In professional football, the time a team spends together off the field can be just as impactful as the time they spend together on it. Chemistry can be key in the NFL, and we’ve heard countless stories of veterans helping young players prepare for the pro game.

For the Patriots’ 2020 rookies, they didn’t get that experience – at least not in full. They were drafted in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and throughout the season the league had tight restrictions on players gathering in the locker room and elsewhere.

Those restrictions lessened at the start of the 2021 off-season, opening up more opportunities during team workouts. Patriots players took advantage of the added flexibility.

“Just being able to be around the guys more, having that first season under my belt and kind of getting a feel for the guys in the building and now going into this off-season, I’ve been [able] to build a relationship with a lot of the guys on a different level, outside of the football field, which is just great,” linebacker Josh Uche told reporters on Tuesday. Uche was a member of the Patriots’ 2020 draft class, and is preparing for his second season in the NFL.

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  Uche stayed in New England during the offseason, which helped him acclimate professionally and personally after arriving last year when everything was locked down. "It's been able to make New England really feel like home," he explained. "I have a bunch of friends now, you know guys I could go to about things outside of football. I'd say that's been one of the best parts for me personally this offseason."
  
  "I figured why be anywhere else other than here," Uche continued. "So I just kind of stayed here, build relationships with the guys and got in my playbook more and began to explore the town more and just kind of really trying to make Boston home so I feel really comfortable."
  
  Kyle Dugger, who was also drafted in 2020, echoed Uche's comments when he spoke on Tuesday. "This is fun. It's real cool, just like I said earlier, to build some camaraderie and spend time with those guys working out and working together," he said. "Kind of not really much looser, but a little bit looser of environment."
  
  The NFL has put some restrictions back in place as spring practices begin. However, as is the case with the whole country, those could change as conditions do and more individuals are vaccinated. As the spring goes on and training camp approaches, we'll see how much the true NFL experience returns.

Click here for 98.5 The Sports Hub’s complete coverage of the Patriots.

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.

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