The New England Patriots have undergone much change to their backfield this offseason, raising questions concerning their game plan for Week 1 action against the Houston Texans.

During a recent Q&A session with a weekly mailbag, Doug Kyed of NESN voiced that he believes the Patriots will make Rex Burkhead the top option among the bunch for Sunday's game.

Rex Burkhead outlook week 1 — @fantasyFB07 He’s good to go. Expect him to be the Patriots’ top ball-carrier in Week 1.

The 28-year-old has held down the top spot on the depth chart throughout the offseason after inking a three-year, $9.7 million deal to stay with the team in free agency. There has been some concern about his health, as he is dealing with a slight tear in his knee, which is something Burkhead said he will have to work through the entire 2018 campaign.

Although Burkhead will get his carries to start the season, he's not expected to a running back among the best in the league in terms of total yards and total touchdowns, according to BetOnline.ag. Backfield stars like Ezekiel Elliott, Le'Veon Bell, and Alvin Kamara lead the way in those categories.

In his first season in New England, Burkhead quickly became a highly valuable piece to the puzzle offensively out of the backfield behind his versatility as both a runner and receiver. In 10 games played, he rushed for 264 yards with five touchdowns while hauling in 30 catches on 36 targets for 254 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Although Burkhead was limited by injuries last year as well, he has shown, when healthy, that he can be a reliable offensive factor.

The presence of rookie running back Sony Michel will put more pressure on Burkhead to perform effectively to keep his role, but he has a strong hold over it at the moment given what he showed in his time on the field last season. Burkhead could still see a steady workload in Week 1 against the Texans with the Patriots looking get off on the right foot to begin the 2018 campaign.