I have high hopes for Pat White - it's hard not to pull for him.
But I'm also realistic about what he is right now. At this point, he is a wide-eyed rookie with zero NFL experience, a probably surface-level grasp of the playbook, and the size to get broken in two by D-linemen and linebackers who are much faster than in college and much, much bigger. This latter part worries me very much (for his near-term effectiveness...I'm sure he'll bulk up a little next year and beyond). So far when he has run, he seems a bit timid, lacking the burst you saw in college. There may be no holes for him to hit because of poor O-line play, but in the NFL the holes are much smaller than he's used to. Some of them you just have to power through while arms flail at you. This also a problem Ginn has unless he gets a big, open hole on the outside. He's never going to run *through* DL and LB tackles, and that's why he gets eaten up on run plays unless he gets the big hole. Small skinny guys don't do well behind the line of scrimmage in the NFL, period.
Now you can argue that undersized Desean Jackson is a successful playmaker in the NFL, but he's a fair bit faster and doesn't get hit regularly by DL and LBs...mostly CB and safeties. White's adjustment to the NFL game, especially in the way we are using him, is going to take a while. This is why I think White will be a much more electric player as a receiver (assuming he can catch and run routes). Put him in the slot, get him the ball in space. And use him as a throwing threat coming off the jet/WR position in the wildcat. But from behind center, I believe he will struggle. I want to believe otherwise, but the evidence is stacked against.
Another thing that makes me doubt his near-term effectiveness: In college, Pat was a guy who you could see start "feeling" the game as it got going...with his runs and his throws. He needs rhythm. It will be a while before he can come into a game cold, and hit a deep pass to Ginn accurately. His bashers will use that as an excuse to knock his accuracy, but it has more to do with how he is being utilized.
Trust me brother, I'm hoping to see some effective razzle-dazzle from Pat, but at this early stage I think they're doing exactly what they say they're doing - just getting him some game experience. We'll probably be waiting for the better part of this year for any of these nifty formations we chat about or any big gains to come out of Pat formations. That's just the reality of the situation. I'm a self-admitted White-homer, but this is just how I see things at this early stage in his career.
