Patriots cornerback Terrance Mitchell compares Patriots playbook to a toy store
The Patriots have a reputation for having one of the more complex playbooks in the NFL. For cornerback Terrance Mitchell – who signed with the team during free agency – that’s been one of the best parts of his early time in New England.
“It’s beautiful. It’s like you’re at the toy store getting a whole bunch of toys,” Mitchell said when asked about learning the playbook on Thursday. “It’s fun.”
Another thing Mitchell has been a fan of in Foxborough is the multi-positional approach the Patriots take in the secondary. For the last few years, we’ve heard players and coaches talk about the secondary’s mentality of being ‘defensive backs’ instead of cornerbacks and safeties.
“That’s one thing that I love about the Patriots – You can see somebody here, somebody there,” he said. “Defensive backs’ ability to do a lot of things, and I think that’s a great thing that they have and they do here.”
To this point, most of that has been seen in the abstract as teams don’t ramp up on-field work until the start of OTAs in late May. Still, Mitchell raved about what he’s gotten to do so far.
“As the on field work, I love it man. Everything translates,” he explained. “We’ve got a great staff here. It’s all good. Everything from all aspects, I’m just enjoying it. I feel like everything we do, I can apply to everything I do.”
Heading into the 2022 season, Mitchell is expected to compete for a role in a secondary that has lost two starters in the last two years in Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson. The team also added free agent Malcolm Butler and draft picks Marcus Jones and Jack Jones.
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