The Revs Have Been Building Depth
The Revs Have Been Building Depth
Signing Jonathan Mensah was important as the Revs look to build depth.
The New England Revolution have been working on building their depth.
The Revs will start the 2024 season without Dylan Borrero and Brandon Bye, who are recovering from injury.
On Thursday, Sporting Director Curt Onalfo stated that Borrero is expected back in April or May while Bye’s return will occur closer to late summer.
Unfortunately, injuries and absences are part of the game, which is why Caleb Porter wants to make sure that his team has depth.
“I feel like we're pretty close to having a very good one-two in every position in our depth chart, which is really important in this league when you're trying to manage multiple competitions,” Porter said.
He continued, “You have midweek fixtures, two days in between, you have to rotate. It's a long season. So, I think the teams that are able to rotate without missing a beat and still get results are the teams that, over the long haul, find success.”
The Revs added a key piece this week when center-back Jonathan Mensah signed as a free agent.
The 33-year-old, who inked a one-year deal with a club option for 2025, spent last season with the San Jose Earthquakes.
Before that, he was with the Columbus Crew for six years. Under the guidance of Porter, Mensah won the 2020 MLS Cup while playing every minute of the regular season and playoffs.
One reason why Porter is excited to reunite with Mensah is because of the defender’s personality.
“Jonah gives us a very experienced player,” Porter said. “I know his character, his leadership, his integrity.”
Porter noted that Mensah is at a “stage in his career where he’s not going to play every game,” though he will be ready when his name is called.
“The games he plays, he's going to be fresh, and he's a quality player,” Porter said. “A couple of years ago, he was one of the best defenders in the league.”
The Revs start the season with a tough schedule because they will play four games in 12 days as they balance Concacaf Champions Cup with league play.
Porter said that it’s important not to “overcook your guys early in the year.” This is why a player like Mensah is critical to have on the team.
“With Jonah, I felt it was a great piece to add,” Porter stated. “When you look at Bye being out, [Andrew] Farrell is going to have to cover at times, along with Nick Lima, at right back, which means we don't have a ton of cover behind [Dave] Romney and [Henry] Kessler.”