We heard from a schmorhesborg of Pats players from rookies to vets to some new guys on Monday morning after practice. Three guys in particular were extremely engaging and entertaining: new cornerback Jalen Mills, new receiver Kendrick Bourne and new linebacker Raekwon McMillian. Check out some of the money quotes from each of them…
RAEKWON McMILLIAN
(on Coach Belichick praising his intelligence Monday morning)
“It means a lot man. I’m actually glad I came in during the offseason because that helped me a lot. Having one-on-one time with all the coaches, not just one particular coach and just hearing that from Coach Belichick is what any player wants. Hopefully I can just keep progressing with that.”
(on learning from former Patriots linebackers)
“Tedy (Bruschi) came out the other day, I already know Willie McGinest…he came out to coach a camp when I was in high school. So, just being all over the place and seeing these Patriots linebackers come back and give back and try to spread knowledge on the next generation, even KV (Kyle Van Noy), High (Dont’a Hightower), them being older cats in the room, everything we need we can ask them and they’ll give it to us.”
(on playing with Hightower)
“When (the Patriots) would come down to (Miami’s) Hard Rock Stadium and their defense was on the field, I would be watching 54 the whole time. No ifs, ands or buts about it. At the time – I think 2018 – when Tom Brady was still on the team, I would watch our offense and I would watch Hightower the whole game, that’s all I would watch because that’s who I eventually want to be like one day.”
JALEN MILLS
(on being a Patriot so far and being coached by Belichick)
“I think it just starts with his mindset. Whether he’s walking in the meeting room, out here on the field or even in the cafeteria, he expects the best out of everybody. He expects the best out of me and anybody else individually, so when you have a coach like that that’s demanding you have no choice but to come out here and put the work in.”
(on what will change when the pads come on)
“We’ll slow these receivers down a little bit, get to touch them a little bit. They’re just out here in a t-shirt and shorts. But no, we get to actually see what our team has, you know? A little more thumping going on between the O-line and D-line, linebackers running backs and like I said, cornerbacks and the receivers.”
(on team bonding)
“It’s going good, it even started in OTA’s. I dedicated myself to being here every day during OTA’s, just being a new guy…I was on a team where we brought new guys in all the time and you could tell guys sometimes may be uncomfortable because they may be the new guy. Just being here every day since OTA’s and then even now, bonding with those guys whether it’s out here, it’s in the meeting room telling jokes whatever it may be, just so I can get used to guys and guys can get used to me.”
(on Mac Jones dressing up as Cam Newton for the Rookie Show)
“We had a skit, I want to say two days ago. The rookies, they killed it. These camp days they’re long, so at the end of the day you need that laugh out of those guys. It is what it is, everybody has to pay their dues as a rookie. Mac came in dressed as Cam. He had the big hat on, a scarf on, he came in saying Cam’s slogans different things like that. It was really funny to see him get out of character.”
KENDRICK BOURNE
(on being a Patriot)
“Definitely excited man, excited to be here. I’m getting comfortable, I love the team and the guys here and yeah, just ready to put the pads on man and get it going.”
(on team bonding)
“We can be around each other in the locker room, no split locker rooms or anything like that so it’s just more of a camaraderie thing rather than splitting us up, six feet, half the guys here and half the guys over here, just the team aspect. You can do more team stuff together, so there’s just a chance to do a lot more things together compared to how they operated us.”
(on the Rookie Show and impressions of the veteran players)
“They were hitting real close to home. Just some personal stuff, like it’ll get you in your feelings, but it’s all jokes and fun at the same time but they hit so close to home. It was like, damn dude you’re really spot on with that.”