Olympian Demps impresses in debut

After winning a Silver medal at the Olympics less than a month ago Jeff Demps, the Patriots new weapon, looked good in his NFL debut last night against the Buccaneers. Demps didn't see the field until the second half but when he made the most of every opportunity. He gained 41 yards on three carries, an average of 13.6 yards per carry. And as expected we saw him returning kicks (two for 44 yards) and punts (one for 16 yards). The former Florida Gator looked comfortable on the field last night and I think he'll be a valuable weapon this season. He adds a home run threat that the Patriots have lacked in recent years in the backfield and special teams. The Patriots haven't had an effective kick returner since 2008 when Ellis Hobbs totalled 1,281 return yards and one touchdown on 45 returns.
After three preseason games, we've seen Kyle Arrington, Devin McCourty, Matthew Slater, Donte Stallworth, Danny Woodhead, Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley, Julian Edelman, and Jeff Demps all return kicks. However, I see Demps being the Patriots kick returner for the regular season. At 5'7" 175lbs he is still in "track shape" so he'll definitely be bulking up while maintaining that bullet-like speed he's so well known for. He and Edelman will likely battle for punt returns. I expect offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will draw up some plays to get him the ball because as long as the blockers can make a hole for him, Demps has the ability to take it to the house. Special teams is back in New England.