Lance Kendricks, the newest member of the Patriots tight end room, opened up on the decision-making process, or lack thereof, that went into signing with the Patriots earlier this week.
Kendricks spent the last two seasons in Green Bay catching passes from Aaron Rodgers. He caught 19 balls for 170 yards and one touchdown last year, and remained on the free agent market up until a few days ago. According to Kendricks, his market was pretty quiet until the Patriots called.
"New England was pretty much the only team that reached out," he said. "For me, it was an easy decision – play football or retire or whatever. I'm happy to be back out on the field. It feels good to be out here around a couple familiar faces, so it's fun."
One of those familiar faces is offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was the Rams' OC and quarterbacks coach in 2011 during Kendricks' rookie year. McDaniels returned to New England for the 2012 season and has held the same position since, so the familiarity might help Kendricks catch on quicker with his new team.
"I kind of know where his mind is at with plays," he said. "I kind of understand the dynamic of it, so that helps in that regard. I'm just learning. I've literally been here for three days now, so it's all new to me in a sense."
As Kendricks said, he was deciding between signing with the Patriots or retiring from the game for good. While that's not the best sign if you're hoping for some steady production out of a new tight end, it could give him the edge he needs to play meaningful snaps for the Pats down the line. The good news is, he already knows what the culture is like in Foxboro.
New England Patriots
"This is a special place, obviously. This is a championship team. They know how to play football. They know how to win games. They know how to do it the right way, so it's a no-brainer."
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