New England Patriots 2019: Ranking team’s top 5 offensive playmakers
3. James White
Although Tom Brady has lost one of his top targets in tight end Rob Gronkowski, one of his security blankets still remains.
While all the offseason talks surround whether Gronkowski will return and the high expectations of N’Keal Harry, running back James White has flown under the radar.
Perhaps that is a good thing for the New England Patriots since White is coming off a season in which he caught 87 passes for 751 yards out of the backfield. With his 123 targets in 2018, there is no doubt the Wisconsin product will remain in Brady’s circle of trust and may be targeted even more depending on how things pan out with the tight end position.
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With durability also being on his side, James White has also emerged as one of the team’s most reliable players. Although he tailed off towards the end of the season, just having him on the field gives opposing defenses a weapon to worry about.
On a depth chart that includes Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead and third-round pick Damien Harris, expect James White to be the team’s third- or second-best offensive playmaker for a while until other players at other positions find their comfort zones in the system.