FOXBORO, Mass. — It doesn’t happen frequently, but the New England Patriots are not afraid to switch a players’ position in a moment of need.
Wide receivers Julian Edelman and Troy Brown famously played cornerback for the Patriots. Wide receiver Matthew Slater played safety during the 2011 season. Linebacker Mike Vrabel was a goal-line tight end. And the Patriots tried out defensive end Jake Bequette at tight end and quarterback Danny Etling at wide receiver before ultimately cutting ties with both players.
It happens in practice too. It was revealed over the summer that before Etling made the switch to wide receiver in training camp, he was receiving scout-team reps at the position last season. Safety Duron Harmon said last week that cornerback JC Jackson was making plays as a scout-team wide receiver last season, as well.
So, why does head coach Bill Belichick move guys around in practice?
“It’s usually need-based,” Belichick said. “Sometimes it becomes more than that. Usually, it’s need-based. Guys have their primary position, and if they can work at that position, then great. And sometimes they don’t get much work at their position or you need them at another position, so you have to go all hands on deck and you have to pool all your resources there and everybody has to do a little bit more.
“In the end, I think it helps those players. It helps a defensive back to play corner. It helps a quarterback to play wide receiver to see what it’s like on the other end of the pass — offensive lineman to play defensive line and vice versa at times when you’re short-handed. I don’t think those are bad experiences for the individual player. Sometimes the quality initially is not that good, but there’s a learning curve, and they get better at it. Sometimes with a player like Edelman or Troy Brown, you end up needing to use them even though that’s not your first choice. So, yeah, I’d say it more need-based unless you have a specific player that, ‘OK, his role is going to be all three phases and can do a lot of different things.’ If that’s the type of player, but there’s not many of those.”
So, if the Patriots get thin at wide receiver, for instance, don’t be shocked if Jackson finds his way into a game in an absolute emergency situation. Also, don’t be surprised if some younger players who aren’t receiving as much playing time this season are seeing practice reps on the other side of the field.
