Bedard: Belichick told him he'd get an opportunity, and now Terrence Brooks is pushing for playing time

NASHVILLE — After previous stops with the Ravens, Eagles and Jets, safety Terrence Brooks knew pretty much from his first day with the Patriots that his new home could be different.

"Since Day 1, talking with Bill (Belichick) when I came in, he said, ‘The opportunity is there,’" Brooks told BostonSportsJournal.com. "And that’s all I’ve needed, that’s all I’ve been begging for all the years I’ve been in the league ... just the opportunity."

Up until this season, Brooks has pretty much just been known as a special teams standout. Of the 1,700 snaps he's played since being a third-round pick of the Ravens in 2014, all but 468 have come on special teams — and 236 of those defensive snaps came his rookie season.

But with New England, which is the NFL's Land of Opportunity, Brooks has been given a real chance to earn defensive playing time. And judging from his usage in this week's joint practices, Brooks appears to be pushing for a de-facto starting spot — perhaps at the expense of a tenured veteran.

In the past couple of weeks, we've seen certain players receive increased roles progressively in training camp — from Dan Skipper and Jakobi Meyers early on, to Shilique Calhoun in the last week. Now it appears to be Brooks' opportunity.

Every time the Patriots' first-team defense took the field against the Titans, Brooks was the deep safety next to Devin McCourty, while Patrick Chung was in his usual star/box safety spot. In the past, Duron Harmon was in that spot. That's not to say Harmon has been demoted — he's gotten his share of time with the starters, especially in dime situations — but there's little doubt Brooks is getting a strong look, at least for this week.

A look is all it could be. The Patriots have tried different combinations at safety so far in this training camp. Not only do you have McCourty, Chung and Harmon returning, but Brooks has joined Obi Melifonwu (signed in November) as veteran newcomers. Plus, cornerbacks like Jonathan Jones and Duke Dawson have seen snaps at safety as well.

This could merely be a week-long look for Brooks. The Patriots already know what Harmon can and can't do, and it's not like he has to play with McCourty and Chung to get ready for the season. If anyone could have his snaps reduced and be unaffected, it's Harmon.

But, then again, Harmon's spot could jeopardy. He carries a high cap number, played just two defensive snaps in the AFC Championship Game, and had a reduced role in the Super Bowl. Plus, Harmon isn't used on special teams while Brooks and Melifonwu have been mainstays there in this camp.

It's somewhat interesting that Brooks has played a lot of deep safety because his body type (he's 5-11, 205 pounds and very strong) would indicate he's more of a box safety. But he's shown good feet and coverage skills in practice.

Brooks' rise, even if it's temporary, at least shows he's gotten off to a good start with the Patriots.

"Good, good," Belichick said recently when asked how Brooks was fitting in. "Terrence is a smart kid, works hard, has a lot of versatility. We've asked him to do a number of different things. He's handled that well.

"The game experience and the reps that we got against the Lions – both in practice and in the game against Tennessee – those will be valuable in terms of gaining confidence and making communication calls quicker for everybody, but especially for players that are new to the team. But yeah, he's done well."

That has earned Brooks at least a look this week. Whether that sticks beyond Saturday night's game will be determined by what he's put on film to the coaches.

"He works hard, man. I mean, he's a good player," Chung said. "He works hard, he's conditioned, he's smart. ... We're all getting on the same page, and we'll see how we get."

Brooks was appreciative for how the veterans quickly welcomed him and helped anyway possible.

"Honestly man, they’re like my big brothers," Brooks said of Chung, McCourty and Harmon. "As soon as I came in, they were very grateful to have me there and tried to get me up to speed as soon as possible. I couldn’t ask anything more of them.

"A lot of it just comes from me watching them: me watching Pat, watching Dev and picking up some of the little things they do. Even though I’m a vet myself, I still have a lot to learn; I never feel like I’ve made it. So those guys are always pushing me to get better. It’s been good. The main focus is I don’t want the standard to change whenever I’m on the field."

Brooks has earned the opportunity he's been given this week. He knows the rest is up to him, especially in Saturday night's game against the Titans.

"Now it’s just up to me to go out there and perform and do what they want me to do and let the chips fall where they may," he said.