Patriots LB Christian Elliss continues push for starting role

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes astir the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Elliss' time: When the Patriots held their last outpouring signifier connected Tuesday, with the defence buzzing arsenic euphony blared and the discourtesy worked with a soundless drawback count, linebacker Christian Elliss was astatine the bosom of the action.

Elliss aligned adjacent to big-money escaped cause signing Robert Spillane with the apical portion -- a reminder of however acold he's come, and however this offseason has been transcendent for him and his increasing family.

"Humbling, especially," the 26-year-old Elliss said successful a quiescent infinitesimal arsenic minicamp concluded. "My full life, particularly my shot career, it's been a combat to get to wherever I'm at, and to get connected the field."

Whether Elliss remains successful that spot volition beryllium among the team's apical competitions erstwhile grooming campy begins July 23, with veterans Jahlani Tavai and Jack Gibbens among those vying for the role.

But the 6-foot-2, 231-pound Elliss, who entered the NFL successful 2021 arsenic an undrafted escaped cause retired of Idaho and has been released six times, already enters campy connected a precocious enactment having experienced life-changing fiscal information and different household milestone.

As a restricted escaped agent, helium was tendered an connection from New England that would person paid him $3.26 cardinal connected a one-year declaration -- this coming aft helium played successful 16 games (5 starts) past play and totaled a career-high 72 tackles. But the Las Vegas Raiders, envisioning him arsenic a replacement for Spillane arsenic a centerpiece of their defense, signed him to a two-year, $13.5 cardinal connection expanse successful hopes of prying him from the Patriots.

The Patriots matched the offer, which came soon aft Elliss and woman Kaysie welcomed their 3rd son, Matai, joining Koa and Elaia.

It's each happened truthful fast, with Elliss adapting to first-year caput manager Mike Vrabel's preferred attacking antiaircraft strategy the past 3 months.

"I'm truthful blessed with the advancement I made. Our coaches are amazing. They've been helping america get everything detailed, lined up, and knowing precisely what you person to do," helium said, noting however his comfortableness has grown successful portion and antheral sum responsibilities, arsenic good arsenic defending the run.

"Every time has gotten better. That's the aforesaid feedback I've gotten from the coaches, and it's the aforesaid feedback I'd springiness to my teammates -- conscionable watching america travel together, it's been bully to see."

Meanwhile, Sunday's solemnisation of Father's Day is particularly meaningful to Elliss.

His father, Luther, played antiaircraft tackle for the Detroit Lions (1995-2003) and Denver Broncos (2004), appearing successful 134 games and totaling 322 tackles and 29 sacks. Luther and woman Rebecca had 12 children, 7 of whom were adopted. Three presently play successful the NFL -- Christian, Kaden (Atlanta Falcons) and Jonah (Denver Broncos) -- making the Elliss' 1 of 2 families with 3 brothers presently connected NFL rosters, joining the Sewell household of Penei (Lions), Nephi (New Orleans Saints) and Noah (Chicago Bears).

Of Luther's impact, Elliss said: "He taught maine what it means to beryllium a man. To instrumentality accountability. To pb courageously. To judge responsibility. And past to question the greater reward, which for america is the kingdom of God. He ever instilled that erstwhile we were increasing up."

Elliss and Kaycie anticipation to travel a akin way by adding to their household done adoption, a process they started past summertime successful Utah and were informed could beryllium arsenic agelong arsenic a two-year wait.

"Seeing my dada bash it with each my siblings, it's been enactment connected our bosom to bash it also," helium said. "We aren't going to propulsion for a definite fig but we're going to fto them travel arsenic they may."

As for his plans starring into the commencement of grooming camp, Elliss intends to stay successful Foxboro for the duration, with 1 travel to Utah for a highly anticipated household reunion. For Father's Day, main items connected the docket are to usage a caller powerfulness washer to cleanable a obstruction astatine home, past person a peculiar repast with Kaycie and their boys.

In the astir memorable offseason of Elliss' life, the elemental things with household inactive resonate with him most.

2. Where's Wilson? Third-round draught prime Jared Wilson, the center/guard from Georgia, was mostly a spectator during outpouring practices aft taking portion successful the team's archetypal rookie minicamp. Considering the violative enactment remains arguably the Patriots' apical question mark, Wilson's undisclosed wounded was an important, but possibly overlooked, storyline.

While seasoned Garrett Bradbury projects arsenic the starting halfway -- with erstwhile NFL manager and existent Sirius XM expert Todd Haley calling him among the team's astir important free-agent signings due to the fact that of the assistance helium tin supply backmost Drake Maye -- Wilson could beryllium successful the premix for the wide-open left-guard job. He could besides beryllium a apical interior backup connected game-day.

Thus, his readiness for the commencement of grooming campy is adjacent the apical of the team's database erstwhile it comes to injuries/rehabilitation.

3. Fenway fun: First-round prime Will Campbell, the near tackle from LSU, said helium hasn't had overmuch of a accidental to research New England different than Vrabel taking the rookie people to a Red Sox crippled against the Angels connected June 3. The Sox mislaid 4-3 successful 10 innings, but it didn't damper the experience.

"That was beauteous cool. You ever perceive astir Fenway [Park]," Campbell said.

4. Williams' plan: Defensive tackle Milton Williams was a afloat subordinate successful the voluntary offseason programme aft signing a team-record four-year, $104 cardinal contract. And helium seemed to clasp Vrabel's attack of being hardest connected the team's champion players.

Williams' program is to walk astir of the adjacent 5 weeks grooming successful Texas, saying, "I'm acceptable to usage immoderate of this physicality. When grooming campy comes around, I'll beryllium ready, for sure."

5. Barmore's fire: Williams teamed with fifth-year seasoned Christian Barmore passim outpouring practices, giving the Patriots a imaginable potent 1-2 antiaircraft tackle combination. Barmore was constricted to 4 games past play owed to a recurrence of humor clots but is present afloat cleared and motivated.

"A batch of occurrence successful my heart. After that situation, radical hide who I am," Barmore said earlier the team's last 2 practices of the spring.

6. Chuck Vrabel's influence: Vrabel was a impermanent connected Boston College caput manager Bill O'Brien's podcast, covering a assortment of topics, including the interaction his father, Chuck, had connected him portion increasing up successful Northeast Ohio and however it's shaped his attack arsenic a coach.

"I grew up an lone kid of 2 educators. My dada was a gym/health teacher and hoops coach, truthful that's each I knew," Vrabel told O'Brien, for whom helium worked for 4 seasons with the Texans (2014-2017). "[Through] those teams, my dada taught maine a fewer things. When you're an lone child, you get what you want, but I appreciated the information I learned the worth of however important being portion of a squad was and the worth of hard enactment ...

"The squad was an hold of my siblings, my brothers that I didn't have. I tin retrieve saying, 'Let's spell location aft the game, enactment the night, we'll spell swimming.' If I was saying that to 2 people, my dada was like, 'Either the full squad is coming oregon cipher is coming.' I've ever appreciated that and being astir that acceptable the code for what was to come."

7. Robinson grieves: Second-year defender Tyrese Robinson, who took immoderate apical reps astatine near defender this spring, was excused from mandatory minicamp erstwhile his sister died of cancer. Those adjacent to him thanked Vrabel, VP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf, chap unit enforcement Matt Groh and the Patriots for their support.

8. Riley's PBUs: Undrafted linebacker Cam Riley (Auburn/Florida State) had 2 walk breakups successful the last outpouring practice, serving announcement that helium could beryllium a worthy under-the-radar subordinate to ticker successful grooming camp.

"He's been large truthful far. He has improved each and each day," wrong linebackers manager Zak Kuhr said of Riley (6-foot-4, 228 pounds), who totaled 167 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 passes defended and 1 forced fumble successful college.

"He's learning what it's similar to beryllium a pro and determination truly hasn't been immoderate gaffe ups, truthful I'm excited astir his way close now."

9. They said it: "I consciousness faster present than I did successful my full career. Turn backmost the timepiece a small bit." -- Eight-year seasoned extracurricular linebacker Harold Landry, who was a afloat subordinate successful the Patriots' voluntary offseason program

10. Did you know? The Bills person a 66% accidental to triumph the AFC East, according to ESPN Analytics, which is the highest people of immoderate squad successful immoderate division. The Patriots person a 13% accidental to triumph the division, down the Dolphins (17%) and up of the Jets (5%)