James White goes to the New England Patriots
James White (20) rushes as Penn State Nittany Lions safety Von Walker (25) defends at Camp Randall Stadium. Penn State defeated Wisconsin 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports
The New England Patriots have some talented running backs on the roster in Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, and Brandon Bolden, but they were always looking for some more running back help after the talented LeGarrette Blount signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers to become the top backup to young feature back Le’Veon Bell. The Patriots were always expected to spend a third day pick on a running back, and the guy I had on my radar was UCF’s underrated Storm Johnson, who can bring a variety of different things to the table.
With the 30th pick in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots decided to snag Wisconsin Badgers running back James White, who was one of the most consistent running backs in the nation during his time in college. Even though he was overshadowed last season by talented 2015 running back prospect Melvin Gordon, White still managed to grab plenty of the spotlight by getting significant touches and turning those into significant yardage.
White is the type of consistent rusher who fits the Patriots offense perfectly, because the Patriots don’t feel like they can trust Ridley going forward due to his fumbles; we all know how much Bill Belichick loathes turnovers. Vereen is an all-purpose back and Bolden is the deep jack-of-all-trades guy, so adding White as a consistent guy who can be a workhorse if needed is a good way to replace the departed Blount-force trauma.