Mitchell sounds like president of Pats’ Fan Club
New CB saying all the right things
Maybe Terrance Mitchell should have helped Matthew Judon trying to recruit players to New England.
Listening to Mitchell during a video conference with reporters Thursday, he couldn’t be happier having signed a free agent contract to play for the Patriots. It’s like he found a slice of heaven, landing in Foxboro, and hooking up with Bill Belichick.
“Best feeling ever being here, for real,” Mitchell said.
The cornerback, who signed a one-year deal worth $3 million last month, has played for five other teams, the most recent being Houston where he was a starter.
He couldn’t say enough about the players, the recent history of the team, and just being in New England itself. Mitchell called it a “great land,” one which he learned about early on.
“Just all the history behind it, the 13 colonies,” he said, “I remember this stuff in elementary school.”
He also remembers all of the Patriots winning over the past to decades, the six championships and numerous Super Bowl appearances. He said he was drawn to all of it when he was considering where to go in free agency.
“When you think about it as a kid, the NBA, you’ve got Phil Jackson, the Lakers,
the Celtics, the Bulls,” he said. “Then when you think about NFL dynasties like the Patriots, man, there’s no other. I think every kid growing up in this era, seeing the Patriots, and being able to play for them, it’s just crazy… that’s self explanatory right there. The Pats, that’s the team. For real.”
Mitchell, along with many other players, is currently participating in the Patriots voluntary offseason program. Asked if he had gotten into the playbook much, the cornerback once again sounded like he was putting out a Patriots infomercial.
“It’s beautiful,” he said.
“It’s like you’re at the toy store, getting a whole bunch of toys. It’s fun.”
So has getting to know the players, including those in the cornerback room. Mitchell, who turns 30 this month, raved about finally being able to meet Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler, who returned to the Patriots after briefly retiring from football last season.
“He’s just as cool as I thought he would be,” said Mitchell. “Everybody here is cool. I just love all the teammates. It’s just a good vibe, good chemistry with everybody. It’s just beautiful. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Mitchell, who figures to be a depth piece in the secondary,
had his best seasons as a member of the Cleveland Browns. That’s where he connected with current Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf.
Mitchell played in 39 games, starting 27 of them. He had two picks, five forced fumbles in addition to 124 tackles.
During his one season with the Texans in 2021, he recorded 10 passes defensed, an interception and three forced fumbles. One of those game against the Patriots, as he stripped Damien Harris of the football at the goal line.
What had he learned being a starter last two seasons?
“Just really from a scheme aspect and mentally, just learning different tools, what works, what doesn’t work,” he said. “Just gaining more understanding. … Experience is key. That’s helped me grow to where I’m at now.”
Having played in several different defensive schemes over the course of his career,
he said he’s “like an encyclopedia” when it comes to terminology.
One of his favorite things about the Patriots’ defensive system is how much they value versatility in the secondary.
He’s just hoping to do his part.
“I just want to go out here and put my best foot forward. Play hard, play smart and help win some games.”
Jones top five in sales
Patriots quarterback Mac Jones cracked the top five in the year-end NFLPA Top 50 Players Sales List.
The NFLPA tracked sales on officially licensed NFL player products from March 1, 2021 through Feb. 28, 2022.
Former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady topped the list for the second year in a row, followed by Patrick Mahomes. Either Brady or Mahomes has been atop the quarterly or year-end list 12 straight times since 2018, according to the report.
The top five went Tampa Bay’s Brady, KC’s Mahomes, Buffalo’s Josh Allen, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Jones.
The Pats second-year quarterback is now considered an “ascendant” star in terms of sales. …
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