Day late, Ealy hits field running
FOXBORO — A day after being more of an observer than a participant, new acquisition Kony Ealy was in drills with his teammates for the first time yesterday as the Patriots hit the second day of training camp.
The fourth-year defensive end was elusive about his lack of participation Thursday, which was limited to stretching and getting a first-hand look at the way training camp runs here.
“You’d have to ask coach Bill (Belichick),” said Ealy, who would only say it was not injury related and that he is good to go. “Me and him had something going.”
Whatever the issue was, he seems ready now to fall in line with the chain of command. Ealy was asked if he was OK with sitting out the opening day.
“Of course. Am I going to go against what coach Belichick says? No,” he said. “At the end of the day, my job is to come here and do everything I need to do for the team and do the right things on and off the field.”
The Patriots acquired Ealy and a third-round draft choice in exchange for a second-round pick this past spring.
Ealy had 14 sacks in his three seasons with the Panthers. He had a breakout performance in the Super Bowl 50 loss to Denver with three sacks and an interception.
So what can he bring to the Patriots?
“Just being relentless within the scheme of the defense, going out there and giving it all my effort,” he said. “That’s what I’m trying to work on daily in practice and obviously when the game comes. I have the motor.”
Even though he did not participate in drills on Thursday, he pictured himself in the middle of the action.
“I was out there getting visual reps and in my mind I’m picturing myself in those positions, those spots, and just going over the call study review,” Ealy said. “You never stop working.”
After coming over to the team in March and going through most of the organized team activities, the biggest adjustment for him thus far has been the focus on communication.
“Not only do I have to see what’s going on up front, but I have to understand the communication in the back because I’m involved in drops and things like that, or I’m involved in making sure I have this part of the field,” Ealy said. “It’s a lot of communication, a lot of different moving parts and you’ve got to be in tune with everything.”
While the Patriots are being tabbed by many to get back to the Super Bowl, it should be noted that Ealy’s Panthers were the hot pick to take the NFC a year ago. Then they dropped five of the first six games and finished last in the NFC West at 6-10.
“Whether we were supposed to or not, we didn’t and that’s that,” he said. “Now we’re on a new phase, bonding with my teammates here and just trying to get down every basic thing I need in order to do my job to the best of my abilities. Last year is last year, this year is this year.”