FOXBOROUGH - As we got our first chance to lay eyes on this Patriots team assembled by Mike Vrabel and Company, I found myself drawn to a player who wasn't a full participant: Morgan Moses.
The 34-year-old tackle is still rehabbing from off-season knee surgery for an injury that happened at MetLife Stadium in Week 3 when his Jets beat the Pats 24-3. Moses missed the next two weeks because of it, then battled through 11 more games before sitting out the regular season finale. With his experience in the league, he could easily have sat this week out and taken care of his body away from the facility. Yet that's not how Moses is wired. He's doing his damndest to get up to speed as quickly as possible, all while intent on making a mark on his new organization.
"I tease Will (Campbell) about it all the time," relayed Moses post-workout. "I said, 'Will, like the things you did in college, I didn't do 12 years ago.' So, I'm learning from them just as much as they're learning from me. When you come with that mindset, the window for you, just as far as growing as a player and person, is always open. So, I still enjoy the grind. I still enjoy being out here with the guys..."
That was evident during the practice. Moses spent a decent amount of time doing footwork drills with fellow vet Mike Onwenu and rookie Jared Wilson. The work was done against air, yet the right tackle constantly communicated with those two.
Later, as practice wrapped up, several of the offensive linemen gathered in a circle, and it was clear, based on hand gestures and movements, that they were talking ball and talking technique. Considering the turnover in that room alone, these actions are necessary and vital for future success.
"It's really important, man," Moses said. "Obviously, we got a young group, we got a young offensive line, and so just being able to get around them, create that brotherhood, that chemistry, you know, and just bring them along."
When Moses looks around, he sees rookies in Campbell, Wilson, and Marcus Bryant (among others), a second-year pro with limited game experience in Caedan Wallace, and two guards in similar boats in Sidy Sow and Layden Robinson. How quickly they can learn from one another and start seeing the game through the same set of eyes will be a critical piece for this football team.
"We got a lot of guys that are trying to figure it out themselves," Moses observed. "Just being a voice in that room, bringing them along - whether it's going out to dinners, or just staying after practice when everything is done and watching film together...
"When you bring those knowledgeable players into one room, and we can sit down and share football and what we see and just being able to talk about it. Because, my eyes might be different than Will's and the younger guys, because I've been playing for a long time. So, being able to spit that knowledge to them and help them see what I see, to bring them along, is always vital."
Moses wasn't the Pats' first option at tackle. They engaged with several free agents and couldn't — for whatever reason or reasons — seal those deals. But they quickly pivoted to a player who has started 158 games over 11 seasons, giving him a longer term and more guaranteed money than offered elsewhere. Then they stuck his locker next to Campbell, hoping the youngster gets that veteran savvy rubbed off on him quickly. Color Moses impressed so far.
"The way he approaches the game. Man, he's eager to learn. He asks questions every day. He's like, 'Bro, can we get some sets?' and just talking football. His locker is right beside mine, so we get to talk about football all day.
"And obviously, he's a stud man. He's played great football in college, so now he's just trying to figure it out where, like, you know, every week you're going against somebody that has a 'guy.' So, just fine-tune - not trying to change stuff - but just fine-tuning the things he's learned in college and taking them to the NFL and just on the field and getting challenged every day."
Campbell will certainly get that in spades, but having someone like Moses around - with his reservoir of knowledge and experience - can only help. And that's why the old man may not have been the first choice, but he could very well be the right choice as this season plays out.