James White - what can we expect?
While Shane Vereen could see an increase in snaps on designated runs, his speed will only take him so far, and the Patriots are looking for one of their stronger, crafty backs like Ridley and White to carry the load. While expectations for a fourth-round rookie should be tempered, they should not be unrealistic, and while the Patriots' running game was, for the most part, lethargic during the pre-season, White did nothing to stand out and make himself a front-runner at the position. Given the open state of the competition throughout camp, this may be a little alarming, but the regular season is an entirely different beast.
Over their four pre-season games, the Patriots rushed for 449 total yards. James White contributed 80 of those. Compare this with free-agent Jonas Gray who went undrafted in 2013, who rushed for 142 yards, and the argument could be made that White was somewhat underwhelming. Again, it is far too early to write the book on White's season, and it would be unfair to place all of the blame for the struggling run-game on the young back (the comparative elder statesman Ridley wasn't great either). But right now, James White looks like what he is. A rookie picked in the fourth round of the draft, who has shown minimal indication that he can be much more than that, this season at least.
I like White as a pick and still believe he can contribute to the team this year. A breakout game against a bad run-defense like the Colts certainly wouldn't surprise. However I would anticipate that Ridley and Vereen will spend the year atop the depth chart, and would not bet against Brandon Bolden or Jonas Gray making a breakout in a similar situation. White will definitely have to do something special to make himself stand out in 2014.
How good do you think James White can be in this upcoming season? Let us know in the comments.
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