Chase Winovich won’t rule out playing a little inside linebacker, if the New England Patriots need him to play there. He won’t rule out anything — he’s a good Patriot, and does what the coaches ask (and more).
In fact, Winovich is a particularly curious player, who likes to learn about the machinations of every position all over the defense. It’s common for linebackers to learn the terminology and responsibilities of the job both inside and outside. But Winovich has found himself picking the brains of coaches to learn more about the terminology for cornerbacks, too.
“I felt like how I approached it … being around players like John Simon, a lot of players, Kyle Van Noy, a lot of guys who clearly recognized and knew how the defense worked and I’m constantly writing down different questions to ask coaches, different terms that might be for the cornerbacks and the safeties and I’m not saying any means I’m perfect,” Winovich said Wednesday. “You can say a lot of things about me but you can’t say that I’m not trying. I’m definitely … from a mentality standpoint, headed in the right direction in terms of trying to learn about the whole defense because it’s little intricacies that help you play faster.
“For example if there’s a different force or a different coverage and you understand where people are going to be off of a different play then you can kind of shift how you approach different plays and tackles and kind of know where your help is. So having this whole picture in your mind before the play even goes on really gives you a big advantage.”
That could help Winovich take the step forward the Patriots need from him as they attempt to cope with the departures of Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy along with the opt out of Dont’a Hightower.
[vertical-gallery id=94939]