White had a noticeable drop in Wednesday’s minicamp practice, but the rookie running back, overall, showed better hands than Shane Vereen this spring. White also appears to be an experienced route runner, and he was known for his pass blocking at Wisconsin. Vereen is the better athlete, however.
Hopes are high for Vereen next season, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see the Patriots give White an equal chance to earn the “starting” third-down back spot in training camp.
The Vereen-White battle is reminiscent of when the Patriots appeared to be “phasing out” a contract-year Wes Welker in favor of Julian Edelman in 2012 before the latter suffered an injury. That’s not to say we saw any sort of phase-out for Vereen this spring, but given his contract scenario, it’s possible that the Patriots approach the position in a similar fashion.