New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen has been considered a promising talent since he came into the NFL as a second-round pick in the 2011 draft.

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A speedy back out of the University of California, who does his best work in the passing game, Vereen has been on the verge of breaking out in New England for the last two years.

For one reason or another, it hasn’t worked out for him. He spent much of his rookie season battling injuries and last year, was kept on the bench by Stevan Ridley and third-down back Danny Woodhead.

But this year, Woodhead is playing for the San Diego Chargers. His departure opens the door for Vereen to cement his role as the latest version of former New England fan-favorite third-down back Kevin Faulk.

And this preseason is going to be critical for Vereen to prove to the coaching staff that he has what it takes to be a consistent contributor.

The results have been good for him so far. He has been impressive in training camp and caught a 13-yard touchdown on a beautiful pass in the back corner of the end zone from Tom Brady in the team’s first preseason action against the Philadelphia Eagles.

That highlight, almost an exact replay of his touchdown in the playoffs against the Houston Texans last year, gives us a glimpse of what we hope to see from Vereen this season.

Actually, what we really hope to see from him are moments like that on a regular basis, not just in glimpses.

And these next couple of preseason games will be the perfect opportunities for Vereen to show the coaching staff that he can be a reliable playmaker for an offense that needs someone to step up in the passing game.

Ben Sullivan is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bensullivan52, “Like” him on Facebook and add him to your network on Google.