By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) — The Patriots have a dire situation at the running back position. While LeGarrette Blount and James White could prove serviceable in the absence of Dion Lewis, who simply can’t be depended on to stay healthy, the team severely lacks depth at the position, especially in the early-down power back role that is currently manned by Blount and backed up by Tyler Gaffney.

A familiar name to Patriots fans could be an intriguing option at that spot on the roster. The Detroit Lions announced on Twitter Thursday that they have cut former Patriot Stevan Ridley, who played his first four seasons with the Patriots before playing nine games for the New York Jets in 2015.

Ridley has reportedly been outperformed in Lions training camp and the preseason by rookie Dwayne Washington, a seventh-round pick out of … Washington. (How did the Redskins not draft this kid?) That is not a good sign for Ridley’s viability if he could not secure a running back spot on the Lions, who don’t have any viable options at the position beyond second-year back Ameer Abdullah. But could he still be worth at least bringing into Gillette Stadium for a workout, to see if he can outperform the likes of Gaffney or Joey Iosefa? Hell, even Blount?

The good news for Ridley is he may have overcome his early career fumbling issues. Although he only touched the ball 138 times in the past two seasons – and his yards per carry plummeted to 3.3 – he never fumbled and hasn’t lost a fumble in the regular season since Week 12 of the 2013 season against Denver. If he can actually protect the ball this time, and perhaps compete with Blount, maybe Bill Belichick would be willing to give Ridley a second chance.

You’re probably thinking, “Well if he can’t make the Lions, why would he make the Patriots?” Look at each team’s running back situation. The Lions aren’t in good shape, either, but Abdullah is a better, more dynamic back than anyone on the Patriots and there’s no way to definitively tell whose backups are better in this equation. It’s a tough sell to say that Gaffney or Iosefa would clearly be a better option than Ridley. He still has a chance to be a better between-the-tackles runner than Blount or White, even if that chance is very slim.

There’s probably no chance of Ridley regaining is mojo from 2012, when he rushed for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns and looked like he was becoming a premier back in the league. But could he possibly be worse than Gaffney or Iosefa? Is Blount really THAT much better of an option? The verdict, to me, is that Ridley would be worth at least taking a look at to see what he has. It certainly can’t hurt the team, at this point. But Ridley is obviously far from a guarantee to have a shot at making any roster if he already couldn’t crack Detroit’s thin running back corps. It’s clear that he’s not the same back he was before his 2014 ACL/MCL injury.

Vote below. Should the Patriots take a look at bringing Ridley back, considering their lack of depth (and talent) at running back?

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Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.