Pleasant disposition
FOXBORO — Freshly signed safety Eddie Pleasant had New England on his radar before he signed the contract that allowed him to join the Patriots just in time for training camp.
He spent the past six seasons with the Houston Texans after signing there as an undrafted free agent in 2012, so Pleasant has had his share of run-ins with the Pats. The teams faced off seven times in Pleasant’s Houston career, and the Texans lost all seven, including playoff games in 2013 and 2017.
Between the frequent matchups and the handful of Houston coaches with connections to New England, Pleasant certainly had a degree of familiarity with the Patriots. Now, he is getting to see what it looks like inside the operation.
“It’s been great. I’ve heard a lot of stuff about this place,” team ,and we’ll see how it goes.”
Pleasant was a sub-package safety for the Texans last season but saw plenty of action as one of their top special teamers. That versatility should work in his favor as he battles to make the 53-man roster because established players like Chung, Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon should continue to see the bulk of the snaps at safety.
Pleasant likely will have to beat out Jordan Richards, Cyrus Jones and a handful of other defensive backs trying to make the team as a reserve/special teamer. They might have the advantage of a full offseason (or longer) with the Patriots, but Pleasant, who was unsigned until last week, is not concerned about his time off.
“This is the first year that I’ve had that long break like that from football work, but that’s football,” he said. “I’m not the only person that went through that.”