FOXBORO -- Michael Williams was lost. After arriving to the Patriots facilities, he wandered the locker room, then the equipment room, in search of the trainers room. Bewildered, he was eventually steered in the right direction by a reporter and found his destination.
Figuring out where Williams will play for the Patriots may be an equally meandering exercise.
Acquired in a trade with the Lions that was made official on Wednesday, Williams is listed on the most updated version of the Patriots roster as an offensive lineman. For the Lions, he played as a tight end in his rookie season, then moved to tackle last year.
During Patriots practice on Wednesday, Williams appeared ready to play either spot. He came out to the practice field wearing No. 74 and then changed into No. 85 after warming up. He worked out with the tight end group early in the practice, and could be seen running routes.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick was asked what made the team interested in acquiring the 6-foot-6, 302-pounder's services.
"Big, athletic guy, played at Alabama -- played tight end at Alabama, has played tackle primarily at Detroit," Belichick said. "So, we like his makeup, like his skills and we’ll see how it fits. I don’t know."
When posed the question as to whether or not Williams will be expected to play both positions in New England, Belichick replied: "I don't know. It depends on how he does."
New England Patriots
If Williams is to have one primary position, Friday's preseason game between the Patriots and Panthers may give viewers a better indication. Until then it appears as though he may be able to provide the Patriots with some depth at both spots.
The Patriots offensive tackle group includes Nate Solder, Sebastian Vollmer, Marcus Cannon, Cameron Fleming, Mark Asper and Chris Martin. The tight end group includes Rob Gronkowski, Scott Chandler, Michael Hoomanawanui, Jake Bequette, Asante Cleveland and Jimmay Mundine.