Patriots Leader Believes This Overlooked Player Will Be ‘Huge’ Addition

FOXBORO, Mass. — Few were surprised when the Patriots signed Chris Board during the spring. After all, Bill Belichick last season said this of Board before New England faced the Detroit Lions:

“Board, that’s the best special teams player we’ll play against all year. He’s great. A great player.”

Matthew Slater, a special teams standout in his own right, agrees with his head coach’s assessment.

“Yeah, and I would echo that,” Slater said after Tuesday’s training camp practice. “It’s been awesome. I think his attitude, his professionalism, his desire to do everything perfect every day has been really impressive to me. He’s so detail-oriented when it comes to the kicking game, it’s really no mystery to me now why he’s been so successful.”

It’s no mystery to me why he’s been so succesful’

Matthew Slater on Patriots teammate Chris Board

Board also provides some value at linebacker, and he saw relevant defensive snaps over the first six training camp practices. But the 28-year-old makes his living on special teams, where he brings impressive athleticism to the kicking game.

“I mean, you look at him physically — the good Lord only made so many of those guys,” Slater said with a smile. “So, I think he’s got that combination of physical ability and mental approach to the game that’s made him so successful. And he’s going to be huge — really huge — for our football team.”

New England featured one of the NFL’s top special teams units during the Tom Brady era. But the last two seasons were a different story, and you could argue the Patriots would’ve made the playoffs in 2022 had they not been so awful on special teams.

But don’t be surprised if there’s a turnaround in 2023, with newcomers like Board leading the charge.