FOXBOROUGH — It’s safe to say that nobody probably had cornerback D.J. James recording the first interception of training camp on their bingo card. Well, except for the New England Patriots cornerback himself.
“I manifested it,” James said about the interception. “They say make plays on the ball, and I told myself make a play on the ball, and it just came to me.”
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James was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft out of Auburn, but was placed on the active/NFI list in July and then was waived as part of final roster cuts. Shortly after, the Patriots signed the cornerback to the practice squad, where he spent the rest of the season.
He credits that experience with helping him grow and improve.
“It was a growing pain for me,” James admitted. “I sat back and learned from some great guys… I just sat back, watched them, learned from them, and took a lot of information from those guys.”
And now, with starting cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III being sidelined with a hamstring and an undisclosed injury, respectively, James has taken advantage of every opportunity this summer. That’s all part of the next man up mentality.
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“Knowing that when those guys go down, there’s no drop-off,” he said. “[I’m] taking advantage of the opportunities that I get. I’m thankful that my coaches gave me the opportunity to showcase myself and my talents, and just going out there every day and competing with some great guys.”
Even head coach Mike Vrabel took a moment to acknowledge all he’s done.
“D.J. is one of those players that’s improved from the end of the spring until now,” Vrabel said. “He’s taken advantage of some players that aren’t there, so then he moves up a group or whatever that may be, and therefore he’s taking advantage of his opportunities, and he’ll continue to earn more opportunities. But D.J. is an improved player through the short time that we’ve been here.”
Plus, he also has experience on special teams, which makes him even more valuable.
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“Every aspect on the team is important to me,” he said. “If it’s special teams, I’m ready to give 150 percent on special teams. Corner, I’m ready for that as well. I just want to be a team player.”
While he might have been considered a long shot to make the 53-man roster at the start of camp, he is certainly making a strong case for a spot now.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots’ D.J. James is making the most of his shot at training camp