When rookie Gabe Jacas finally hit the practice field Saturday for the first time, the Patriots had a plan:
Don’t leave him alone for a minute.
Outside linebackers coach Mike Smith was attached to Jacas’s hip for two hours. When the Patriots practiced punt protector drills, they stopped the drill before each of Jacas’s reps to teach him the technique. When they moved to the next practice period, Jacas got 10 minutes of one-on-one coaching from Mike Vrabel.
“We’ve got to make up for lost time a little bit with Gabe,” Vrabel said.
Vrabel could barely contain his excitement when the Patriots traded up to draft Jacas with the 55th pick in April’s draft, calling him “everything that we are about” in his introductory phone call with Jacas. But after a surprise knee injury delayed the start of Jacas’s career, the Patriots are now doing everything they can to prevent him from becoming another one of their second-round busts.
Read Ben Volin's full story at Globe.com/Sports. |
