The New England Patriots had arguably the best group of veteran linebackers in the NFL last season.
And even though three of them — Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts — left in free agency, Ja’Whaun Bentley won’t soon forget the on-field lessons he learned from them.
Bentley, the Patriots’ 2018 fifth-round pick, on Wednesday told the media how having those veterans around for his early NFL seasons has and will continue to help aid his development.
“Kyle (Van Noy) and Jamie (Collins) are two really good players, two really good vets to have around, along with (current Patriot Dont’a) Hightower. They were great guys,” Bentley said, as transcribed by The Providence Journal’s Mark Daniels. “Of course, we talked and had a lot of conversations. … They were extremely beneficial and something I will remember and build off of.
“(I learned) through their personality and how they are on the field,” Bentley added, per Daniels. “It’s clear that those guys are huge players. They make big-time plays in big-time moments. You’ve seen it time and time again. Being able to have those kind of vets and bounce ideas off of them and pick their brains to see how they’ve been so great throughout these years … means a lot.”
It’s now up to Bentley, who played all 16 games (two starts) last season, to find his new role. And fill it.
