Julian Edelman is irreplaceable. That much is obvious. He is the best slot receiver in the NFL, but more importantly, he is Tom Brady's most trusted target.

But the New England Patriots lose star players every year and always persevere. The 2017 season will be no different. Edelman's targets will be distributed elsewhere, and the offense will continue to score points. One of the main recipients of those added targets won't even be a wide receiver.

James White, a running back, is one of the team's most prolific receivers. He can handle a lot of the shorter routes that Edelman used to take on, making one quick cut to get open for a decent gain. White acknowledged that in a video captured by Kevin Dillon of MassLive while also playing coy about his ability to replace a superstar.

"I mean they're similar characteristics, but he does a lot of different things that I don't do," White said Tuesday. "I think we are quick guys and stuff like that. But as a receiver, you're asked to do a lot more stuff in the passing game. So I can't exactly do everything that he could."

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The Patriots planned to involve running backs in the passing game more this season than they ever have even before Edelman went down. In the past, the team has had one pass-catching running back to lean on: Kevin Faulk, Shane Vereen, and then White. Now the team has three: White, Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead. The plan was to use them in different sets and combinations to keep them fresh while also confusing the defense.

Now, that will be a necessity. The Patriots don't have their slot receiver to rely on, so they'll have to create offense in other ways. That might mean lining White up in Edelman's spot, or reconfiguring some of his routes to work out of the backfield.

White is glad for the opportunity, but he still took the time to acknowledge his fallen teammate and tell reporters that he can come back strong next season.

"If anybody can do it, he can," White said. "Like I said, he works extremely hard, he's a very reliable player. He does everything right on and off the field and he's a guy you really respect."

Edelman will have to be replaced in the aggregate. No one player is going to take on all of his production. But White is going to do his part. He'll take on an expanded role and potentially even be used in some ways he hasn't in the past to help the team move past the loss of their most consistent pass-catcher.