[jwplayer oCIigLR6-ThvAeFxT]
The New England Patriots continue to have a reputation around the NFL. Defensive tackle Carl Davis had a sense of what he was getting into when Bill Belichick signed him off the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad earlier this month.
“Definitely heard it’s a tough program,” Davis told reporters on Thursday. “It’s not for the mentally soft. That’s what I heard. First practice, it was a good physical practice.”
Maybe too physical. Davis suffered a concussion in that first practice, and was limited for two practices last week. Even so, he played in Week 10, and helped New England hold the Baltimore Ravens’ impressive rushing attack to just 4.1 yards per carry. The Patriots badly needed a veteran defensive tackle alongside Lawrence Guy. When New England realized Beau Allen would not be returning, the team targeted a handful of low-budget options at the position to see if any of them worked. So far with Davis, it’s clicking in his 31 defensive snaps over the last two weeks.
“It’s good for me,” he said. “Coming here, it surprised me how much it actually fits my style of play and what I like to do just as a player from the training staff, from the weight room guys and even practicing. I feel like I’m getting better every week. I feel like I’m learning a lot, my coaches have been great with teaching everything. I feel like it’s family here already.”
Belichick is the reason for that tough coaching style. He and Nick Caserio are also probably the reason why Davis feels like the transition has been so natural. They scour the NFL for talents like Davis to help plug holes in the depth chart. It doesn’t always work out — we’ve seen that so many times at the Patriots’ receiver and tight end spots. But Davis might be just what the Patriots need.
He said it’s “an absolute honor” to play for Belichick. And the culture Belichick created isn’t far off from what Davis experience at Iowa, where he played well enough to get drafted in the third round in 2015.
“Oh, absolutely. I think that’s why it worked to my favor here,” Davis said. “The Iowa program was a very physical program and it was tough and I think it actually, I feel like that’s why I’m so comfortable here. I feel good here. It’s just every day you have to put in a hard day’s work. That’s kudos to Coach Ferentz and his program at Iowa. I see a lot of the similarities between here and Iowa. I think that’s why I felt right at home.”
[vertical-gallery id=98320]