The New England Patriots didn't add a running back in the draft, and they only added veteran Donald Brown in free agency. The top two running backs on the depth chart finished 2015 on the injured reserve.
One of them is almost ready to play.
According to ESPN's Mike Reiss, "some close to Dion Lewis feel that he's about one month away from being able to play in a game." Since the season doesn't start for three more months, the Patriots have to feel pretty comfortable with the time frame.
Whenever a player was injured in the 2015 season, the Patriots gave the player an extra week or two of recovery before putting them back on the field. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Lewis start off with a month or two of extra recovery to ensure his torn ACL is fully healed. There's zero reason to push him for an early return.
Lewis was one of the most dynamic rushers in the NFL last season and his return would be a major boon for the offense. Hopefully he will have enough time to shake off the rust, and that he can pick up where he left off in the first game of the season.