James Whites Thoughts on New Era Patriots | Patriots Daily - video Dailymotion

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Taylor Kyles and Mike Kadlick of CLNS Media are joined by 3x Super Bowl champion James White to discuss his outlook on the 2024 Patriots, what it takes to be a great receiving back, how he earned Tom Brady's trust, and more!  0:00 - Introduction 1:52 - Gaining Tom Brady's trust 5:12 - Route running insights 8:48 - Learning experiences from college 10:55 - Impact of position coaches 15:12 - Coaching expectations 16:59 - Transition to new coach 18:50 - Taylor Embry's impact 20:44 - Rhamondre Stevenson's contract extension 23:17 - Running back market challenges 25:44 - Potential fit with Gibson 28:08 - Running back packages stress 30:08 - Offensive line situation 33:51 - Follow James on socials  ************************************************ Patriots Content Brought to you by....  Prize Picks - PrizePicks.com/CLNS Download the app today and use code CLNS for a first deposit match up to $100!  Gametime - https://gametime.co Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed. Terms apply.  Merch Store - https://shop.clnsmedia.com  Social Media!!!!  Patriots Twitter- https://twitter.com/patriotsclns  Patriots Instagram-  https://www.instagram.com/patriotsclns/  Facebook- https://facebook.com/clnsmedia  LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/clnsmedia/about/  Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@clnsmedia *********************************************************  ABOUT PATRIOTS COVERAGE ON CLNS:   Welcome to the CLNS Media Network’s YouTube channel for New England Patriots  football.  CLNS Media is the leading online provider of audio/video coverage for the 6X Super Bowl Champions.  Get complete inside access to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro and everywhere on the road. CLNS Patriots credentialed insiders Greg Bedard, Andrew Callahan, Tayler Kyles, John Zannis, Alex Barth and Mike Kadlick provide instantaneous news and analysis all in real time, as well as full access to complete videos from the players, coaches, ownership and everyone else inside Patriots Place.  If you enjoy CLNS’ Celtics  All Access and are craving more Boston sports content, you head over to CLNS’ Patriots  Press Pass at   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqX7G3pEDTseNxtoDU27PEg?sub_confirmations=1   __________________________________________________________________________  For Celtics Content:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmp3kivpOg3lzoJC7yV7VjQ?sub_confirmations=1   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmp3kivpOg3lzoJC7yV7VjQ?sub_confirmations=1    Celtics Twitter - https://twitter.com/CelticsCLNS   Celtics Instagram - https://instagram.com/celticsCLNS  Twitter Main- - https://twitter.com/clnsmediaCLNS  Main Instagram - https://instagram.com/clnsmedia

Transcript

00:00What's going on everyone? Taylor Kyles and Mike Catholic

00:14here for CLNS media coming at you with another episode of

00:17Pat's daily brought to you by our good friends at prize picks

00:20and game time today. Very very special guests. We have on the

00:25show. This man was a fourth round pick for the Patriots in

00:29turned into a three-time Super Bowl champion member of the

00:33all 2010s team and all Dynasty team legendary New England

00:38Patriots running back without further ado James White new

00:41member of the media as well man. Welcome to the show. Thank

00:45you so much for being here. How you doing? I'm doing well

00:47Taylor. Appreciate you Mike appreciate guys having me on

00:50you know, just had you on my podcast. It isn't released yet

00:52is coming out soon. But yeah, man excited to talk some ball

00:56talks on Patriots good old home and home man. This is going

00:58to be fun. All right. So to start off obviously Tom Brady

01:02had his Hall of Fame and Shriven ceremony for the Patriots

01:05a little while back. One of my favorite stories from that was

01:08Gronk talking about how in 2010. He finally earned the trust

01:12of Tom Brady. It was a play against Brian or lacquer. We're

01:15getting the old chicken wing. I don't know how much you heard

01:17about that. Yeah. So I'm really curious for you. Obviously you

01:22came in there were some running backs ahead of you. Rookie

01:24season was quiet. So for you, when was that moment that you

01:28feel you earn the trust of Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick

01:31for me? It was funny because actually like my rookie season

01:34during training camp out there in some interview. Somebody

01:37asked Tom like about me and he said like I trust James White

01:41but it was funny. I didn't play with whatsoever that year

01:44played it. I played in three games, you know, just kind of

01:47clean up duty that type of thing. But the game where I

01:49truly feel like I gained this trust. It wasn't a loss. We

01:52played the Philadelphia Eagles 2015. That's why Darren Sproles

01:56ran back upon. They blocked upon did all types of things.

01:58They they beat up on it. Yeah, beat up. They beat up on us,

02:02but I had a hundred yards receiving that game and they're

02:04playing a ton of man coverage. I was I was giving Kiko Alonzo.

02:08I was giving him a hard time out there, you know, me and Malcolm

02:10Jenkins got matched up some and I had a over a hundred yards

02:13receiving and like those type situations third down fourth

02:16down, you know, Tom kept looking my way. And from that point,

02:19I just felt like he could trust me when he when things were

02:22breaking down or if he felt like I was one on one and you

02:25know, he didn't like his other looks on the outside. He can

02:27come to me. So I think that I mean it may have been during

02:30practice prior to that, but in a game, that's when I really

02:33feel like, you know, after then it kind of took off. So you

02:37mentioned that. So what you mentioned that it was a hundred

02:39yard game that you feel like you kind of gain that trust.

02:42So then what is in your mind? What does it take to be like

02:45that reliable, you know, receiving back where you know

02:48shit hits the fan and coverage or have you and he knows that

02:50James is going to be there because often especially in the

02:54Patriots offense, there's been that reliable third down

02:56receiving back and we've kind of haven't had it since you

03:00since your retirement. So I'm just curious what you think

03:02kind of makes that what makes that position? Well, first of

03:05all, from the coaches standpoint, you got to be able

03:07to protect the quarterback. That's that's first and

03:09foremost. You can't just be out there free releasing, you

03:12know, getting out catching the ball every single time. At

03:13some point, you're going to have to protect the quarterback

03:15and especially when you have a guy like Tom Brady back there.

03:18He you're not going to be standing next to him. If you're

03:20going to have unblocked Blitzers coming in taking his

03:22head off. So I say protecting the quarterback. Then after

03:25that, just kind of building trust and relationship between

03:27the offensive coordinator and no time as far as, you know,

03:30knowing where he's looking, knowing how to read coverages,

03:33just having a good feel, you know, for for zone coverage,

03:37knowing, you know, if there's different routes behind you

03:39where you should be to help those routes out or you know,

03:41if he really needs you in a certain situation based on the

03:44pre-stamp look just making sure you're winning and especially

03:47when your numbers call, you know, like when you are sub

03:49back in the pages with with Josh McDaniels, he did a great

03:52job of breaking things down to where you know, based on the

03:55call that we went through all week long. It would always

03:58somehow pop up in the game and if the plays called in the

04:01huddle or if it gets alerted to that play, you know, it's

04:03like your your heart starts beating. He's like, okay, it's

04:06like it's my response, my responsibility right here to

04:09go make a play for my team, whether it's one-on-one coverage

04:11catching the screen, something like that. I think that's

04:14just really what it's all about being that sub back. I

04:17don't know like what is going to be with Van Pelt and the

04:19new offense, you know, I know he did things differently,

04:21you know, in Cleveland. I don't know if they'll have a sub

04:23back, you know, that type of thing. So that would be kind

04:25of interesting to see what that looks like for him and

04:27kind of building off that with the McDaniels offense.

04:30Everybody always talks about the option routes and how hard

04:33it is to really get that under your belt. People don't know.

04:35I've seen the 2016 playbook running back's got plenty

04:38option routes as well. So how long did it take until you

04:41really felt comfortable and what was it that kind of like

04:43was it experience or something that really clicked when you

04:45were like, all right, I know based on this look confident

04:48what I got to do adjust. I would say my second season was

04:52really like really when I got comfortable. I did it like in

04:54spurts and flashes at practice, but I didn't get too many

04:57game reps. So you never really know exactly what it's going

05:00to look like to a guy actually gets out there on game day.

05:02We've seen a ton of guys, you know, make plays or OTA during

05:05training camp, but then you put them out there in real

05:08live action. They don't necessarily make it happen. So

05:11my second season is really when I got a real good feel for

05:14like my route running real good feel for, you know, the zone

05:17coverages and the spacing and a real good feel for what my

05:20responsibility was in the running back with the offensive

05:22line was doing and what time was thinking. I think once you

05:25get a grasp of you know, everything and what each play

05:28what we're actually trying to execute allows you to play so

05:31much faster. You don't you're not thinking out there. You

05:33just you see things before the snap then you react after the

05:36snap. That's pretty much what it is. You don't want to have

05:38your head spinning, you know, when you're out on the field

05:40of the playbook is definitely complex, especially when it

05:43comes to the option routes. I know, especially for a

05:45quarterback, you know, they when you have these option

05:48routes, they don't know where you're going, but you you know,

05:51so you gotta you gotta win. You can't be making a hundred

05:53different moves and having the quarterback pump faking and

05:56you know, you got guys like Myles Garrett, you know, no

05:58rushing after them trying to get sacks when he only has like

06:01two three seconds to get rid of the ball. So it's not easy,

06:04but we use that a ton and they're giving you that that

06:07onus to run an option route. You got to win first and

06:10foremost, you got to catch the ball and make plays and they

06:13kind of building off that when it came to pass protection,

06:15you mentioned that and how important that is, especially

06:17with the franchise in the backfield with you, but it's

06:20not easy because if you're talking about something like

06:22chip help, like Myles, Gary, if you hit him too hard, you

06:25could put your tackle in a tough spot. Yeah, I mean, you

06:27got to sometimes take on linebackers that are coming

06:29downhill. You're standing square and I've seen you do it

06:32or Mondry. Stevenson's been great at that since he entered

06:34the league from your perspective, actually haven't

06:36done it at a high level. What were the keys to being a

06:39successful pass blocking back? Because like you said, you're

06:41not even going to be in the game. If that's not an area

06:43where you yeah, I think first and foremost is want to like

06:46if you don't want to do it, then you're probably not going

06:48to go out there blocking a guy who's, you know, probably

06:5020 sometimes 30 pounds, you know, heavier than what you

06:53are. So I think it's want to and just got to have a little

06:56bit of technique. You just got to be physical, especially

06:58for smaller guys. Like I said, most of the time you're

07:00blocking guys bigger than you. So you got to throw your

07:03body in there, latch on, do whatever you can like some

07:05guys have, you know, better technique than others, but

07:08other guys are just going to do it, you know, any way

07:09possible, throw the helmet, throw the shoulder, you know,

07:12do whatever you can to try and knock a guy out of their

07:14feet and just get them just slightly out of the way, you

07:17know, to make sure the quarterback wasn't there and

07:18then you got to understand, you know, the blitz schemes

07:21and what the offensive line is doing. You got to be on the

07:23same page with those guys. They're going to make calls

07:25to the line of scrimmage to change what you're doing.

07:27Tom can make calls to the line of scrimmage to change

07:29what you're doing, change who you're blocking. You may

07:32have two guys look at on one play. You may have one guy

07:34to look at on one play based on the protection or based

07:37on what the defense is doing. So, again, it can get pretty

07:40complex out there, but when it comes down to it, just,

07:43you know, trust what you see and react. It's just like,

07:45it's just like running the football, but then once, once

07:47you actually got to react, then you got to, you got to

07:50get the job done, you know what I'm saying? Like, we all,

07:52you know, have lost, you know, some reps when it comes

07:54to the one-on-one blitz pickup. You're going to lose

07:56some, but you got to win, you know, a lot more than you

07:59lose and otherwise, you're probably going to be on the

08:01bench. It's, it's, it feels so like a lot of it is mental

08:06at that position. Like you mentioned. Yeah. Okay, you

08:09know, we all know you weren't the biggest running back.

08:11So having a pickup blitz pickup like that, it's, you

08:12know, wanting to go do it, but then also having the

08:15technique to do it. And I'm curious. I think we'll get

08:18we'll get into, you know, where we think this next

08:21Patriot team is going with Mayo and all that stuff. But

08:24thinking about that and sort of like when you were at

08:26Wisconsin, you guys just the at one point that school

08:29was churning out running backs, you know, your Monty

08:31balls and you know, all those types of guys and you

08:33were obviously on that list. Then you play with Josh

08:37McDaniels and Tom Brady and under Bill Belichick. It's

08:40such a mental position. Where do you think you picked

08:42up the most from playing running back? Was it college?

08:45Was it the pros? Was it, you know, every step of the

08:47way that kind of grew? Like, where do you think you

08:48really learned? Again, the most for the from the

08:51position. It was my sophomore year of college. My

08:54running back coach, Thomas hammock, my freshman year

08:57college. I just, I just knew how to run the football.

08:59I knew, I knew what I was doing. I knew how to, I

09:01knew how to like pass protect, but I didn't really

09:03conceptualize things. It was just like, I know who I

09:05have. I pick them up. I don't know what the offensive

09:07line is doing. I don't know what the quarterback is

09:09looking at. I just know who I got. I know my job, not

09:11watching film. I'm out here running for a thousand

09:14yards. Like I'm good. Then my running back coach left

09:19to go to the NFL, you know, Thomas Hammock comes in

09:22from from Minnesota, like his first like day or two

09:25there. He slaps like a test on our on our desk. Like

09:28like, let me see what you know, like as far as

09:29formations, pass protection is a six-man protection,

09:32seven-man protection, like all this and like we all

09:35looking at each other like, I don't know, I don't

09:38know this shit, you know, I know, I knew a couple

09:41formations. I knew, I know all the run plays. I knew

09:44that I knew everything when it comes to that, but

09:46everything else, you know, we didn't really know.

09:47So, you know, from that day forward and looked at

09:50the game like a completely different way. That's

09:52when, you know, we were lining up at receiver

09:54positions. We're catching bubble screens. We're

09:56doing motion. So we kind of have to learn the whole

09:58offense from that point. So I think that helped me

10:00out a ton, just getting a feel for what we are

10:03trying to execute as an offense. So when I got to

10:05the NFL is a little bit different, but when you

10:08break it down, it's, you know, a lot of the same

10:09things just called something different or, you

10:12know, just schemed up a tad bit different. So that's

10:14what helped me out a ton. I said wasn't as smooth

10:17for me my rookie year because I wasn't playing. I

10:19still had a decent concept of what was going on. I

10:22think my second year just really, you know, taking

10:25an onus on that and just going out there and like

10:28knowing it and then you got to go out there and

10:30make plays. You can't just know to play, but you

10:32got to, at the end of the day, you got to make

10:33plays. You can't just, you know, you don't know

10:35the playbook front and back and you just, you ain't

10:37doing shit.

10:41It sounds like you got really lucky with position

10:43coaches because they got to the NFL and you got to

10:46work with Ivan fears. I feel like he and scar

10:49talked about in very similar ways where players

10:51always mentioned. Yeah, he makes you a good player,

10:53but more than that, it's what he does for you off

10:56the field and helping you really become a man. So

10:58you still see Ivan fears all over the facilities

11:01and the practice field. I mean, always lurking

11:03always. Yeah, I went into the stadium last year

11:05to record like a video or something after practice

11:08and he's sitting in the stands. I'm like, oh,

11:10hey coach. He's like, hey, literally just sitting

11:12by himself. Clearly loves being around that

11:15organization. But from your perspective, what

11:17made him such a great coach, both the way that

11:20he helped you mature as a player, but also as a

11:22person. This is a lot. I mean, I'll stick to a kind

11:25of, you know, off the fence, kind of on the field

11:28all the field, just his love for the game. I think

11:31he embraces. He's always like one of the first

11:33people out on the field. Like you probably still

11:34one of the first people out on the field. He's

11:35not even a coach, you know, right now, you know,

11:37with the Patriots, but he just truly loves the

11:40game. So he just never allowed you to take it

11:42for granted just to embrace your opportunity. No,

11:45no one day. You could be here next day. You'd be

11:47somewhere else. The next day, your career could

11:48be over. So just really embracing the meetings,

11:52the practices, the games, taking it all in and

11:54enjoying it, enjoying every win, learning from

11:56every loss, all that. I think that was the best

11:59part of having Ivan fears you because like

12:01obviously knew the game front to back great

12:02running back coach pushes us, but I just think

12:05just having him as your coach. You just never

12:07took, you know, those moments for granted. I'm

12:09always thankful for that.

12:11I'm sorry. I just I couldn't remember if you

12:14were here. Were you here with Vinny Sonseri as

12:16well? Yeah. I was there with Vinny my last like

12:18two years. He's our running back coach or so.

12:20Yeah, I couldn't remember if you were gone in

12:21the same transition as Ivan, but go ahead. I

12:24was curious if you had both of them. Yeah, just

12:27real quick. Was there like a memory that you

12:29kind of always comes to mind when you think of

12:30the years like when it comes, you know, just

12:32something that happened that really was just

12:33like, yep, that's Ivan. Oh man, it's spot a

12:38little bit. Yeah, that's Ivan. Hmm. It's tough

12:43to pick one. I mean, I just love like him being

12:46on the field. He's always on the field first

12:48sitting on like the bags that we do for like

12:50drills. Just taking it all in like it's like

12:53do you it's probably like you're a million

12:55practice out here on the field. You're still

12:56out here, you know, taking it all in enjoying

12:59every moment. He's like I said, he's still doing

13:01it to this day. So I say he just embraces the

13:05game. He's been a part of it for so long. But

13:09for me, like my one of my favorite just memories

13:11of him just him just, you know, during the

13:13offseason, we had like one-on-one meetings and

13:15they kind of like let you know, like what you

13:16need to improve upon like going into the year

13:18where they want to see if you're going to know

13:20try to embark on a bigger role or continue to

13:23do what you're doing. And I remember like after

13:24my rookie year, he just kind of like jotted down

13:27a few things for me to do. And then like me

13:30actually going out there and doing during

13:32practice, like you just see it on his face. Like

13:34it's like, okay, like this kid really like

13:36starting to take it serious. Like I can see the

13:38maturation and the growth of him. So that was

13:40that that was just kind of like one of my favorite

13:43moments for him. Like you can see them looking

13:44at me like, okay, you can see the difference

13:46from, you know, last year.

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15:08tickets, lowest price, guaranteed. Let's stay

15:11on coaching for a second because, and I'm sure

15:14you've been asked this question a million times

15:16in the last seven months, but you played with

15:18Mayo, you've been around Coach Mayo, you've seen

15:21sort of the transition that's gone from from

15:24Bill to him over not only just these last seven

15:26months, but really the last couple years, and

15:27they kind of had Mayo in the building and stuff.

15:29So what are your expectations for him as a coach?

15:33Do you think they'll be successful? Because

15:35there's, you know, it's great when everyone says,

15:37you know, the guards are down, and it's more

15:40loose, and it's player-friendly, but is that going

15:42to matter? What do you expect, and how do you

15:44see this season to be ongoing for the team?

15:46I think he'll do a great job. I think for Mayo

15:49as a player, he brought energy, and he's a loud

15:53mouth, he can talk, you know what I mean? So that,

15:56like, you walk in the locker room, his locker

15:57room was like, his locker was one of the first

15:59ones when you walked in when, you know, when I

16:01was there. You hear him from one end all the way

16:03to the next, whether it's, you know, competing

16:04on the practice field, you know, competing in

16:06the locker room, playing games, whatever it may

16:08be, and he knew the game, you know, front to back.

16:10I caught him on the last couple years of his

16:12career, but he's still making an impact at that

16:15point. So I know he's still going to teach the

16:16game at a high level. He's going to have those

16:18guys competing at a high level, and I think he's

16:21going to bring the energy. Obviously, he's a lot

16:23younger than Bill. They're, you know, two

16:25different style coaches, but he coached under

16:27Bill. So there's going to be some things that

16:28he uses from his time coaching with them, and

16:31then he's going to implement some, some new

16:32things, which you already see. They're switching

16:34up the, you know, what it looks like in the room.

16:36I'm sure they're practicing different a little

16:37bit, but I think he can, he can connect with all

16:41the players there, you know, with the younger

16:42generation coming in. These, these kids are a

16:44little different, you know, you know, you know,

16:46I mean, they learn differently. They're motivated

16:48differently, and I think he'll be able to tap

16:50into, you know, their space and really get them

16:53get down on their level to help improve them as

16:56players and people off the field. So I think he

16:57brings a ton to the table this year. This year is

17:00going to be the biggest challenge. Obviously,

17:01your first year, you got new quarterback. No,

17:04Jacoby's been there before, but new quarterback,

17:06rookie first-round draft pick, you know, what's

17:08going on on offense. I think the defense will

17:10still excel at a high level. That's what he knows

17:12best, but it's just how to figure out, you know,

17:16how much input do you put, try and make on the

17:18offensive side of things, or do you just leave it

17:20alone, you know, kind of just stick to the defense,

17:22just trying to find that balance. There's a lot

17:24you got to take on, you know, he's not just, you

17:26know, coaching linebackers in the defense. Now,

17:28you got to manage a little bit of everything. How

17:30do you compartmentalize your time and figure

17:32that out? Other than that, I know the guys are

17:34going to compete at a high level. Yeah, I was

17:35trying to hammer that home, like when all the

17:37hires are being made, because like being a position

17:39coach isn't the same as being a head coach. Being

17:42a head coach and being a general man, like all

17:44these things are so different, your responsibilities

17:46and everything, but kind of while we're on the

17:48new coaching staff, Taylor Embrace, he's someone

17:51that you were familiar with before he was actually

17:53hired by the team. And have you gotten a chance

17:55to kind of talk to him at all? I haven't gotten

17:57to meet him yet. I know a little bit about him.

17:58I know he came from the Jets and they work with

18:00guys like Brees Hall there. So you saw how he

18:02burned. I know he's a good football player coming

18:04in and he running back coach, you know, probably

18:06would have had a good time coaching him. But to

18:08see how he jumped in his rookie season into year

18:11two coming off injury, you know, he played well

18:14once again. So I think him, you play receiver

18:17in college. So I think that'll help a lot of

18:19these, these young backs as far as the third

18:21down rule and should have a ton of great drills

18:23to work, you know, with them. So any coach on the

18:25defensive side of the ball as well, you know,

18:27early on his career. So he knows the game from

18:28that side of the, that side of the field and from

18:31the offensive side of the field. So I think that

18:32would be great as far as teaching some of these

18:34young players. I don't know him personally. I'm

18:36sure I'll get to know him, you know, at some point,

18:38but yeah, he's coached some, some talented guys.

18:40He's going to have, you know, some more talent

18:42in the running back room with Dre, you know,

18:44you got Kevin Harris, you got Antonio Gibbs, you

18:47got guys like that, all different body types,

18:49all different play style. So I think it'll help

18:51all those guys improve. And one thing Ramondra

18:54actually mentioned when he was asked about Taylor

18:55Embree was, he was like, hey, he already knows

18:57we know how to run, but he's still a good coach.

18:59So I'm curious when you have, you know, a one

19:02to punch like Ramondra, like Antonio Gibson,

19:04they've got a lot of experience and they've seen

19:06a lot in the league. What does it take to be a

19:08great coach and make sure you're getting the best

19:10side of them? Is it more kind of, and of course

19:12it changes from coaching coach. Do you think it's

19:14more like kind of staying out of the way? Maybe

19:16just giving them little, you know, tendencies

19:18and things to help them out. What does that

19:19look like? Yeah, you try to give them tendencies

19:21for, you know, preparation throughout the week.

19:23Make sure those guys give them little tidbits

19:25to, you know, they see something. If you see

19:27something on film that tips something off, whether

19:29it's a blitz or whether it's a front based on,

19:31you know, the run play that's being called. Just

19:33just make sure you're giving those guys as much

19:35tools as possible. I think that's my one of my

19:38good friends, you know, he's coached by Jim

19:40Leonard at Wisconsin. He said, you know, I'm

19:43I'm your coach, my job. I'm gonna give you a

19:45bunch of different tools to put in your toolbox.

19:47One week, you may use a hammer. One week, you

19:48may use a wrench. One week, you may use, you know,

19:50a flathead screwdriver, but you gotta, you gotta

19:53pick and choose which tool you're using based

19:55on, you know, based on, you know, the defense

19:57that you're playing, the offense you're going

19:58up against, all that type of thing. So I think

20:00for him, it's just giving those guys, you know,

20:02as many tools as possible and kind of letting

20:04them know when to use it. But it's up to them

20:06to know, you know, once I'm out on the field,

20:08like, okay, like, okay, it's hammer time. Now

20:10that I got, I got a middle linebacker coming,

20:12you know, scot-free at the middle, right through

20:14the A gap. I got to bring my hammer so I can,

20:16you know, I can't be the nail right here. Got

20:17to be the hammer, you know, to knock this guy

20:19out, that type of thing. So just giving those

20:21guys tools, you know, kind of on the field as

20:24far as, you know, blocking, running, catching

20:26all that stuff and then just giving them those

20:28tidbits, you know, mentally to know, you know,

20:31when to use things. I think that's the most

20:33important thing.

20:35Let's really dive into remote. Oh, I'm sorry.

20:36You got something to go. No, you're good.

20:38No, you got it.

20:40So we got to talk to Raul Ramondi, Stevenson,

20:41but now let's give him his due. The man just

20:44got paid, got signed to an extension, might

20:46have come to a surprise to some people because

20:48of how the running back market works and

20:49everything. But now he's getting paid like a

20:51top 10 back. Now, if you look at the numbers,

20:54I think they backed it up. If you look at what

20:55he's done 2022, especially where for stretches,

20:58he really was the entire.

21:02So from your perspective, do you think he was

21:05worthy of that extension? And why exactly gang?

21:07Because I mean, you did it at such a high level

21:09for this team. I believe he's worthy of he's

21:11a guy. He's done it first, second, third down.

21:14He's done whatever the team is need him to do.

21:16He's been the guy on the field, you know, 80%

21:18plus times, you know, other snaps on the field.

21:21So unlike, you know, kind of what we did when

21:23I was there, you know, we rotate four or five

21:26you know, six guys out there a lot of times

21:28when he was there with Damian Damian went down

21:30and he was out there playing a ton of snaps,

21:32which I was I was shocked to see because you

21:34know, his rookie year, you know, failing the

21:37conditioning test doing all that stuff. I would

21:38have never imagined him playing that many snaps

21:40on the football field. So it was a pleasure to

21:42see, you know, the growth for him, the player

21:44that he developed to and like seeing him out

21:46of Oklahoma and we drafted him loud. It's just

21:48just another one of those big dudes, you know,

21:50trying to run dudes over and then like you see

21:52him making guys miss. He's catching the football.

21:55He's he's dynamic man, and he's really grown

21:58into a great player and definitely a top 10 back

22:00top five back. I'm sure he wants to go out there

22:03and prove it this year. I know he kind of said

22:04it, you know, during the interviews or OTAs

22:06or before that he wants to be the guy he wants

22:08to be the future back. He should he and I think

22:11you got to keep those core guys within your

22:13organization, you know, new staff. He's been

22:15coached by Bill Belichick, you know, Mayo was

22:17there with him. You got to keep, you know, those

22:19guys offensively defensively in there that

22:21could help, you know, spread that new culture

22:23that you're trying to implement throughout

22:24the team. He's a well-deserved contract. He's

22:26definitely a playmaker.

22:28Amen. I'll rip. I'll rip the bandit off then

22:30James because you're a part of the media now

22:34and the running back market in those contracts.

22:36It's always it's it's a talking head topic,

22:39right? And I've said it in the past and I'll

22:41admit to it. Like I've said oftentimes you

22:43shouldn't give a running back a second contract

22:45and I use the Patriots as an example because

22:48they have turned out several different guys

22:50and you talk about Harris and remandering they

22:52cut they keep coming. They get injured things

22:54like that. And there's numbers that back it up

22:56and there's numbers that don't we see the same

22:58one Barkley stuff last year. Then he gets a big

23:00contract with Philly. So from a running back

23:02who's played the game at a high level for a long

23:05time. What are your thoughts on what goes on

23:08in the running back market as far as the franchise

23:11tag and not giving them, you know, more than

23:12two and three years and things like that. Like

23:14what do you make of it? And what are your

23:15thoughts about it? It's it's tough. I mean,

23:18there's a lot that goes into I think, you know,

23:20guys should be getting paid. No, just I mean

23:22may not be getting paid as much as receivers

23:24and all that know that it's a passing game

23:26and everything but the guys that know our

23:28difference makers that can play, you know,

23:29first, second, third down guys, like McCaffrey

23:32guys, like Camara guys, like, you know, Nick

23:34Chubb. If you're a true difference maker for

23:36your team, I think you deserve to make, you

23:38know, close to 20 million dollars, whatever

23:40the market price may be. I know everybody says

23:42you don't win a Super Bowl with a, you know,

23:4420 million dollar running back. Like you can

23:46do that for any different position. You can

23:48skew those statistics. However, you want to do

23:51you can chop it up. However, you want to do

23:53if you, if you got a guy who can go out there

23:55and make plays a lot, you know, Christian McCaffrey

23:57could have been a Super Bowl MVP, you know,

23:59from this past year. If they won that game,

24:01if you have a difference, make it pay them.

24:02You know, I mean, you got me got to be a unique

24:05guy. If you're just a regular guy. Yeah, I'm

24:07gonna find a different guy in the drive, a

24:09younger guy, cheaper player. Yeah, but if you

24:11got a true playmaker, like Ramon Dre and guys

24:13like that on your football team, I think they

24:15deserve to get paid. I think the market is

24:17going to slowly work itself back up and kind

24:19of dipped off some. I think because of the

24:22reason for that was guys like, you know, Todd

24:24Gurley, Le'Veon, they got their money Zeke

24:26and the production was a little off. So yeah,

24:28that made them dip it like, I mean, we're not

24:30paying these backs 18 million dollars and

24:32they're not getting over a thousand yards and

24:34not give me my my 10 plus touchdown. Yeah, I

24:37can, I can, I can respect that. But yeah, I

24:39said, there's other positions that, you know,

24:41I'm saying that the performance doesn't match

24:43but it's still paying these guys, you know,

24:45the same amount of money. So yeah, it's, I never

24:48really understood it. I mean, it was just kind

24:50of a trend. I think and I think it's got, it's

24:53got to work itself because when it comes to

24:55playoff time, you need you a bag, you know,

24:57when it's cold outside, when it's fourth

24:59quarter, you're trying to close the game. You

25:01need a guy who can go and punch out, you know,

25:03two, three yards, whatever and make a play to,

25:05you know, kind of send you home to victory. So

25:06I think it'll get, it'll get back to where it

25:08needs to be. And that's another reason I've been

25:11saying, I think we're monitoring was worthy

25:12of that contract because you look before,

25:14obviously, he goes down because of a hip drop

25:16tackle. Yeah, it's not like he's, you know,

25:17made a class or nothing like it is now paying

25:20from the sports. So you think crazy? I think

25:22the only game he actually missed because of

25:24any illness was because he was sick one week.

25:26I think a couple seasons back. So that

25:28availability is huge. But for Mondrake doesn't

25:31have to take on the load all by himself this

25:33season. Again, Antonio Gibson, he projects kind

25:36of in your old role that third down kind of

25:37receiving back, but also in this outside zone

25:40wide zone scheme, he can also run the rock

25:42because he's a big dude. So what do you expect

25:44me from Antonio Gibson? And how did you feel

25:46when he was signed by the team? And you know,

25:48his potential fit with these guys. I thought

25:50it was a great sign. He's different than, you

25:52know, the guys that they currently have on the

25:54roster. They've been missing a guy like himself

25:56on the roster for some years. Now, I know

25:58reminder could do all three downs, but even

26:00still Antonio's, he's just a tad bit different.

26:02He played receiver in college, play some back

26:04too. So he has the versatility. He's a bigger

26:06dude. He can run through arm tackles. I think

26:09just having a guy you can specifically, you know,

26:11scheme, whether they use a sub back third down

26:13back. I don't know what they what they plan on

26:15doing, but to have a guy that you can literally

26:17plug in there and potentially the defense has

26:20to make a different call because he goes out

26:22there. I think that makes a huge difference,

26:24you know, for them offensively just to have a

26:26guy like I know when I when I went into the game,

26:29you know, I can hear the, you know, the defense

26:31said 28 cent or whites and like stuff like that

26:33just to make sure they're alert. That way. It's

26:35not just the same guy, you know, going out on

26:37the field every single time. They can make the

26:38same calls. I think it makes the defense think

26:40a little bit. I said, I think he could be used a

26:43lot more. I don't think he was used a ton, you

26:45know, in Washington the past couple years. I know

26:47he had a solid rookie year. So I'm sure he's

26:49chomping at the bit to prove himself as well and

26:51you take some of the load off from Andre. I know

26:53I know he got paid. He could be out there, you

26:55know, whatever most of the snaps and everything

26:56but to have another guy who can really step in

26:58and there's really no drop off. I think that's

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28:03pick more pick less. It's that easy.

28:07Kind of a scheme nerd question here, but when it

28:11comes to Pony personnel, I feel like we've been

28:13talking about it for a year. It's always exciting

28:16on paper, but then sometimes, you know, if the

28:19offensive coordinator isn't quite creative enough,

28:21it's like, yeah, you got two backs, but it's just

28:23the both going to the flat like, oh,

28:27there are these guys, but how do you feel about

28:29it with Ramon Dre and Antonio? Because again,

28:31we've already seen, we can't really say exactly

28:33what we saw, but they're getting creative with

28:35Antonio Gibson. So how do you feel about those

28:38two running back packages and the kind of stress

28:40that could put on a defense having again, Ramond

28:42Dre and Antonio Gibson on the field together?

28:44Yeah, I love it. I mean, it challenged the defense.

28:47They have to figure out what personnel they want

28:49to match up with it, whether we want to go nickel,

28:51whether we're going to go base defense, the they

28:54go base defense, then obviously we're throwing

28:55the football, getting two guys matched up on

28:58linebackers, letting them win. So it puts stress

29:01on, but the guys have to put it on tape, obviously

29:02that they can they can win in man-to-man coverage

29:04consistently. I think that's when it really

29:07posed a problem. I know for me, it's like me, Rex

29:10or Brandon Bolton or Deion Lewis, like whenever

29:12we went out there, we put stress on the defense.

29:14So, you know, you make the defensive coordinators

29:16worried. If they can put that on tape early in

29:19the season and it's effective, I think they'll

29:21keep calling, but they have to use it. I think

29:23you have when you have, you know, quote unquote

29:25questions in the receiver room and all that and

29:27you got some, you know, more veteran running

29:29backs. Why not lean into them? Use some pony

29:32personnel, not just on third down, either chip

29:34and like you said, not just chipping going to

29:35the flat, getting some stuff of them first and

29:37second down motion shifts empty with both guys

29:40out there and really stress the defense out. I

29:43can talk to that 2019 Eagles game.

29:48Or the other one is the it's the Super Bowl

29:51against the Rams 53 when you guys ran 21 with

29:54Rex and Devlin and it's it effed up the Rams so

29:58bad, but they had them those guys split out and

30:00it's like little stuff like that. That was just

30:02it really messes with the defense. Even what

30:05year? I think that was a 2018 AFC championship

30:08before halftime or something like that with

30:10Rex. We ran like regular personnel two-minute

30:12and we walk them all down the field and score.

30:14So there's different ways. No, you can use it

30:16when you have versatility at the running back

30:18position where you're not just line up and 21

30:20is 90% run like, okay, whatever. We'll stack

30:22the box and we're going to shut that down. When

30:25you line up at 21, do you get an empty? Oh boy,

30:28like what do like how we match this up here? You

30:30know what I'm saying? So if you have versatile

30:32guys like Dre and Antonio Gibson, it makes it

30:36makes a world of difference. We'll wrap it

30:38with this because I just mentioned the the Rams

30:40Super Bowl. Another reason you guys were able

30:42to win the game was the offensive line and the

30:44way you guys change the identity into the run

30:46game throughout that postseason run. So what do

30:49you think of the Patriots current offensive line

30:51situation? Because it was great when you guys

30:52had even when you guys were here. We've talked

30:54about it with scar and stuff like that and it's

30:56it's dipped over the last three four years and I

30:58think it's one of the main reasons why Mac Jones

31:00didn't succeed here at the end of the day. So

31:02thoughts on what they've done Cole strange

31:05obviously injured, but they've brought in a ton

31:06of interior guys. They've kind of I don't want

31:09to say ignore the left tackle position, but

31:11they're they haven't tables. Yeah. Yeah, they've

31:14taken some gambles. I like Taylor's a little bit

31:16more optimistic than I am. But what do you make

31:18of it? And where are they and how can they how

31:20can they move forward with it? Yes, it's going

31:21to be interesting to see, you know, what it

31:23looks like. Obviously at David Andrews Big Mike

31:26City. So you drive to Kate and Wallace those

31:28type of guys. So I think a lot of these younger

31:31guys have to step up and really show themselves

31:33new scheme. So I said that that changes things

31:36as well. How much do they drop back and drop back

31:39and pass it? How much of it will be, you know,

31:41play action passes, you know, it's it's going

31:44to be very and this is all it's a lot. It's

31:45going to have to play a lot better if this team's

31:47going to win some football games this year,

31:49especially with new quarterback and new system

31:52and everything. I honestly can't say what is, you

31:55know, what it's going to look like. I'm I'm

31:56interested to see, you know, what it shakes out

31:58to be, but my guy David Andrews, you got to do

32:00a great job of motivating all those guys be better

32:03really falls on his show. He's the center. So

32:05he's a guy who has to communicate to everybody

32:07and those all those guys have to really ramp up

32:09their play, man. He got a guy to protect the

32:12quarterback. You got to open up some holes for

32:14those running backs. It's going to it's going to

32:16be a challenge, but they need them. They need

32:18them to play big. Actually, one more thing. I'm

32:20curious about because we talked about reminders

32:22Stevenson. We talked about Antonio Gibson, but

32:24there's likely going to be at least one more

32:26running back that makes this Ross. You got your

32:28Michael hasty, Kevin Harris's guys. You've already

32:30been in the league. Then you got young guys like

32:32Deshaun Fenwick and Terrell Jennings. Obviously,

32:34we haven't gotten to see much of them because

32:36there's no ads in the spring. But who do you

32:38maybe like? Is that third guy can limited sample

32:40size to go off of but is there anybody that you

32:42think might have an edge based on what you know

32:44about their game? I like Kevin Harris. I was with

32:47him his rookie year for a little bit before I

32:49retired, you know, I didn't really get to see

32:51too much of them. Then watching them later on

32:52the season when you know, they Damien went down

32:54and remandering went down as well. And Pierre

32:56and him had a have a solid little game. I think

32:58it was against Arizona Cardinals or something.

33:00Yeah. So yeah, he he has he has some speed to

33:04him. He has some power to him and he could be

33:06like that. No, maybe he could be the goal line

33:08back. You'd be that, you know, fourth and one

33:10get a little package for him to get him in the

33:12mix. I feel like I'm not sure how well he is as

33:14far as catching the football, but you know,

33:16he could find him a little niches being the

33:18power bag being a little bit different than,

33:19you know, both the guys they have on the roster.

33:22I know to Michael Hayes. He's a solid player

33:23as well. He's he's shifty. He could be in the

33:26mix for, you know, interchangeable third down

33:28back sub back. I'm not sure how many backs

33:31they'll use. I don't know. I don't really watch,

33:33you know, Ben Pelt that much, you know, in

33:35Cleveland and everything how many backs he

33:36really has in his rotation. I know sometimes,

33:39you know, some guys were going to the game with

33:41three bags. Sometimes it's two and we used to

33:43go four or five sometimes. So it all depends

33:46on how many they try and bring to the game

33:48that that's going to be the biggest challenge

33:50James. This is a blast man. Thank you so much

33:52for joining us. Hope we can do this again at

33:54some point. But before we let you go, please

33:56let the people know if they don't already follow

33:58you, which is pretty insane, but just in case

34:01let the people know where they could follow you

34:02with great stuff. You got coming down the pipeline

34:04that we should all be looking out for. Oh,

34:05yeah, you can follow me on Instagram.

34:08Sweet feet, pretty simple on on X Twitter,

34:10whatever you want to call it. Sweet feet,

34:12underscore white and all that good stuff. I

34:14have a my own podcast going on the money down,

34:17you know, Taylor came on last night for that

34:19will be dropping soon. We were all YouTube

34:21on tick-tock. We're on all that good stuff. We're

34:23still in the beginning stages, but you know,

34:25we're growing and like I said, we got some good

34:27content talking ball talking life, you know,

34:29trying to give everybody, you know, kind of

34:31tap into like you're in the media give people

34:34kind of interesting. Look at what it's like

34:36being a young guy starting the media growing

34:38what your future aspirations are going to be

34:40just trying to motivate everybody to get to

34:42where they want to be in life.

34:43I'm not just saying it because you're here.

34:45That was truly one of the most fun interviews

34:47I've ever done. So seriously, take out my

34:49episode of course, show us

34:53great wins. Once again, James. Thank you so

34:54much for joining us. Thank you all as always

34:57for watching. Now. Take care of yourselves.

34:59Take care of each other. We'll see you next

35:01time. Peace y'all.

James Whites Thoughts on New Era Patriots | Patriots Daily

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