Since his arrival in Foxborough last month, Josh Gordon's steadily been feeling more at home. Unlike many veteran receivers who come to this team, Gordon appears to have been a relatively quick learner when it comes to New England's voluminous, complex playbook.
Gordon has caught two passes in his first two games, including a spectacular touchdown reception on a broken play against the Colts last week. The 27-year-old credits his quick start to those around him in the Patriots organization.
"It hasn't been too tough. That's greatly due in part to the amount of help I've received from my teammates here, definitely Tom [Brady], all the receivers, the coaches," he told reporters Friday. "They're giving me all the resources I need, and I'm taking advantage of it, going home and studying it daily. I have a certain amount of experience in the league already, seeing so many different offenses. I think the language of it is somewhat familiar."
Gordon's locker is directly to the right of Brady's, and he believes that proximity has also benefitted the newcomer's ability to earn the trust of the quarterback.
"Most of the day, we end up talking football, whether it be in the locker room here briefly, or in most of the meeting rooms, or time after practice. We carve out time and make it happen," Gordon explained. "We make sure that if there's something that might be a concern for him or me, or if he wants to know how I like to do something, or I want to know how he wants to do something, I just ask and he's open about it. He makes it easy for me to communicate with him. It's a natural type of relationship."
Outside of Gillette Stadium, Gordon is also finding life enjoyable as he continues to adjust to his new surroundings. There as well, he's finding a helping hand in the form of Patriots character coach/team chaplain Jack Easterby.
"Jack's been huge with helping me move in, get acclimated to the city, to the environment. He's been hands-on, very hands-on, [which] kind of just made this whole process that much easier for me. [I'm] really appreciative of him.
"Foxborough's a real nice town, nice and quiet and peaceful," added Gordon. "Me and my girlfriend make it home. My family's here now. The people in this community and around it, they treat us nice everywhere we go. It's been a great experience for me."
Practice Report
Every player on both the 53-man roster and 10-man practice squad suited up for Friday's outdoor session. That included wide receiver Chris Hogan, who didn't take part in Thursday's walkthrough because of a thigh injury.
New England will conduct one more walkthrough practice on Saturday before hosting the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.
