Patriots' James White: Ready for leadership role

White says he will be more vocal now that the Patriots don't have Tom Brady as a leader in the locker room, Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com reports.

White enters his seventh NFL season as a team captain, with 301 of his 322 career receptions coming from Brady's right arm. The transition to catching passes from Jarrett Stidham and/or Brian Hoyer may come with some bumps, but White remains a good bet to average at least five or six targets per game. It's also possible he sees a bit more work on the ground, though Sony Michel (ankle), Rex Burkhead and Damien Harris also will be battling for carries. Michel is recovering from May foot surgery, with early reports suggesting he isn't looking at a long-term absence. White is locked in as the top backfield choice for clear passing situations after averaging 63 catches for 557 yards and 4.8 TDs over the past five years.