Patriots RB James White is retiring, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Many reports have had White continuing to have issues in his recovery from the hip injury that ended his 2021 campaign, so this doesn't come as a surprise. Rookie Pierre Strong might be the most direct replacement for White's skills and role, but we'll see how the renovated backfield splits up passing-down work. For now, Strong carries upside at the end of fantasy football drafts.
Pats RB James White remains without a “clear timetable” to come off the PUP list, per insider Jeff Howe. The possibility remains that White, who’s rehabbing a hip injury, stays on the PUP list to start the season. Rhamondre Stevenson remains the favorite for passing-down work.
Pats RB Rhamondre Stevenson has slimmed down to 225 pounds, per insider Doug Kyed. He’s listed at 230 pounds on NFL.com, so it’s not a drastic cut. The move is believed to be because of an increased emphasis on the passing game. Per Kyed, Stevenson said he has a better understanding of 3rd-down concepts entering year 2. With James White’s health a question mark, Stevenson looks like the Pats’ primary receiving back in 2022.
ESPN's Mike Reiss highlights Patriots rookie RB Pierre Strong Jr. as a potential replacement for James White's passing-game usage if the veteran's hip doesn't allow him to begin the regular season on time. Strong's HC at South Dakota State called the RB's receiving "his greatest strength" and also lauded his ability as a pass protector. Strong also posted strong rushing numbers, including career highs of 1,686 yards and 240 carries (7.0 per rush) in his final season for the Jackrabbits. He then led all RBs at the Scouting Combine with a 4.37-second 40 at 5'11, 207 pounds. New England sports Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson as primary rushers, with 6th-round rookie Kevin Harris joining the mix there. Strong's primary competition for a "3rd-down" role, though, looks like J.J. Taylor and Ty Montgomery -- if White's not ready. New England tends to lean away from giving significant work to rookie RBs but had Stevenson ranking 2nd on the team in touches and total opportunities as a rookie just last year. Strong is interesting as an end-of-draft consideration for fantasy. He'll get more interesting the longer White stays on the PUP list.
Patriots RB James White (hip) has been placed on the PUP list to begin training camp. It's no surprise after he missed all offseason workouts and was reportedly still walking with an "uncomfortable gait" at a recent charity event. 30 years old and coming off significant hip surgery, White's availability and effectiveness in 2022 are in serious question. He's not worth a pick in fantasy drafts right now.
ESPN's Mike Reiss reports that Patriots RB James White was "walking with what appeared to be an uncomfortable gait" at a recent community appearance. White is coming off a hip injury that ended his 2021 season in Week 3. It would obviously not be a good sign for his 2022 readiness if he's not yet able to walk normally. We'll see about his official status as training camp gets going, but we're not expecting much this season from White. Don't be shocked if the veteran doesn't even make the regular-season roster.
Patriots insider Alex Barth writes, "initial reports suggest [RB James White] may not be fully cleared to play by the start of the season." White is working his way back from a significant hip surgery last September and was limited in spring workouts. We'll track his progress throughout the summer, but he's not a very appealing pick in early fantasy drafts. Barth believes rookie RB Pierre Strong is the "best fit" to fill White's pass-catching role if he's not ready for the start of the season.
Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson said Tuesday that his focus this offseason was "route running and being a third down back." That doesn't necessarily mean that he'll be New England's primary pass-catching back this season. But it's certainly possibly, especially if he's improved in that department after a promising rookie year. Stevenson caught 14 of 18 targets for 123 yards in 2021, ranking 12th among 89 qualifying RBs in yards per route run. The Patriots re-signed RB James White in March, but the 30-year-old coming off hip surgery is a big question mark.
Patriots RB James White (hip) was on the field for voluntary workouts late last week, according to NESN's Zack Cox. White is returning from last September's season-ending hip surgery that had him "bedridden for months," per Cox. It's still unclear when White will be cleared for full-team work, but it at least looks like he's trending toward being available for the start of the season. If healthy, White is the favorite for pass-catching duties in New England's backfield.
Patriots RB James White is unlikely to participate in voluntary team workouts this month, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “I still have a little while to go [after] a pretty rough injury,” White said this week. The veteran back needed surgery following a September hip subluxation. New England added RB Pierre Strong in the draft, but White will project as the passing-down favorite when healthy. Still, there’s just not much fantasy upside to chase here.
RB James White has re-signed with the Patriots for $5 million over 2 years, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. That's not enough money to guarantee that White will make the 2022 roster. But he's available through the end of drafts right now and is thus a low-risk option with significant PPR upside. White caught 40+ passes in 6 straight seasons before the hip injury that knocked him out in his 3rd game last season. White was averaging 4 receptions per game when he went down.
Patriots RB James White is expected to miss the rest of the season with his hip injury, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. It's a significant loss, as White had racked up 13 targets through the first 2 weeks of the season. We're intrigued to see who steps into the all-important pass-catching back role for the Patriots. It was special-teamer Brandon Bolden after White exited last week.
Patriots RB James White is "out indefinitely" after suffering a hip subluxation in Sunday's loss to the Saints, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It's the same injury Washington QB Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered in Week 1. We'll look for a more concrete timetable for White's return, but it sounds like he's at least headed to short-term IR. White is droppable in shallower fantasy leagues. Brandon Bolden stepped in as New England's lead passing-down back in Week 3, but we'll see what the Patriots do this coming week. RB Damien Harris could pick up more passing-game work -- or New England could use a bit more of RBs J.J. Taylor or Rhamondre Stevenson.
Patriots RB James White was carted off the field in the 1st half of Sunday's game vs. the Saints. He was announced with a hip injury and ruled out for the rest of the game. We'll update White's status when we know more.
The Patriots have surprisingly released QB Cam Newton, according to multiple reports. We wouldn't have been shocked to see the team name Mac Jones its Week 1 starter, but we certainly did not foresee New England unloading Newton completely. Jones graded out among the top passers across the league in preseason, according to Pro Football Focus. His ascension should be good news for the fantasy outlooks for basically everyone in the New England offense. It signals a more traditional scheme as opposed to last year's run-heavy approach. It returns lead status near the goal line to Damien Harris and the RBs. And it should mean more -- and more accurate -- targets for all pass-catchers. We're not overly interested in Jones as a fantasy football prospect, but Jakobi Meyers, Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry, Nelson Agholor and James White all gain some late-round appeal. RB Damien Harris also gets a bump. Check out the updated projections for the Patriots.
Plenty has been made of Patriots RB performances this preseason, especially after 3 of them combined to rush for 4 TDs Thursday night against the Eagles. Rhamondre Stevenson contributed 2 of those, marking his 2nd straight 2-TD outing. But it's been Damien Harris dominating the work with QB Cam Newton. Among 29 snaps that Newton has played through 2 games, Harris has been on the field for 16. James White has played 9 of them, with Sony Michel in for 4. So all of Stevenson's work has come with reserves. According to Establish The Run's Adam Levitan, White has been on the field for the only 3 third-down snaps with Newton. Stevenson will bear watching, but Harris' role doesn't appear to be under seige. And keep White in mind as a late PPR option in fantasy football drafts.
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