Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - White Out: New England Patriots running back James White on PUP, Pierre Strong and More

Starting point is 00:00:00 Running back James White is starting training camp on the pup list, but the Patriots are still strong at running back. Talking James White and Pierre Strong today. Stay locked in. You're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. To all of you, Foxborough faithful, and thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage and also your first listen every day. Remember, Locked On Patriots is free and available on all platforms,

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Starting point is 00:01:20 host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter at MDABATENFL. While you're out there showing some love to the Twitterverse, please follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore

Starting point is 00:01:35 Patriots. Pats fans, thank you very much for taking time out of your weekend to join me here on this special weekend edition of the pod. And again again some minor technical difficulties preventing us from being alive and on camera with you today but we definitely have an awful lot to cover training camp begins in less than 48 hours patriots players reporting on tuesday july 26th first practice scheduled for Wednesday morning July 27th practice scheduled to begin

Starting point is 00:02:07 at 9 30 a.m so please check the Patriots website for all of the latest information and if you're planning on heading up to Foxborough please be sure to drop me a line I'd love to say hi to all of our listeners I will be there and we will definitely be ready to bring you all of the latest from Pats Nation especially from the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Pats fans, we now know that several of the New England Patriots, not many, but a handful, will begin the season or at least begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list. And among those that will be starting on PUP is a player that we discussed

Starting point is 00:02:45 quite a bit last week here on the pod with my good friend Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com. James White will be starting training camp on the PUP list. Hopefully he won't be starting the season, but judging by recent reports, it looks probable that it could be indeed the case that James White will start the season on the pup list and for those of you that aren't sure why let's hop into that Belichickian time machine for just a moment take you back to last year week three of the NFL season following the reception in the second quarter of the Patriots 28 to13 loss to the New Orleans Saints. White appeared to land hard along the sideline immediately upon hitting the ground. He was seen grabbing his upper leg and he remained down on the field. Trainers came out to attend to him. White was immediately carted off the field.

Starting point is 00:03:39 Players from both teams came over to him showing their support for the three-time Super Bowl champion. Shortly thereafter, the Patriots announced that White would not return to the game and that his non-return was the result of a hip injury. Just a couple of days later, we would discover that it was, in fact, a hip subluxation that would keep him out. James would need surgery, and that would ultimately end his 2021 season. And it was definitely disheartening for the Patriots and a lot of us, myself included, were all wondering whether or not we had seen

Starting point is 00:04:11 the last of James White in a Patriots uniform. The age was there, the injury history was there, and a hip subluxation is definitely not easy to come back from. That gave way to the Patriots agreeing on a two-year deal worth $5 million to bring James back into the fold. And this was a great thing for the New England Patriots. Everybody was happy to see James come back. Most of all me, I definitely enjoy covering him. One of my favorite guys on this team. We all know about the history. Murph and I discussed this last week. If you haven't listened to the show show go back and definitely listen to it we share our thoughts on Super Bowl 51 but ultimately there's always that question of concern when it comes to players that suffer injuries like this will they be able to bounce back well a recent report from ESPN indicated that James's recovery, I guess is the best way for me to put it,

Starting point is 00:05:06 or at least his rehabilitation was going well, but not maybe as well as we had all hoped. And this came from ESPN's Mike Reese, who again is among, if not the best in the business, when it comes to giving you all the information you need with nothing that you don't when it comes to your New England Patriots. And I'm quoting Mike Verbatim here from his Sunday column last week. Veteran running back James White, right hip obviously, was still walking with what appeared to be an uncomfortable gait following a community appearance last Wednesday. He is among the rehabbing players scheduled to report to training camp next week, which he did, where it should become clearer how close he is to possibly returning.

Starting point is 00:05:45 And then he quotes James verbatim, saying, just working so I can be the best player I can be whenever I step out on the field. Well, unfortunately, Mike was absolutely correct. He did report to training camp, meaning James White. White was ultimately deemed not ready to begin on-field activity this week in Foxborough. So because of that, James will start the training camp on the pup list. And what does that mean for the New England Patriots? Well, there's definitely a big void left behind by James' presence on the field.

Starting point is 00:06:15 We'll get into just how big and how much of a factor James White could be counted on to be in the upcoming season. And also, just a little bit down the road here on today's episode, we'll be talking about who may be getting those extra reps when it comes to James White's absence. Murph prognosticated last week here that Ramondre Stevenson might see an uptick in some of those minutes. I happen to agree on that, but I think it might be one of the rookies that actually sees the majority of that time. And we'll get into that as well.

Starting point is 00:06:45 A lot to get into here on this pup edition of the Locked On Patriots podcast, talking James White and everything else you're New England Patriots when we continue in just a moment. But first, folks, from the people who invented healthy and tasty comes the latest gift to your taste buds. You've probably tried the amazing Coconut Brownie Chunk Bar, but guess what? Your friends at Built have given Coconut Brownie Chunk Puffs the puffs treatment. That's right. I can't even talk because I am so excited about this product. They are delicious, folks. The Coconut Brownie Chunk Built Bar, that flavor that you love,

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Starting point is 00:08:13 and get 15 off your order that's promo code lock 15 at built.com Patriots fans thank you once again for joining me here on this weekend episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast talking a little James White talking a little Pierre Strong in just a little moment here but we talked a little bit to open the show about James White and how he will eventually begin the season or at least the training camp. I keep saying season, folks, and I apologize for that. Beginning training camp on the PUP list. James can come off at any time. He may decide that, well, he's practicing well. The Patriots may decide that, well, he looks pretty good. We're going to take him off. But there is also a strong possibility that he begins the regular season on Pup. And if that is indeed the

Starting point is 00:09:05 case, Patriots are definitely going to be missing his services because prior to his suffering his hip injury in 2021, James was one of their most reliable offensive players. He was actually the Patriots' leading pass catcher just the previous week in Week 2, caught six passes out of the backfield on six targets for 45 yards for those of you thinking that maybe he's better as a pass catcher than a runner because he kind of does have that reputation james can also run the ball effectively when he needs to five times 20 yards one rushing touchdown most importantly he had really become a favorite target of mac jones he was really developing a nice synergy with mac really a reliable target someone who could move the chains, and when Mac felt that he might be getting in

Starting point is 00:09:49 trouble, he could always look to James White to get open and to get strong yardage. Last year, I think the Patriots definitely missed White's skill set. They missed his reliability. With all due respect to Brandon Bolden, who had a phenomenal season last year, could not ask for more than what Brandon gave you. James White is so unique in his role. It's so difficult to replicate. And he's really been like that his entire career. He's been with the Patriots since he was a fourth round pick of the 2014 NFL draft. He's become one of the most beloved, one of the most revered players in team history.

Starting point is 00:10:23 He's also, and i still consider him in this group folks even though he might be a little long in the tooth according to some national prognosticators out there i still think he's among the best role specific running backs in the nfl great as a third down specialist maybe the best third down back in the league he can be used effectively on all three downs so if the Patriots are going to be without his services you're looking at someone that can make contributions at all three levels and at this point they're going to really be hard pressed to find someone to be able to make up for that I think he's at his best when catching passes out of the backfield especially in the up-tempo situations like the two-minute drill, but he also can gain yards.

Starting point is 00:11:06 And even though he's gained comparatively few yards on the ground, he's shown the ability to successfully carry the football whenever someone needs him to do it. And that's something that I was looking forward to in training camp, to be quite honest with you. I really wanted to see that synergy between he and Mac Jones build a little bit. I also wanted to see if Mac and James could build on what they had last year in 2021 and then put it into practice in 2022 on the field and give the Patriots a little bit more of a threat when receiving out of the backfield. But the handwriting was on the wall. OTA, minicamp, White was there, but he was a limited participant. And, you know, unfortunately, a report like the one that Mike put out there earlier, you know, last

Starting point is 00:11:52 week does cast some doubt on whether or not we may even see James on the field during the 2022 training camp slate or the preseason. He may be working out behind the scenes. He may be trying to get ready, but whether or not we're going to see him in any type of competitive action is still up for debate. And if that does indeed happen and the Patriots move into this season without James White on the active roster, well, the only advantage in my opinion is that they do gain an extra roster spot and ultimately they may end up needing it. It may not go to a running back. The Patriots have a lot of holes on this roster that they may need to backfill.

Starting point is 00:12:32 Jabril Peppers is going to start training camp on Pups. So is David Andrews. These guys may come off, and I have a feeling that both Andrews and Peppers will come off before the end of training camp. But if they don't, the Patriots may need to stock the roster with extra running backs extra offensive linemen extra guys in the secondary there's a lot of different questions who benefits from this the most on the running back chart well i think it's going to be between two different players i think it's going to be the veteran jj taylor and the rookie kevin harris these guys have the best chance to benefit from James

Starting point is 00:13:06 starting the season on PUP because it may mean a regular season roster spot for either one or maybe even both of them. Look, I love what J.J. Taylor has done here the last couple of years. He does remind me of Deion Lewis. He does have that forward thinking capability that I think makes him a very serviceable back but there's only so many slots here on the roster and if the Patriots do start with a full slate I think it may be JJ on the outside looking in reason being Patriots spent some draft capital to bring in Kevin Harris and this kid is built like a truck from the waist down I said that last week I'm gonna go with it again this week because he just is so exciting to watch in that regard

Starting point is 00:13:45 he's got some speed there's no question about it he's also that type of lumbering back that can give you the strong yardage that you need in goal line situations a lot of upside when it comes to him jj is very shifty he's very difficult to tackle uh but he was available for a good portion of the season last year and jj saw limited. So that usually indicates that the Patriots are either bringing him along slowly or that maybe he didn't develop as well or as much as they hoped he would. One player you haven't heard me mention yet is rookie Pierre Strong, because I think Pierre is guaranteed a roster spot. I think he's that good.

Starting point is 00:14:21 I think there's that much of an upside. And if James White is not able to find the field this year, or at least at the beginning of this year, and Pierre Strong may be the guy that benefits the most from it. Why, you may ask? Well, I'll get into that in just a moment as we wrap up today's episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast, talking a little Pierre Strong and what he can bring to the table as a rookie. But first, folks, level with me. We've all been in a situation at some point in our lives when we were a little tight on cash. Maybe you could only afford to put a few gallons of gas in your tank, or maybe you

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Starting point is 00:16:10 maybe with a little bit more playing time. I'll be good. I'll be conservative at this point. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself here. But if James White does not see the field for the foreseeable future for the New England Patriots, I think we can all agree that puts the Patriots at a disadvantage, no matter how you slice it. But it may not be the death knell for the Patriots runners that a lot of people are thinking it might be still got Damian Harris as the feature back still got Ramondre Stevenson who I think

Starting point is 00:16:34 is your future back of the feature back of the future and Murph and I discussed this a few days ago but we also discussed whether or not Pierre Strong might benefit from extra playing time on the field. Murph certainly thought so. I thought so. Tried to make a little bit of an argument for Kevin Harris, but the more I look at this, Pierre Strong just comes across as the perfect replacement for James White, whether or not it's going to be in the immediate future or the not-so-d distant future. I think the Patriots definitely got a good one when they selected him as the 127th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft. Yeah. Pierre Strong has such a unique skill set. He's a dual threat runner receiver. During his time at South Dakota State,

Starting point is 00:17:20 he was very good. He compiled 4,527 rushing yards. That's third on the school's all-time list. 40 career rushing touchdowns. He rushed for 100 yards or more in 18 of his 48 appearances with the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. This is a kid that can run the football, and he has got tremendous speed. He can move with ease in between the tackles. He's got great patience in finding his seam. And once he does that, he has such an above average burst through the hole and the speed necessary to break away. I really can't wait to see what this kid can do in training camp. A lot of a star is born moments happen during training camp.

Starting point is 00:17:58 And I think Pierre Strong is on the cusp of that. He did have some struggles as a backfield receiver, especially later in his college career, but he still averaged 6.8 yards per catch in 2021. So it's not a situation where he's averaging only one or two yards. This kid can get the ball out of the backfield and he can even give you some yards after the catch. That speaks very well for him and something that I think makes him the ideal person to be able to fill in for someone like James White. Patriots running backs were among the team's most productive positional groupings on the team last

Starting point is 00:18:31 year. So when you look at what the Patriots are going to do offensively, I think a big part of it is going to be leaning on the running backs. And we're starting to see that even in camp where the Patriots are adopting some more zone type of packages in the offensive line indicating that they may like to run the ball a little especially in the early downs Patriots finished eighth in NFL in rushing last year Damian Harris had a tremendous season tied for second in the league with 15 rushing touchdowns Ramondre sorryph, but he looked fantastic. He was a valuable contributor. 606 yards on the ground, five touchdowns. Again, when you look at the guys that are used in the third down roll,

Starting point is 00:19:15 Brandon Bolden did a great job last year. 41 receptions, 405 receiving yards. And even with them bringing back James White, which basically was an indication that the Patriots were probably not going to have a lot of room on the roster for brandon bolden this year they still went out and got pierre strong because they looked at him as the perfect complement to what james white brings to the table he doesn't only provide the patriots with another dual threat rusher receiver he also helps to provide that insurance that looks like they're going to need right now as an effective option both on early downs and on the third down and nobody understands that more than Pierre Strong himself and we're going to close today folks with a quote from him because I think this shows a

Starting point is 00:19:57 maturity and a wisdom beyond his years the kids coming in without just the physical ability and the technical prowess to be able to get the job done on the field, he also has the right mentality. And when he was asked early on, shortly after he was drafted and he met with the media for the first time, we asked him what his thoughts were about coming in and playing either a specific role for the Patriots or trying to play any type of role he could. And this is how Pierre Strong responded to that question. Quote, helping the team out any way I can, out of the backfield, special teams, any way I can help the team win a Super Bowl. Whenever New England needs me to play,

Starting point is 00:20:37 that's where I'm going to play. That's the type of person and that's the type of player that I am. Folks, if that doesn't make Pierre Strong sound like a Patriot, I don't know what will. There's all different kinds of cliches that you can think of when it comes to the New England Patriots, whether it be do your job, whether it be humble pie, really going back years on that one. If you don't know the meaning of that one, folks, Google it. You won't be disappointed. You'll see an awful lot of Teddy Bruschi all over the place and anytime you can Google and look up the history of Teddy Bruschi it's always a good it's always a good time and bring it all full circle what number is Pierre Strong wearing during training camp until they

Starting point is 00:21:14 assign rookie numbers that's right he's wearing Teddy's old number number 54 as a running back yeah it's a rookie thing folks that's not going to be a long time that's not going to be a a permanent thing but that is the number that he to be a long time. That's not going to be a permanent thing. But that is the number that he's being assigned right now. So he already sounds like a patriot. He definitely is bringing himself into good company. And look, Bill Belichick understands that. Vinny Sinceri understands that as the running backs coach.

Starting point is 00:21:38 And hopefully Matt Patricia, Joe Judge, and Mac Jones ultimately will need to appreciate that. And it sounds like all of those guys are on the same page. They all appreciate what they have in Pierre Strong. I think it's a strong second option for the Patriots when it comes to possibly replacing James White or at least filling in for him. But bottom line, even though I'm excited to see what Pierre Strong can do, I want to end this note by saying there is no one in Patriots Nation that hopes more than me maybe those of you that hope just as much but I don't think there's anyone that's hoping more than me that James finds the

Starting point is 00:22:14 field this year and contributes big time I love watching him play I still think there's a lot left in his tank and if he has to take a little bit more time to get over a very tough injury for anyone to get over, James White has earned that right with everything he's done for the team, both on the field and being that strong presence in the locker room. We wish him nothing but the best and hope James is back on the field very shortly. Patriots fans, we are looking forward to the start of training camp, the first practice on Wednesday, July 27th.

Starting point is 00:22:45 And again, Locked On Patriots will be there to bring all the action to you each and every day so make sure to subscribe hit the subscribe button smash it on youtube download subscribe to and follow the lockdown patriots podcast on all platforms including youtube and folks all i can do is thank you so much for taking time out of your weekend schedule to make Locked On Patriots not just your first listen every day but also a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage and now that you've made Locked On your first list or your first listen I should say now follow our friends at Locked On NFL make them your second listen because all of the great stories and

Starting point is 00:23:25 everything and anything you need to cover or need to talk about in the NFL our guys at locked on NFL have you covered so download subscribe to them follow wherever you get your podcasts I am your host Mike debate I thank you each and every day for taking time to listen to locked on Patriots and view us on YouTube until tomorrow foxborough faithful stay safe stay well be the change you wish to see in the world have a great day everyone

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - White Out: New England Patriots running back James White on PUP, Pierre Strong and More

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