams) and Vaughn McClure (Falcons) were kind to share their thoughts on what it was like to cover Jackson:
St. Louis Rams (2004-2012): "In many ways, Jackson grew up in St. Louis. He came to the Rams in 2004 as a 20-year old who had a lot of maturing to do on and off the field. By the time he left in 2013, he was the consummate professional who had developed into a trusted and valued leader in the locker room. And oh, by the way, he became the franchise's all-time leading rusher, a pretty good feat considering that guys like Eric Dickerson and Marshall Faulk came before him. Jackson was always best at pushing the pile and running through tackles but he was an underrated pass catcher and improved dramatically as a pass protector. His ability in that regard should not be underestimated as he makes his first run at the postseason since his rookie season. Jackson's time in St. Louis was marred by all the losing the team did, which has probably hurt his legacy in the big picture, but he earned the love of many fans for the way he handled those tough times and kept pushing even when it was often fruitless." -- Nick Wagoner
Atlanta Falcons (2013-2014): "The Falcons took plenty of criticism for signing Steven Jackson after he averaged 3.6 yards per carry in two seasons with the team. However, keep in mind that the Falcons didn’t have a strong offensive line blocking in front of him those two seasons. Plus, Jackson’s first season with the Falcons in 2013 included a right hamstring injury that sidelined him for four games. No, Jackson wasn’t the same runner he was with the St. Louis Rams, but he showed flashes of the tough runs that earned him more than 11,000 career rushing yards. More than anything, Jackson was a strong influence to the younger players, including Pro Bowl-bound Devonta Freeman. Jackson often huddled the running backs with inspirational speeches, and he was just well-respected by his teammates in general. In my opinion, he is a positive addition to the Patriots even if he doesn’t have a tremendous impact on the field." -- Vaughn McClure