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Buffalo Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin (21) tackles New England Patriots' Shane Vereen (34) during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013, in Orchard Park.

(AP Photo/Bill Wippert)

While the New England Patriots defense has rattled further apart at seemingly every stop, the offense continues to round into shape, each returning healthy player serving as a slap of Bondo for the rust hiding beneath the surface.

With Rob Gronkowski back in the fold and looking like the Gronk of old, all eyes have now settled on running back Shane Vereen, who is eligible to return from injured reserve after suffering a wrist injury during a Week 1 win over the Buffalo Bills. Vereen has been taking part in practices, though it is not yet known if he will play Monday night against the Carolina Panthers.

The thinking is that the versatile running back will be able to serve as a Swiss Army knife out of no-huddle sets, much the same way Aaron Hernandez once did before he landed in prison. But during a conference call Monday, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels cautioned patience when discussing Vereen's eventual return.

"He definitely did make a big impact in game one," McDaniels said. "I don't know if we can expect him to do that right off the bat in his first game back, whenever that is. We'll look forward to having him back. He is a really good kid, a great teammate and a good football player that can help us. So, we're looking forward to that."

Vereen is yet to prove that he can contribute on a consistent basis, though he has shown flashes of greatness during his three years in the league. One of those moments came during Week 1, when he ran 14 times for 101 yards and caught seven passes for another 58. Vereen mostly served as the third-down running back in that game and split out wide five times.

Similarly, in last year's playoff game against the Houston Texans, Vereen caught five passes and ran seven times for a combined 124 yards with three touchdowns.

Getting that presence on the field can only help New England moving forward.

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