Boutte patiently waits for chance
FOXBOROUGH — James White knows exactly what Kayshon Boutte is going through.
In 2014, the running back was on the Patriots’ active roster as a rookie, but played in just three games, stuck on the depth chart behind Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley, LeGarrette Blount, and Jonas Gray. He racked up a ton of healthy scratches and ended the season with just five receptions and nine rushing attempts.
“It’s very tough. Growing up, playing Little League football, high school, college, you’re in there all the time,” said White, who was coming off a productive college career at Wisconsin, where he accounted for 4,685 yards from scrimmage. “If you’re not in there, it can be tough to stay locked in. Has the team forgotten about you?
“You have to show them you can play, because you never know when your time will come because of injury or not performing well. But it’s definitely not easy.”
Boutte is running the same occasionally frustrating gauntlet in his first season in New England. The rookie, a sixth-round pick out of Louisiana
State, played in the regular-season opener against the Eagles, but since then, he has been a (mostly) healthy scratch.
In a quiet moment Wednesday, he acknowledged the challenge that comes with sitting and waiting.
“Yes sir. It’s tough. It’s tough mentally,” said Boutte. “But only you can control what you can control. So I just come in every day and do what I can do, trying to be the best I can be, knowing that when my name gets called, I’m ready.”
Boutte’s only game was marked by a missed opportunity. With the Patriots driving for a fourth-quarter touchdown, he wasn’t able to get both feet down on a fourth-down pass along the sideline. He hasn’t seen any game action since.
“I felt like I didn’t get my second foot down,” he said, “but watching and rewatching and rewatching, it was just … I understood that the way he placed his hand and pushed was the reason why I couldn’t get my second foot down.
“Once I watched that and understood, I had more comfort with myself and I really wasn’t beating myself up about it.”
In the meantime, Boutte said, he doesn’t feel as if he’s in the doghouse. He has embraced a scout-team role, saying that that’s the best way for him to be a good teammate right now.
“Being inactive and things not going my way, it’s not really a bad thing, you know?” he said. “It’s great, actually. Giving those guys on our defense a look they need. They go out in the game and do the things they need to do by seeing the looks throughout practice, so I feel like scout team is big for them and the team overall.”
That being said, Boutte could get a shot at playing time sooner rather than later. With the season-ending injury to Kendrick Bourne and the uncertain status of DeVante Parker (who missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with a concussion), his time could be getting closer.
“Being there for those guys, letting them know that we’re going to hold it down, that’s a big thing too,” Boutte said. “But being that that happened, you know, it’s the next man up. So knowing that, going into this week, it’s a big week, and we have to fill their spots. It’s a huge role on this team.”
Of course, there are no guarantees. White recalled a time when Ridley went down with a knee injury and he thought he’d have an opportunity.
“I thought I would be a guy who could step in and help out,” White recalled. “But they brought Jonas up off the practice squad, and traded for LeGarrette. They had a different plan in mind for me at the time, and that was tough for me.
“At the end of the day, I had to look myself in the mirror and say, ‘I haven’t shown them enough for them to give me an opportunity right now.’ ”
Regardless of what happens, White — who would eventually grow into a key role with the Patriots and become a Super Bowl MVP — has some simple advice for Boutte.
“Stay locked and keep practicing hard,” White said. “It can be very easy to start slacking in practice, and things of that nature. That won’t benefit you or the team.”
Secondary help
The Patriots signed rookie cornerback Alex Austin, who was released from the Houston practice squad. He’s a 6-foot-1-inch, 195-pound California native but has connections with New England. He played youth football with Jack Jones, and his family is so close with Willie McGinest that Austin considers him an uncle . . . Parker, offensive linemen Calvin Anderson (illness) and Trent Brown (ankle/knee), and defensive lineman Davon Godchaux (illness) were all DNPs Thursday. In addition, Pharaoh Brown (back) went from missing Wednesday’s practice to being limited . . . David Andrews referenced his uncle Dan Reeves — one of the winningest coaches in NFL history who was fired three times — when asked about Josh McDaniels being let go by the Raiders. “I like the way Josh approached the game,” Andrews said. “I thought he did a great job helping us, putting us in successful positions. I have a lot of respect for how he coaches and the things he does. Look, it’s just a part of this business unfortunately. Very few players and coaches I think get to walk away on their own terms. I saw that with my uncle first-hand. It’s a harsh reality of this business.”