Why James White believes that Rhamondre Stevenson can follow breakout season with a stronger 2023
Stevenson rushed for over 1,000 yards last season, but White and other analysts think he can reach a higher level of play in 2023.
Rhamondre Stevenson had a standout season in 2022. James White thinks he can have an even bigger season in 2023.
In an interview with ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the former Patriots running back compared New England’s backfield situation to the time shortly before he joined the team in 2014, saying he feels like there’s a “transition there now.”
That transition, which saw the departure of Damien Harris plus the signing and releasing of James Robinson this offseason, has led to Stevenson being the clear-cut No. 1 running back on the Patriots’ depth chart. After Stevenson shouldered a lot of the burden out of the backfield for a good chunk of last season, White thinks the third-year running back has a prime opportunity ahead of him.
“It’s not so often as a Patriots running back that you’re out there that many snaps,” White told Reiss. “[Coach] Bill [Belichick] loves that guy, so he just has to capitalize on the opportunity.”
White certainly isn’t wrong in his assessment of how often Stevenson was used last season. He played in 66 percent of the Patriots’ offensive snaps in 2022. Not only is that a high percentage of snaps played for a team that historically uses a running back by committee approach, but it’s also the highest percentage of snaps played by a Patriots running back since at least 2011, which is where Pro Football Reference’s snap count data cuts off.
Stevenson was also used a lot when he was on the field. He had 210 carries and 69 receptions, giving him 279 touches on the season. That was tied for the 10th-most in the league among all running backs and was just one touch behind for ninth. It’s also the most amount of touches a Patriots running back has had in a season since 2016, when LeGarrette Blount had 299 carries and seven receptions.
Stevenson’s play was enough to give Belichick and the rest of the offensive coaching staff reason to use him as much as they did. He rushed for 1,040 yards on an efficient 5.0 yards per carry and five touchdowns. His 69 receptions were a team-high, proving to be a safety valve for Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe as he added 421 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. That’s part of the reason why White and other analysts think Stevenson can hit another level of play in 2023.
“Stevenson is fresh off his first 1,000-yard season, but the third-year pro should be even better in an offense designed and directed by an experienced offensive coordinator,” NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks wrote earlier in June when he tabbed Stevenson as the running back most likely to have a breakout season. “Bill O’Brien will put the ball in the hands of the rugged runner to set the table for Mac Jones and a complementary play-action passing game.
“Not to mention, New England’s second-leading rusher from 2022, Damien Harris, departed in free agency to Buffalo. So this is Rhamondre’s show. As a three-down playmaker with the size, strength, and skill to shoulder a heavy workload, Stevenson could post big numbers this season.”
With Harris gone and Robinson already released, the Patriots have several unknowns behind Stevenson. Their most veteran running back is Ty Montgomery. The 30-year-old joined the Patriots last season and was set to be their passing-down running back but he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1. Even though Montgomery was in-line for a notable role last season, he’s recorded fewer than 200 yards of offense in each of the last four years.
Behind Stevenson and Montgomery, the only other running backs on the Patriots roster are Pierre Strong Jr., Kevin Harris, and J.J. Taylor. Strong (a fourth-round pick) and Harris (a sixth-round pick) were both selected by the Patriots in last year’s draft, but neither saw the field much. Strong played just 51 offensive snaps, and Harris played 53 offensive snaps, while Taylor has been a practice squad mainstay in his three seasons with the team.
White likes the running back group though, even if they lack experience or pedigree. He said that Strong “has the speed” and Harris “is a physical runner” while pointing at Montgomery as someone who he thinks can help shoulder the burden with Stevenson in 2023.
“I see a bunch of talented young guys and then a savvy veteran in Ty, if he can stay healthy, to kind of lead those guys along,” White told Reiss. “Being around him a little bit last year, in OTAs and training camp, [Ty is] a guy who feels like he is still trying to prove himself and feels he has a lot left in the tank … he just hasn’t quite had a true opportunity.
“With Bill O’Brien coming back [as offensive coordinator], they’ll probably get back to having a ‘sub back,’ and I feel like he’ll be the guy to take that on if they don’t have Rhamondre take on the full load.”
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