Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have always marched to the beat of their own drum, and it's a strategy that has translated to success. They often take big chances with who they sign in training camp, and Belichick recently signed a player who has been out of the game for quite some time. On Saturday afternoon, the Patriots announced that they had signed Paul Quessenberry, who hasn't played college or pro football for five years.
According to USA TODAY Sports, Quessenberry has been out of football pursuing a career as a marine. He played defensive end at Navy (his final college season was in 2014), but the Patriots are trying him out at tight end. Even if he is a true long shot, he does have NFL in his blood. His brother, Scott Quessenberry, is an offensive guard for the Los Angeles Chargers, and his other brother, David Quessenberry, is an offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans. Last year, David even caught a touchdown on a trick play against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2. David also was honored with the George Halas award in 2017 after his battle with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
Paul Quessenberry did try out with the Texans in 2015, but failed to get a roster spot. While Belichick isn't afraid to go out on a limb when it comes to searching for talent, he has even more of a reason to do so this offseason. A total of eight players on the Patriots opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns centering around the COVID-19 pandemic. This season truly is unprecedented, so New England is apparently taking unprecedented chances when it comes to building its roster.
