Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Re-Born to Run: Talking Patriots Running Backs - 1/12/2021

Episode Date: January 12, 2021

For the first time in nearly two decades, the New England Patriots prioritized the run in their offensive game planning during the 2020 NFL season. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com. The duo discuss the emergence of Damien Harris, the resurgence of Sony Michel and the collective fates of J.J. Taylor, Brandon Bolden, Rex Burkhead and James White in New England for 2021. Mike also offers his thoughts on Bill Belichick's decision to forgo the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. EchelonGo to EchelonFit.com/LockedOn and try any Echelon Fitness equipment at home for 30 days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. You are now locked in to the Lockdown Patriots podcast. Today is Tuesday, January 12th, 2021, but it is also Reborn to Run Tuesday, right here on your daily home for news, notes, and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Greetings and salutations, Pats Nation.

My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and greatly appreciated. Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-F-P-C. And while you're out there doing some Tuesday traveling through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots.

Pats fans, as you heard me say just a few seconds ago, today is Reborn to Run Tuesday here on Locked on Patriots. And no, this is not going to be a Springsteen tribute show. Although that actually might be a good idea for the offseason. But for the purposes of today's podcast, it's going to refer to the New England Patriots running game, the running backs. And in a lot of ways, 2020 was the season in which the Patriots were reborn to run. Because after a little more than two decades of the Patriots offense being predicated on the pass attack, they chose to go the running route. And a lot of that was because of the running prowess of quarterback Cam Newton. We've talked a lot about the quarterback position here on Locked On Patriots, and don't

worry to all those of you that are a big fan of the position, we're going to be talking a lot more quarterbacks during this offseason. But again, for today's pod, we'll be talking about the Patriots being reborn to run, and that means the status of running backs like Damian Harris, Sonny Michel, J.J. Taylor, Brandon Bolden, what's up Murph, Rex Burkhead, and of course James White. Those are six solid running backs, any one of whom any NFL team would be lucky to have on their roster. The Patriots have all six, but how much longer will that be the case? A couple of those guys that I just mentioned are unrestricted free agents. Will they be back in the fold?

Will the Patriots look to move one or two of these guys via trade? And as good of a season as Damian Harris had, has he really done enough to be considered the clear-cut starter for this team? Well, spoiler alert, folks, but I believe he has. But don't just take my word for it. Today, I'm joined by our resident voice of reason. It's Tuesday, so you know that my good friend Steve Balistrieri, columnist of Patsfans.com, will join me here today on the hot seat, and we'll be talking all things Patriots running

backs. We'll delve into Damian Harris' breakout season, whether or not Sonny Michel has played his way back on the roster for 2021. We'll also take a look at what Steve and I believe is the start of a promising career for running back J.J. Taylor. Last but certainly not least, we will ponder whether or not opt-outs or free agency will spell the end of Rex Burkhead, James White, or even Murph, try to contain yourself for just a moment here, Brandon Bolden.

Could one, two, or even all three of these running backs have run their way out of Foxborough? Well, Steve and I will keep our emotions in check, or at least try to, to the best of our abilities and answer all of those and more questions for you here on this Reborn to Run Tuesday episode of Locked On Patriots. But before I welcome in my good buddy to the hot seat today, I'd be remiss if I didn't take a moment just to address the last 24 hours in Patriots Nation. And of course, I'm talking about the latest news surrounding Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Starting on Sunday, we all heard the news that the president had selected coach Belichick

to be a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which, as explained by White House guidelines, is awarded to, quote, individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the security or national interests of America, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. And this is where Belichick would have been worthy of reception. Not only is Belichick one of the most decorated and highly successful coaches in NFL history, he's also served on the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. And as you can imagine, the decision by the President to award Belichick with the medal

caused a firestorm. Under most other circumstances, news of this type would have only been met with praise. But considering the tragic and violent acts which our country had to endure last week, Belichick's role in accepting this award was cast in a whole new light. After all, there is a past personal relationship with Bill Belichick and President Trump, and while I think it's safe to say that Bill Belichick has been mostly apolitical throughout his entire professional career, we do know that they've had personal and maybe even friendly dealings with each other in the past. Now, it shouldn't be neglected that the Presidential

Medal of Freedom is considered the highest honor a civilian can achieve in the United States. Medal of Freedom was established by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, and since that time it's been presented to so many that have achieved excellence in their given field. So it really shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Belichick would be chosen for this honor, seeing as he served on the President's Council, and again, one of the most successful and decorated coaches in NFL history. It also shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Belichick would be both humbled and flattered by such an honor. Because regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, or regardless of your opinion of our current president, the Presidential Medal of Freedom isn't awarded to just anyone,

and the accomplishments that it takes to be even considered for such an honor really speaks well of Bill Belichick. But again, the horrific events that took place last week at the Capitol really brought into sharp contrast that maybe the timing and even the moral compass of accepting such an award was definitely not something that was warranted or even feasible at this time. And yesterday evening, we found out that that's exactly what Bill Belichick thought. In a statement Coach released, as first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, Belichick said the following, quote, Recently, I was offered the opportunity to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which I was flattered by out of respect for what the honor represents and admiration for prior recipients.

Subsequently, the tragic events of last week occurred and the decision has been made not to move forward with the award. Above all, I am an American citizen with great reverence for our nation's values, freedom, and democracy. I know that I also represent my family and the New England Patriots team. One of the most rewarding things in my professional career took place in 2020 when, through the great leadership within our team, conversations about social justice, equality, and human rights moved to the forefront and became actions. Continuing those efforts while remaining true to the people, team, and country I love outweigh the benefits of any individual award. And with that statement, Coach Belichick put an end to the notion that he would be traveling to Washington to accept the

award. And I know several of you that listen to Locked On Patriots or that are Patriots fans or that are followers of this story have vastly different opinions on Belichick's actions or politics in general, or even the future direction of our country. It wasn't my intention to start a political discourse today by sharing this information with you here on Locked On Patriots, and it still isn't my goal. I don't think I'm going out on a limb right now by saying that our country is still vastly divided. We need to heal, and we need to come together.

Hopefully, within the next days, weeks, and months, we can start to begin that process. As for Belichick's decision and statement, I can tell you, having covered him for the past few years, that Bill Belichick is always someone that acts from the heart and the head. I don't believe his statement was intended to make any type of a political statement. I simply believe it's what Belichick thought was the right and just thing to do. Not because of what everyone around him thought, but because of what he himself thought. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I don't put a whole lot of stock into the opinions of those that are trying to engage in semantics arguments or verbal gymnastics. Whether his statement was written

in active or passive voice, or whether the word refuse was used, in my opinion, anyone that's using those arguments is simply doing nothing more than pushing a self-serving agenda. Emphasis on the self-serving. I believe that Belichick's decision was his own. I believe it was what was needed at this time. And last but certainly not least, I believe it was the right one. Making the decision to put the welfare of your team, your family, and your country before something self-serving as an independent award is not only true leadership, but it's also how healing is done.

And perhaps that's a lesson we all might want to reflect on a little more often. And with that, Patriots fans, it is now time to be reborn to run, as Steve Balistrieri will join me here in a moment as we take a deeper dive into the Patriots running back depth chart right here on this Tuesday episode of Locked On Patriots. But first, are we ready for some football Locked On listeners? Of course we are. The NFL is in divisional round weekend, and there are some big matchups on the horizon.

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Pats fans, today here on the pod, we get our weekly dose of reason and accountability. And to help me further break down the Pats outlook into 2021, here's my Patriots Paisan. Back for his Tuesday appearance here on Locked On Patriots, an amazing columnist for Patsfans.com and one of the best guys in this or any business. I never hesitate when I say that, folks, because it's absolutely true. My good friend Steve Balistrieri joins me today. Welcome back to the pod, my friend. Hey, Mike. As always, you know I love talking Patriots football with you, so how could I turn down such a request? Well, you know,

our people have a way of not being able to turn down certain requests that come from certain people, and I like to think we're in that rarefied air. I'm only kidding. I'm kidding, folks. folks i only joke but uh no it's always my honor to join you like al pacino says when you get summoned you go that's it little donnie brosco a little i love that you know little donnie brosco here on this tuesday we usually go back and forth a lot on the godfather but steve and i are well versed we know more than just one mob movie speaking of play on words today buddy i i've dubbed this pod here on tuesday uh reborn to run and uh naturally it's a play on the uh the springsteen song but the patriots might continue to adopt that run first mentality after 20 years of passing prowess under Tom Brady Cam Newton came in and you know

for all the problems that he had in the passing game I think he ran the ball very effectively but quarterbacks are a conversation for another day we're still coming down we've talked about them a lot already and we'll continue that discussion but I thought today would be a good day to focus on the running backs and in a makeshift game of three up three down i thought we'd kind of have some fun with this one and i'm not talking performance on the field here folks this is more of who the patriots might be prioritizing in the offseason whose future is a little more certain in foxborough and who might face a few more questions so steve i thought we'd start with the only back on this roster that i consider to be a stone-cold

block, and that's Damian Harris. Harris finished the season ranked 11th in the league, rushing 69.1 yards per game. No other player on the Patriots roster made as big of a jump, I thought, this year from 2019 to 2020 as Harris did. Redshirt rookie, really, in his freshman season, and a lot of people were wondering, did they make the right decision? Is this guy another bust? He really legitimately came out and proved that he is a solid number one running back on this team. And, you know, he can do it in early downs.

And we've even seen him, you know, spread out and be able to catch the football pretty effectively out of the backfield. In your opinion, when you look at Damian Harris and what he did from last year to this year, is this kid's ceiling even still growing, or has he emerged as a number one back on this team, and do you expect him to plateau? Because everything that I've seen from Damian Harris this year, if he's healthy, shows to me that this kid is not someone who's regressing. He's either peaked or there's still another level that he can take it to.

I think that he still has some room to grow. I really do. I mean, you know, you go back to his rookie year, he, he didn't really play at all. And then, you know, he missed the beginning of this season because of being on IR and, you know, with the broken finger, he got right at the end of the training camp. So, you know, he kind of started off slow. And then once he got in there, I thought he accounted for himself really well.

And as you said, I think they're just scratching the surface on him as a pass receiver. I think he could be very, very good at that. One of the things that I really liked when he came out from Alabama was the fact that he had really good, soft hands out of the backfield. And I think that that is an area that the Patriots will look to expand next year. Yeah, without question. And I think he will.

I mean, you know, found the end zone twice this year, 52 yards on five receptions catching out of the backfield so this is a guy that knows how to do it and he can do it effectively and i think he can do both equally well he's under contract through 2022 he only has a salary cap hit of 1.07 million in 2021 so it's certainly not any type of financial restraint uh that's keeping him in new england uh this kid is a bargain and a bargain at the highest level. To me, absolutely a stone-cold lock on this roster. And I agree with you.

I think he has still room to grow. I don't think he's hit his plateau yet. Not because of the red shirt so much freshman year, but because I think injuries prevented him from really being able to break out in the type of year that he was having. You saw when he was running the ball effectively, he was able to cut through defenses pretty well and found the holes very well in an offensive line. That's something I don't think the running back gets enough credit for,

is finding the hole and being able to run through them effectively. The O-line deserves a lot of credit for setting those holes, but it takes a good running back to run through them and to run through them with authority, and he did that so steve if harris is a lock and i think we're both in lockstep uh notice i'm using the word lock a lot lately folks that's not that's uh by design that's not happenstance uh but uh all kidding aside if harris is solidified as a member of this team next year uh this next guy might be considered that although some would rather see him jettison for reasons that i'm still questionable on and that's sony michelle uh look

sony finished 2020 79 carries 449 yards and a touchdown believe it or not he actually showed some receiving prowess this year caught seven passes for 114 yards and a receiving touchdown, which not a lot of us saw coming in the latter part of the season. He's entering the final season of his rookie deal. And to me, the biggest immediate question on Sony is whether the Patriots are going to decide to exercise that fifth year option in Sony Michelle's contract. I've been a big advocate of Sony. I constantly tweet out when he does well. You know, I thought some people thought he either sucks or blows or whatever, or whatever colloquialism that, you know, the two to six crowd want to go ahead and throw at this guy.

But it's hard for me to imagine that the Patriots are going to make that type of investment with Harris also on the payroll, meaning Damian Harris, because I think they have a solid one-two combination here. It might be fun to watch for a season, but I think it's going to be difficult for the Patriots to pick up options based on just what they saw this year. I think Sony has a little bit to prove this year coming up in 2021. Unless the team decides to move on from him in the offseason via trade, I fully expect that he's going to be here again. He's going to play that 1B to 1A Damian Harris running back, and I think they'll have a pretty formidable combination.

But, Stephen, your opinion, what does the future hold for Sonny Michel here in New England in 2021 and maybe even beyond that? Well, I think beyond next year is a complete unknown at this point. But I do think, you know, I was going back and forth with this during the season, but I think they bring him back for his, you know, they'll pick up that fifth-year option for the final year on his rookie contract, and then they'll make a determination sometime next year whether or not they want to keep both of those guys in the fold or they're going to let sony go and depending on you know what they do

uh in this off season he might even become trade bait you know uh but i do think harris is your number one guy but you know we saw the way Sonny ran after he was healthy when he came back off of IR, and that's the guy that he was as a rookie, the guy they liked so much and they drafted, and to include catching the ball out of the backfield. Absolutely, and with him being under contract through 2021, having that option for 2022, if they decided that they wanted to exercise this, Sony back tandem or the type of running back core that they can without Sony in the lineup and feel they can improve their team by trading him. Then I think the Patriots have proved throughout the years that they will continue to do everything that they can to make this team better.

But ultimately, it will be probably in their best interest to keep him around for this year in 2021 and see what both he and Harris can do. Hopefully both healthy. And if they can, that could be a hell of a one-two punch running the football for the Patriots, no matter who the quarterback is in New England this year. Steve, this may surprise you a little bit, but I round out my three upside, meaning the three that I think are probably most secure in their position on this roster with the New England Patriots for 2021, with undrafted rookie free agent J.J. Taylor. And, you know, he only appeared in six total games. 2020 was effectively a redshirt season for J.J. He only played 50 offensive snaps all year, never really integrated into the offensive operation on the same level as some of the other backs on this team, and really not the way we had hoped. We kept priming ourselves for seeing what J.J. could do, but I think in the flashes that we saw of him on the field this year, he looks like he can be an all-around back that really makes him an intriguing member of this team

heading forward, especially with a couple of well-known backs that are headed for the open market. And we're going to get to that in a moment, folks. Don't worry. I haven't forgotten about some of the others on this team. But, Steve, you've been a pretty supportive person of J.J. Taylor throughout the season. Do you believe that there's a spot for him on this roster in 2021? Oh, absolutely.

You know, we really liked what we saw out of him in those little brief glimpses. And then, you know, to hear Ivan Fears and then Bill Belichick at the end of the season say the Patriots really like this kid. They think he has a lot of upside. They know he has some growing to do, not literally in the sense because we know he's small, but, you know, his game needs some growing, especially in pass protection. But, you know, I think this is a guy, you know, when you're talking about that potential third down back dynamic with the ball in his hands coming out of the backfield and give you those occasional runs, you know, as a scat back and a change of pace guy. I think the needle for him is pointing upward.

I think they really like him. I agree with you. I think he is going to be on this roster for sure next year. Yeah, I do too. And I love the flashes that we saw of him look both in as a weapon in the return game as a weapon you know to be able to utilize i compare him a lot to a young deon lewis and we've talked about this before he's short he's shifty uh he can break free but he can run with a little bit of power this kid is not someone that's afraid to take a hit and go into the fire and i think in a lot of ways that's going to endear him to Bill Belichick. And I really like the change of pace that he can bring to this unit when they need a little bit of a burst or maybe even when they need a little muscle.

This kid's not definitely averse to mixing it up and giving and showing his toughness. So it could be interesting for the Patriots. And they've got a lot of prowess at the running back position. And we've talked about some of these running backs that I think at least might have solidified their future in Foxborough for at least one more year, folks. But there are still some that are going to see question marks laying ahead. And in just a moment, Steve Balistrieri and I will examine those runners and whether some might have just run their way out of town. More on this reborn to run edition of Locked On Patriots in just a moment. Locked On listeners, when it comes to repairing or maintaining your vehicle,

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join trevor sycamore and benjamin salik on the lockdown n On NFL Draft podcast every Tuesday as they start their Team Takeover Tuesday offseason series. Each week, they pick a new team, take a deep dive into the potential front office moves and head coaching signings. They'll also review rosters, free agent strategies, and go through a team-centric mock draft. That's every Tuesday over at Locked On NFL Draft. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Pats fan Steve Balistrieri joins me here today on the pod, and we're talking Patriots strengths.

And one of those strengths has been the Patriots running game. Our good buddy joined us yesterday here, Murph, and we talked a little bit about the offensive line and a little bit about special teams. But today we're focusing primarily on the runners. And in the previous segment, we talked about Damian Harris and J.J. Taylor being guys that we believe have a place on this team in 2021. Even Sonny Michel, you know, coming back, carving out a spot for himself in 2021, having a solid output in 2020. But there are some on this team that do face an uncertain future here in Foxborough. And, you know, buddy, I know this is going to be painful for one of our favorite people

in the Lockdown Patriots family. And you know who I'm talking about. I'm talking about the Count of Murphy Fisto himself, our good friend Murph. And Steve, we were probably surprised that Brandon Bolden had made the decision to opt out of 2020. Fully understand and fully support his decision, but it probably came as a little bit of a surprise that he would be one of those Patriots that would have opted out. He recently took to social media in December to announce that he was going to return for the 2021 season. But there are still questions about his position on the roster.

Let me preface this so that way I can keep my friendship with Murph intact. I fully believe that Brandon Bolden should be back next year. I placed him on this type of platform because I do think that the team still has some questions about this. Brandon's turning 31 later this month. He's probably going to be projected to play a relatively small role outside of the kicking game. Now, granted, special teams is very important to this Patriots team, and based on his prowess and his leadership, that's why I think that Brandon's spot should be secure and that there shouldn't be any questions about it. But the Patriots are not above opting to allocate resources elsewhere instead of holding on to a veteran player that might have sentimental value

or even great value in the locker room and on the field as a mentor. But if they feel that there are other options out there that give them a better chance to win on the field, they might go and opt for that type of decision. Steve, when you look at Brandon Bolden, do you believe that he has a lock on this team for 2021 based on the fact that he did opt out for 2020 and everyone expected him to be here? Or has the emergence of guys like Sonny Michelle and J.J. Taylor and maybe options that the Patriots may pursue in free agency for special teams, kind of giving him a little bit of an uncertain future here in New England.

Well, I think, you know, when you're looking at your 53-man roster, he's probably around 51 or 52. But saying that, you know, he's been such a core special teams guy. And, you know, with some of their other core special teams guys up for new contracts, I think they're going to cut their ties with one or two of them. I think they'd bring back Brandon because Bill knows him. He trusts him in the kicking game. He'll give you five or ten snaps at running back during the season,

but that's not why he's on this team. He's on this team for his special teams ability. And, you know, they love him in the locker room. He's a very good presence there. He's well-liked with the veteran players and the young guys. So I think the odds of him making the team next year are actually very good. And I think a lot of Patriots fans are happy to hear you say that,

and I know the big green man is definitely happy to hear you say that. And again, Merv, please, don't shoot the messenger. I'm simply just putting this out there. I am in full agreement with you, by the way. I think that Brandon's savvy on this team. I think the trust factor that Bill Belichick has in him absolutely solidify his position and for nothing of the sort we saw what happened when the patriots didn't have him in the lineup a couple of years ago he came back and he came back to hurt the patriots in a big way you don't want a guy like that that's so well versed

in being able to carve through patriots defenses and knowing their strategy so well, like a Brandon Bolden, you're much better off having him as an ally than an adversary. And for that reason, I think he finds his way back onto the team this year. Steve, this is also a painful one for me to say. And, you know, Rex Burkhead has shown that he can be a reliable role player in the Patriots backfield. He essentially does everything that you ask him to do. The only thing that he just you ask him to do.

The only thing that he just can't seem to do on a regular basis is stay healthy. And, you know, the team might have a pretty good interest in actually bringing him back despite the ACL tear that he suffered this year. He does bring a lot of explosiveness when he's out on the field, and that type of versatility is going to be tough to replicate but again the lack of him being able to stay healthy for a long period of time might work against him as would his age and the depth of the position that the Patriots have do you believe that the Patriots right now might be best moving on from Rex and trying to fill that position either internally, maybe through the draft, picking up another running back, or maybe even going out and getting a free agent option that might be a little more durable? Or do you think it might be in their best interest

to open the door for them to bring him back on a pretty cheap deal, considering the knee injury and the difficulties that he's had this year. Could that work to their advantage? And could you see Rex back here for 2021? Yeah, definitely. I could see him being back. Now, a lot of it will depend on his rehab. He might not even be ready to start the season. But, you know, to answer your first question,

I do think they'll probably bring somebody else in, but they'll leave the door open in case either that low-drafted draft pick or a veteran that they pick up might not be ready to work out. And if Rex is ready, they like what he brings to the table when he is healthy. And honestly, I thought he was having his best season this year prior to him getting hurt. He's that versatile guy. He's not the best runner. He's not the best pass catcher. But he does both of them very, very well.

And he always has the trust, whether it was Tom Brady or Cam Newton out there, Jared Stidham, who's ever under center, they always trust Rex to be in the right place at the right time. And he gives you everything he's got on every play. I do think they're going to leave the door open for him. Again, we'll have to see how his rehab goes. If he's, you know, he's going to be the same guy or he might not even be ready to start the season. So that would play into their hand yeah definitely would and i'm so glad that you mentioned uh the fact that he might not be ready to start the season because that's something that we don't often consider when we

look at oh well pick this guy pick that guy this guy's got to go that guy's going to stay there are ways in which players could end up staying on the roster, either through a Pup List start or an Injured Reserve start or things of that nature. You can go ahead and take a look and see what these guys are able to do. So this ought to be interesting to see what happens with Rex. And again, just the guy that is one of the better guys in the business to cover, one of the better guys on that locker room and on that team that really offer a lot. And the guys that play with him really, really adore him,

and you can tell why. I hope to see him back next year sentimentally. But again, the Patriots have proven they're not exactly the most sentimental team in the world. So sometimes this business can be a harsh reality. And I don't think anyone, really very few guys on this team, if any, had more of a harsh reality to deal with this year than the final player that I'm going to list today. And that's running back James White. Let me start by saying that in terms of personal and professionalism, there are few, if any, guys in the NFL that I hold in as high a regard as James White.

Really just one of the great teammates, one of the great guys to cover. And you can tell why his teammates are so appreciative and so adoring of this guy. Obviously, the tragedy that happened to him early in the season affected him profoundly. And that was a very difficult thing to get through. And despite that, you know, James still had a fairly serviceable season. And, you know, Steve, it's tough for us to think of, you know, this as a business or to think of, you know, personal and professional kind of melding together. But the Patriots do have some question here, given his status. He's an unrestricted free agent. It's theoretical that he could return to New England on a moderate contract. I don't

see the Patriots handing out much more. I don't think they break the bank for James White this offseason. As long as he's here, he's going to be a valuable cog in this team's offensive machinery. He is one of the best receiving backs in the league without question. And when you need to have him run the football, he can do it effectively as well. But there's also a part of me that looks at what his mom has gone through and the family obligations that he may have and the fact that there might be more lucrative opportunities available for him out there in free agency. Steve, have we seen the last of James White in a Patriots uniform? And if so, where might he be headed? Or if not,

do you still believe Foxborough is the best place for him to be? Unfortunately, I do think we've seen the last of James. You know, the comments that he made kind of made it seem like he's looking at options outside of New England. And I really think he wants to be closer to home, which is in Florida, after what happened with his dad last year and his mom. I do think he wants to be closer to home. And you can't really blame him for that. I think he's going to end up down in Tampa Bay.

You know, I look at that team this year. If they had a running back of James White's type on third down, I think they win 14 games. I think he would have made that much of a difference. You look at all of their games that they lost and their running backs, you know, on third down, dropping the ball out of the back. How many times did we see that this year? And we know that there's a certain quarterback that plays in Tampa Bay that would love to have a guy like James White on third down.

You know, that washed up 43-year-old guy that threw 40 touchdowns. I think he would love to have a guy like White, you know, in the backfield. And, you know, what better teammate, what better third down option could you have than to bring him in? He'd be closer to home. You know, he'd be playing back with Tom and Gronkowski. And I think he would have a tremendous year down there. Yeah, I think he would as well. Look, bottom line, that 43-year-old quarterback that you're talking about down there,

yeah, I know, I saw him. He looks pretty good. I don't know. I thought he fell off a cliff five years ago. I mean, I don't know. You listen to some of these national pundits. That's what it makes it sound like. But, no, in all actuality, I do.

I agree with you on James. It pains me to say it because I really have thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed my time covering him up here. I still hold out hope that maybe he comes back to New England just because I love seeing him in a Patriots uniform. But I could not blame him one bit if he decided that this is the time that he needs to go and be close to his family, especially after everything that's transpired and happened to him. I think this is a good opportunity for him to do that.

And I would wish him nothing but the best. And there are a lot worse places that he could be other than Tampa Bay in the hands of Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown, some of those other teammates that he's been able to to be around. I think it would be a good fit for him. So we'll see what happens with James White. But if, in fact, we have seen the last of him in a Patriots uniform, the memories will always be there. And no one will ever forget him being the catalyst for us being able to hoist the trophy in Super Bowl 51.

Without James, it would have been very difficult to do that. He had a tremendous game and just one of the better performances I've seen a Patriot make in a Super Bowl all time. Steve, what can I say? I thank you for taking the time out today to join me here on the pod, talking some running backs and really delving into this depth chart and seeing who might be here and who might not be. It is the offseason, bud, but I know you continue to churn out content that's the best that anybody could imagine.

So please let us know what we can expect in the coming days here from the great pen of Steve Balistrieri and what you've got coming up on the horizon. Well, last Sunday, since there wasn't much to talk about in terms of Patriots football, I did a dive on their own team free agents, and I gave you my two cents about whether or not I believe they return or not. You know, now I'm looking at how they could possibly spend some of their money. They do have a lot of money for free agency. That's what I'm going to start looking at.

I'm going to start looking at options for some of the most needy positions. We all know they need cornerbacks. They need wide receivers. They need tight ends. We're going to look at a lot of those positions, to include linebacker and defensive line. With all the cap space they have, that's what we're going to be focusing on. Then, of course, the draft will be coming up not long

after that. Absolutely. We continue to look forward to that coverage. We'll be doing the same here on Locked on Patriots. This great man will be right alongside for his weekly spot here, usually on Tuesdays, but you know what, bud? We're always flexible, so we'll find a spot for you each and every week simply because you deserve it, and we love having you here. As always, stay safe,

stay well, have a great week, and we look forward to having you back here next week on Locked On Patriots. As always, my friend, I'll be there. Thank you, my friend. Just like that, Patriots Nation As always, my friend, I'll be there. Thank you, my friend. Just like that, Patriots Nation, we are nearly halfway through your work week. And of course, we will continue to break down the latest news notes and analysis from Foxborough right here on Locked on Patriots. So to be sure that you do not miss a single second of the action,

download and subscribe to us on platforms such as Radio.com, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you are staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Steve Balistrieri for his time, his insight, and his appearance

on today's pod, but most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, Pats Nation, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.