The New England Patriots are set to lose their first major free agent of the 2015 offseason. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network:
Former #Patriots RB Shane Vereen is expected to sign with the #Giants, I’m told. They needed a versatile back, will likely get it.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2015
While Vereen seemed to be interested in a return to New England, the two sides were never particularly close to Vereen’s asking price. The numbers with Vereen in New York likely go well beyond what the Patriots were willing to offer.
Vereen is regarded as one of the best receiving backs in the league and was a key piece of the Patriots game plan in the Super Bowl. However, the team does have a developmental prospect at the position in 2014 4th round draft choice James White. The team has also expressed interest in free agent running backs Daniel Thomas, C.J. Spiller and Roy Helu.