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Former New England Patriots running back James White sees similarities between his arrival in New England as a young player and Rhamondre Stevenson’s current role with the team.
White had followed other running backs, such as Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, Danny Woodhead and Kevin Faulk. It was up to him to continue carrying the proverbial torch in the backfield. White did his job, spending eight seasons with New England. He recorded 1,278 rushing yards and 3,278 receiving yards over the course of his career.
He was able to provide the Patriots with a multi-dimensional back, which was something New England needed with the departures of veteran playmakers. White grew into the role as the Patriots’ top back. Stevenson began to take on that role last year, rushing for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns. White sees the former Oklahoma star continuing to trend upward, as noted by ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Sunday.
“It almost reminds me of before I got to the Patriots when they had Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen [in the early 2010s], and Danny Woodhead, Kevin Faulk and others were gone,” said White. “Back then it was like, ‘This is your backfield now.’ I feel like that’s the transition there now.
It should be a seamless transition for Stevenson, who was obviously beloved by Belichick and the offensive coaching staff considering his usage rate last season.
The third-year back was in on 66 percent of the snaps with 210 carries.
“…It’s not so often as a Patriots running back that you’re out there that many snaps,” White said. “[Coach] Bill [Belichick] loves that guy, so he just has to capitalize on the opportunity.”
It will be important for Stevenson to take that leap, as New England’s running back room lacks experience outside of veteran third-down back Ty Montgomery.
The 2023 season could be a chance to see if Stevenson can take a step toward becoming a top running back in the NFL.