The 2022 Patriots face questions aplenty heading into the season, on both sides of the ball. While the defense seems to bear the majority of those questions, the offense might soon have a new concern or issue to handle, as it appears more and more likely that pass-catching back extraordinaire James White might not be healthy enough to start the season.
Who's going to break out during Pats training camp?
As noted by ESPN’s Mike Reiss recently, White was walking with what Reiss described as an “uncomfortable gait” while making a community appearance. The Patriots then placed White on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list on July 21. White is eligible to come off at any time, once it’s deemed he’s healthy enough for full contact, but the prevailing thought seems to be it might be some time still for White to recover fully from the hip injury he suffered last Sept. 26.
White, aka “Sweet Feet”, is a team leader on and off the field and as steady and clutch a contributor as there’s been to the Pats the past decade. Mac Jones having the rookie season he did basically without White’s third down pass catching and blitz pickup ability makes his first year almost more impressive. And it’s exciting to think what a healthy White could do for the growth of Jones and the evolving Pats offense. But we may not get a glimpse of that anytime soon. Considering the importance of the third-down back in the Pats offense the past two decades-plus, let’s take a look at some internal candidates to fill in for, and hopefully not have to immediately replace White until he can see live game action.
RB Pierre Strong, Jr. - The two most recent third-down specialists in the Pats offense, James White and previously Shane Vereen, saw very little action their respective rookie seasons of 2014 and 2011. But Strong, a rookie out of South Dakota State with blazing speed and tremendous collegiate production, could get an early look. ESPN’s Mike Reiss suggested as much recently after he spoke with Strong’s college coach at South Dakota State, John Stiegelmeier, who said about Strong’s pass catching ability, “That’s his greatest strength,” intimating that if Strong wasn’t so productive on the ground he might have seen more opportunities to catch the ball in space (20 receptions was his collegiate high, in 2021). NFL.com said Strong had “stiff hands” in their draft profile. If Strong can learn the blitz pickups, while adapting to the possible scheme alterations to the Patriots rushing attack, perhaps his elite speed (4.37 40) and home run hitting ability (10 of his 40 college TDs were over 50 yards long) could be put to use earlier than expected.
WR/RB Ty Montgomery - A veteran option who’s seen third-down back usage on the pro level, Montgomery might not have Strong’s blazing speed, but he does have pro level experience and offensive versatility (he’s listed as a WR/RB). Montgomery, who’s on his fifth NFL team, made a name for himself with the Green Bay Packers in the mid-2010s before bouncing around with the Ravens, Jets and most recently the Saints for the past two seasons. He’s no lock to make the Pats roster, given the depth and competition at RB and WR, but could also use training camp and the preseason to establish himself and find a role in the return game as well as be a steady fill-in, like Brandon Bolden last season, on third-down passing plays. Worth keeping an eye out to see if he could gain Bill Belichick’s trust thanks to his experience over the raw unproven pro talent of Strong.
RB Rhamondre Stevenson - Just last Friday on the Merloni, Fauria and Mego Show, the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan told us 2022 is “Rhamondre Stevenson season.” This coming after former Patriot and current ESPN analyst Rob Ninkovich told The Greg Hill Show that Rhamondre could be a “top-five back” in a breakout season. Exactly how Stevenson will be utilized and how he raises the level of his game after an impressive rookie season remains to be seen. While White has had little impact on the running game during his pro career, Stevenson showed a real knack as a power back with great footwork and acceleration last season. Some, like our own Khari Thompson, see Stevenson as an outside zone star in the Patriots' 2022 rushing attack. While we expect to see the one they call “Mondre” catch some passes as part of his deployment this season, usage as primarily the third-down back would likely be an underutilization of his blossoming skill.
RB JJ Taylor - The diminutive back, listed at 5-foot-6, has lurked in the background as a possible James White successor since he made the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in the spring of 2020. He’s small and quick, and smaller backs have succeeded in the role before, like Danny Woodhead in 2010-11. But to date Taylor hasn’t impressed or seized the opportunity. He has just five pro receptions to date, and didn’t get the looks last season when White went down in the third game, as Belichick and then-offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels opted to trust veteran offensive utility back Brandon Bolden, who’s now with McDaniels in Las Vegas. Taylor has been spotted at offseason throwing sessions with Mac Jones and other receivers, so it appears he’s working to gain some trust and some reps when it counts. If he doesn’t flash this preseason, given the possible opening for a third-down back, then it’s unlikely we see him in a Pats uniform come Sept. 11 in Miami.
Nobody/Field - Perhaps, and it’s unlikely, but perhaps the Patriots, after relying on the third-down pass-catching back as such an integral part of their offense the past 20-plus seasons, will downplay the role as the offensive scheme evolves this season. There’s been hubbub and chatter aplenty about more outside zone rushes and RPOs (all the rage!) this offseason. Talk with the coordinator-free offense has been about simplifying things for the players as well. How this affects the third-down back role and usage remains to be seen. Hard to imagine a staple of the offense for so long fading away, though the team isn’t utilizing a fullback this season for the first time in ages, either. Maybe the third-down back is de-emphasized? Maybe the third-down back of the future isn’t even on the roster yet, like when Woodhead joined the team into the 2010 season and snagged the role. Anything is possible (catchy, right?), and whether the traditional role is continued, in addition to White’s health, and who might audition to fill in for him, are all questions worth asking this preseason.
The only certainty? We’re going to need a lot of eyeballs on all these storylines the next few weeks.
Related
