Brandon Bolden likens Patriots’ pack of running backs to jelly beans: ‘You don’t know what you’re going to get’

Six running backs head into the summer months with the New England Patriots.

But veteran Brandon Bolden has an analogy all of his own to describe the depth chart.

“Jelly beans,” Bolden said in a recent interview Patriots.com’s Megan O’Brien. “You just reach in the pack, you don’t know what you’re going to pull out. You don’t know what you’re going to get. You might have an exploding pack one day. You never know.”

Since going undrafted out of Ole Miss in 2012, Bolden has appeared in 114 career games with New England, including playoffs. The four-down back returned last spring after one campaign spent with the Miami Dolphins. And he continues in coach Ivan Fears’ pack alongside Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead, Damien Harris and team captain James White.

A 5-foot-5, 180-pound Arizona product in J.J. Taylor joins them as a rookie free agent.

“I’m actually the oldest one, so it’s kind of weird for me,” added Bolden, who turned 30 in January. “I’ve never been the oldest guy for this long in the room. It’s refreshing. They keep me young, as well. They keep me on my toes. I’m excited. I can’t want to see how this season goes.”

New England’s running backs accounted for 1,557 rushing yards, 1,029 receiving yards and 20 total touchdowns last regular season.

Bolden had a hand in 179 yards and four scores on 24 offensive touches. His 321 snaps on special teams ranked behind only Pro Bowl and All-Pro gunner Matthew Slater, and brought a blocked punt for points versus the New York Giants.