FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots plucked James White in the fourth round two drafts ago inevitably hoping, or assuming, that he'd replace Shane Vereen in 2015 as the team's pass-catching back.
Vereen was coming off a strong finish to the 2013 season, averaging 79.4 yards from scrimmage in eight regular season games. The Pats knew Vereen would command a decent contract when he hit free agency in 2015, and they probably saw some Vereen in White, who caught 73 passes in his four-year career at Wisconsin.
And then Dion Lewis happened. He was a gamechanger for the Pats.