Rookie Ja 'Whaun Bentley has more time than any other player in the first seven New England Patriots

FOXBORO – The leader of the Patriots in play time at linebacker Sunday? This was not of which he was a Hightower. It was not Kyle Van Noy. Was not Elandon Roberts.

It was fifth-round rookie Ja & # Whaun Bentley of Purdue. A weekend, he was a self-proclaimed. He was listed at 260 pounds. He looked like a first and second player. An NFL team in need of the linebacker had Bentley completely out of his board because Bentley was not perceived as athletic enough to contribute to his system.

Then he goes out and leads all seven first players in slaps in the first game of the Patriots season.

Bill Belichick said on a conference call Monday that Bentley's level of maturity has helped him quickly acclimate to professional gaming.

"Absolutely … I think it's the player," he said. "You can go back to DeMatha High School and see that." Purdue "Started as a freshman in Purdue." Kid was productive at almost every program that he was almost as soon as he participated in the program. I mean, I do not see it as a big shock. "

Bentley has shown a surprising ability to play the pass since OTA. This continued in the training camp and the pre-season game. It seemed a bit awkward at times, but he was still around the ball, and even if he allowed a catch, he was not too far to tackle.

In the middle of the pack, crushing against the race and finishing the games (seven tackles, one for one loss), Bentley saw twice as much time as Roberts and worked well in tandem with Hightower regarding defensive communication. side of things.

As impressive as Bentley was this summer, I was wondering if he would not dress for the opening game of the season. He was not a special teammate in pre-season. (He played kick-return and kick against the Texans.) And I thought there was a chance that he was still really only a player for two, almost in the David Harris mold last season: important in the short-haul and goal situations, but a niche guy.

I did not trust what I had seen from Bentley in the pre-season match and I should have done it. I could not be more wrong.

Niche? It's only a week in his professional career, but it looks like he's carved out a good place. . . as a linebacker.