FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — There’s a new 93 in town, and it’s linebacker Prescott Burgess.
The New England Patriots acquired Burgess from the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday, reportedly for a conditional seventh-round draft pick. In the surprising move, the Patriots made the decision that Burgess would wear No. 93, which is defensive lineman Richard Seymour’s former number.
The Patriots traded Seymour to the Oakland Raiders for a 2011 first-round draft pick Sept. 6, and they immediately gave his locker to practice-squad rookie defensive tackle Adrian Grady. It’s yet another example of the Patriots moving on and distancing themselves from Seymour.
Burgess wore No. 54 in Baltimore, but that is off limits because it was Tedy Bruschi’s number in New England. Steve Nelson, who played linebacker for the Patriots from 1974-87, had No. 57 retired in his honor.
“I really wanted something in the 50s, but 54 [was Bruschi’s number] and then two other 50s, I wasn’t allowed to use them,” Burgess said. “Whatever it is, it’s just a number. It doesn’t matter what number they give me. It’s just about the player in the number. I’m going to make the best of 93.”
Burgess, who played linebacker at Michigan with Pierre Woods and Shawn Crable, said he was caught off guard when the Ravens told him his future with the organization was coming to an end. The team arrived home from San Diego late Monday, and Baltimore’s front office told Burgess at the stadium Tuesday they were trying to trade him. He got home at 4:30 p.m., and he got a call that he was getting traded to the Patriots.
“I didn’t think I was even going to have a chance to catch my breath from Sunday, so I was very shocked,” Burgess said. “You’ve just got to roll with it and take the punches that come with it. Now, I’ve got to make this my home.
“As long as I’m on a good defense, that was a plus for me.”
Burgess was a sixth-round pick in 2007, and he recorded seven tackles on special teams in eight games before being placed on injured reserve with a torn quadriceps muscle. He broke his forearm during the 2008 preseason and missed the entire year with that injury. Burgess played in both games with Baltimore this season but has not recorded any statistics.
He has made his mark in the NFL on special teams, but he can play both inside and outside linebacker to provide depth for the Patriots. Burgess said he’s not worried about adjusting to the Patriots’ system after learning such a complex scheme in Baltimore.
“I don’t think anything is complicated against the Baltimore Ravens,” Burgess said. “They run just about anything. I just play football. It’s all just lines and where to go. I think that’s about it. I think I can catch on real fast.”
Clearly, Burgess is ecstatic over the opportunity to play against the Ravens at Gillette Stadium on Oct. 4, and he said he’s more than ready to provide some insight about Baltimore’s defensive system.
“I’d been with the Ravens for three years, and to get to play them, I think I’ve got a good feel for how they play,” Burgess said. “I guess they’ll look at me like, ‘We’ve got to block him,’ so I’m just ready for it.”
