Running back Jeremy Hill said the Patriots were “the most well-prepared team” he faced while he was a member of the Bengals, which made it a pretty easy choice for him to sign once New England showed interest in him as a free agent.
Hill said that he “jumped on a plane as quick as I could” when the Patriots showed interest in having him visit and that meeting the team’s coaches convinced him to sign without taking any other meetings. Hill said those coaches told him he’ll have to earn playing time in a competitive backfield.
“Yeah, for sure. It’s great. It’s high,” Hill said of the competition in comments distributed by the team. “Obviously, those guys have played in Super Bowls and played at high levels and played big in playoff games, so the competition is definitely there, but I have all the faith in myself to go out there and compete at a high level, as well. It’ll only bring the best out of all of us. I think that’s how we want to approach every day, just playing at a high level, all of us and only good things can come from that.”
The group of backs got bigger last week when the Patriots drafted Sony Michel in the first round. He joins James White, Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead, Hill’s former Bengals teammate, as the backs Hill will be trying to beat out for playing time over the coming months.
