The Patriots relied upon a trio of ball carriers in their preseason finale on Wednesday night, led by undrafted rookie Brandon Bolden, who finished with 15 carries for 59 yards.

Bolden, Jeff Demps and Eric Kettani used the exhibition game as an audition before the team announces its roster transactions to finalize the 53-man squad on Friday. It's possible that one or more of the aforementioned trio won't stick around on the active roster, perhaps as a result of a numbers game.

Another trio of running backs -- Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, and Danny Woodhead -- figure to play central roles in the Patriots' running game this season.

We'll ultimately find out by Friday which of these six players sticks around (it's possible that all will, as Demps, Bolden and Kettani remain practice-squad eligible), but no matter which do, the Patriots will possess a group with unique skills, and also one that isn't heavily experienced.

Head coach Bill Belichick alluded to both the improvement and youth of the group on a Thursday morning conference call with reporters.

"They've all improved," he said. "Really the only experienced player we had there was Danny [Woodhead]. [Stevan] Ridley played a little bit last year, but not much. Shane [Vereen] didn't play hardly at all, missed training camp, missed the majority of the season, and of course [Brandon] Bolden and [Jeff] Demps weren't here. [Eric] Kettani was here for a few weeks and then was called to service off the practice squad, so really only one player has had any significant regular season playing time in that group."

It's in stark contrast to previous Patriots teams that Belichick has coached that have featured extensive experience in the backfield. Based on the experience of the current mix, the running back group, according to Belichick, is "a lot different group than we had a couple years ago. Back when we had Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, and Fred Taylor and that group of guys. That whole position turned over completely to a much younger group."

Belichick has seen both bright spots and areas for improvement with the group.

"They've all gotten a lot of reps, lot of opportunities," he continued. "They have a lot to learn, both offensively and their role in the kicking game. I think we've gotten a good evaluation of those players, I think they've all shown up well at one point or another. They've all done things that obviously they need to improve on."