For the first time in a long time, there isn't a clear succession plan for White's role. Kevin Faulk was the model of consistency in the 2000's until the role transferred to Shane Vereen and then to White. The only other time the Pats had to scramble like they would have to now is when Faulk went down in the second week of 2010 forcing the team to go out and sign Danny Woodhead after he was waived by the Jets. Woodhead would go on to three productive seasons with the Patriots before Vereen was ready to take over in 2013.
The Patriots saw Rex Burkhead depart to Houston this offseason and then traded Sony Michel to the Rams during the summer, leaving them limited options, though Michel certainly wouldn't be considered a White replacement given his skill set. Burkhead on the other hand would be nice to have in the mix right now. But the cupboards aren't empty, they're just unproven.
Rhamondre Stevenson had a fumble in Week 1 and has been inactive for the last two games. Stevenson showed some ability to catch in college and during training camp. He had 28 catches in two seasons at Oklahoma, but he still seems a long way off from being a true passing back in the NFL and will likely never been a strictly third-down option.
J.J. Taylor is another interesting player who hasn't gotten much of a chance this season. In 2020, Taylor had 16 rushing attempts in the first three games, but in 2021 he's played just 15 snaps with three rushing attempts and two catches. Even with Stevenson out, the team leaned even more heavily into Damien Harris and White, and then Bolden once White went down. Taylor was electric in the preseason, whether he was running, catching or returning, as was Stevenson, who had an especially impressive long touchdown run against the Washington Football Team.
Both Taylor and Stevenson showed a lot of promise this summer and that seemed to be a reason why the team felt okay moving on from Michel. But thus far, neither has earned a significant role on offense. White's injury should change that.
The Pats have three options -- count on the steady Bolden, take a chance on the diminutive Taylor or throw the rookie Stevenson back into the fire. Each potential move has its own positives and negatives and perhaps the answer is some combination of all of them. Stevenson and Taylor are risky in pass protection but offer a higher potential ceiling than Bolden and more opportunity for big plays like we saw from both of them in the preseason.
What's undeniable is that the offense must find a way to improve their attack. One of the running backs will have to step up and the offense will evolve into something new, but there's no question that there will be a huge void without James White in the locker room or on the field.
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September 28, 2021 at 02:30AM
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Breaking down James White's injury impact - Patriots.com
"impact" - Google News
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