FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Gabe Jacas wants to get to work and put everything else about his delayed journey to Patriots training camp in the past.
The New England rookie edge rusher was on the field for his third straight practice on Tuesday after being activated from the non-football injury list on Saturday.
“It was a long journey, but I’m just happy to be here,” Jacas said. “All that stuff is behind me. I’m 100% and whenever they tell me I’m good to go,
I’ll just roll.”
The Patriots identified Jacas as someone who could improve their pass rush when they selected the former Illinois edge rusher in the second round, No. 55 overall in April’s NFL draft.
He was dealing with a hamstring issue during the draft process but then had what was described as a cleanup procedure on his left knee at some point. He attended rookie minicamp following the draft in May, but didn’t participate. He also sat out the team’s mandatory minicamp later that month.
As negotiations persisted, it opened up a wealth of questions regarding his health status.
Jacas missed the first six training camp workouts before officially signing his initial four-year rookie contract on July 26, the final second-round pick of this year’s class to do so.
But the $8.6 million pact included an injury waiver for the left knee which voids after the third year in 2028.
Jacas declined to elaborate on the timing or extent of the knee injury.
“The knee’s good and I’m out here now. That’s all I can say,” he said.
Any concerns about any long-term carryover?
“Not at all,” Jacas said.
The team has been intentional thus far with finding ways to help him make up for the time he’s missed. Along with going through normal drills alongside his teammates, Jacas has also gotten some 1-on-1 time with coach Mike Vrabel and outside linebackers coach Mike Smith.
"We’ve got some time to make up. We’ve got to make up for lost time, I think, a little bit with Gabe,” Vrabel said. “I’d say he’s working hard. I think he’s into it. He’s trying to learn, he’s focused. A lot of these things are new for him, and I think he has done a good job of controlling what he can control.”
Vrabel also noted that Jacas has been just as busy off the field, meeting with Smith frequently.
“Hopefully he can continue to keep adding things and figure out where he can help us defensively and really, special teams,” Vrabel said.
However long that takes, Jacas said he’s excited to eventually show what he can bring to the team.
“First and foremost I’m very physical, I’m very violent, explosive,” Jacas said.
That was on display on Saturday when Jacas planted Smith, who was holding a tackling pad, on his back during a pass rush drill.
“That wasn’t my intention,” Jacas said. “But when you’re just getting off the ball violently, stuff like that happens. That’s what happens when you’re an old coach like Mike Smith — who is a very good coach.”
Receiver A.J. Brown was recovering from an injury on Tuesday, but not one that Vrabel is going to lose any sleep over.
Brown dislocated his left thumb in Monday’s practice while hand fighting with cornerback Christian Gonzalez. The Patriots’ top offseason offensive acquisition popped the thumb back in and sat out a handful of plays while the training staff taped it. He then rejoined the team and finished the workout.
“Oh my God, I think this going to be OK,” Vrabel said with a smirk before practice Tuesday. “I told him the linemen, do that every other snap. And it’s not a national story when a linemen pops his finger back in place. But we had a little bit of fun with that.”
Brown was back on the field Tuesday, with the thumb wrapped in athletic tape.
“The game is what it is, you’re going to get bumps and bruises, and you have to keep going,” Brown said in an interview with NFL Network on Monday. “I know it’s practice, but I’m not coming out of practice. Thumb out of place? You keep going.”
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