Generally speaking, the Patriots under Bill Belichick like their players to possess one characteristic above all others: versatility. "The more you can do, the better" is not just lip-service around Gillette Stadium. It's a way of life that's won more than a few players a job with this organization.
Enter Lawrence Guy, somewhat of an NFL vagabond, late of the Baltimore Ravens, who signed with New England earlier this offseason. The Patriots are Guy's fourth team in six campaigns, but the 27-year-old defensive lineman is coming off two of his most productive, which saw him start half of Baltimore's games over the 2015 and '16 seasons. He registered 74 total tackles in that span, as well as 5.5 sacks, yet at 6-4, 305, it's not entirely clear where on New England's D-line Guy will fit best.
When he arrived in Foxborough, Guy told Patriots coaches, "I feel comfortable anywhere you put me," he recalled for reporters Wednesday during a break in organized team activity (OTA) workouts.
"Wherever they need to put me at, I can go ahead and do it. I'm not a great corner. I'm a little bit heavy," he joked, "but I'll try it."
All kidding aside, the Patriots could use some depth along their defensive line, and someone like Guy could provide what they need at any number of spots there.
"You put me on the field, I'll do what I've got to do to make a play," he promised. "It doesn't matter if I'm at nose [tackle], three [technique tackle], five, six [technique d-end] or seven. I've seen it and played it all, so I'm just happy to go out there and play and make plays."
Still, it will be interesting to see how Guy is employed once training camp rolls around in late July. Don't be surprised to see him moved around a bit before the coaches figure out exactly what his strengths are and where he is most effective.
"I like to be on the field, so if they put me at a position they need me to work at, I'll go out there and do it," Guy concluded. "The whole object is to be able to play multi positions on the field so you can be out there for the most time you can and help the team out. If you can only do one thing, you're not really helping the team. If you can do multiple things, you can help the team a lot."
