Keion White ready to put on pads and bring violence to Patriots training camp
White didn't get to hit anyone on Friday, as the third day of Patriots training camp in Foxboro was just a walkthrough. He won't do it over the weekend either, with another un-padded practice on Saturday before players get their first day off of camp on Sunday.
But on Monday, everyone will don pads for the first time this summer. Then the real fun begins for White and the New England defense.
"I hope they run the ball every play," White said of his offensive counterparts.
Hopes are high for the New England defense heading into its first season under new head coach Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams. There is loads of potential with the group thanks to the offseason additions of Milton Williams, Harold Landry, Robert Spillane, and Carlton Davis, who are joining star corner Christian Gonzalez, Christian Barmore, and White on the New England D.
But White says hype isn't worth anything if players don't go out and prove it when they're on the field. And he wants perfection from the defense and himself on each and every play.
"From a defensive standpoint, I don't want the offense to get one yard. Anything more than that is a loss," he said Friday. "That's what a dominant defense looks like, and that should be the expectation. Yeah, they're going to get yards on plays. But I feel the standard should be negative yards on every play."
New England had the worst pass rush in the NFL last season, with a league-low 28 sacks for the season. White had five of those sacks, but four of them came in the first two weeks of the season.
He can be an absolute wrecking ball off the line, but last year's staff wanted White to focus more on setting the edge and reading and reacting to the offense in front of him. Vrabel's defensive approach is much different, and White is eager to get going.
"Leading with violence is always my type of stuff, so whenever I can do that and not read as much, it's definitely beneficial for me," he said.
It's no secret that White was not a fan of last year's regime in New England. He said back in June: "Now, I feel have a coach."
It was quite the shot at Jerod Mayo. But how does White feel about Vrabel now that they're a few days into training camp?
"My biggest working relationship is whether we're winning or losing. That's big for me and then you go from there," he said. "Is he a good coach, and how can he make me better? That's the biggest relationship I have."
White was asked if he considers Vrabel, who was pretty good at getting after quarterbacks during his playing days, a good coach.
"I think he's a pretty good coach," replied White, adding, "Because he helps me get better."
Vrabel is a no-nonsense guy himself, and had a lot of praise for White ahead of Friday's practice.
"I love Keion's attitude. He's a worker," said Vrabel. "He's here early and has a routine that works for him. He practices hard and he's conditioned. I think he's got a great attitude and I love coaching him. He's very receptive and a coachable player."
Now just imagine the conversations between Vrabel and White. As both relayed Friday, it's all about football.
"Technique and how to get better. For real," said White. "What do I need to do on the field, what does he see, what do I see, and how to improve on that."
"Keion, there is not a lot of fluff to him," said Vrabel. "Our conversations are mostly -- he wants to talk football. That is his profession, his career, his passion. We talk a lot of football and I've enjoyed getting to know him."
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