New England Patriots

          Patriots newcomer Jabaal Sheard: 'I feel like I've been here forever'

          FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots had just completed a night practice Wednesday at Gillette Stadium and the players were stretching on the field.

          More than 20,000 fans attended the training camp session, and Patriots newcomer Jabaal Sheard was sitting on the 50-yard line looking into the stands. He had a smile on his face and it was evident that he was enjoying the moment.

          Sheard spent his first four pro seasons with the Cleveland Browns, but signed with New England as an unrestricted free agent in March. He received his Patriots playbook in the spring and has been trying to learn it while participating in organized team activities and minicamp, before the start of training camp.

          "No real surprises, man. Just a lot of work, focus and grinding," Sheard said.

          During the 2014 season, the defensive lineman played in all 16 regular season games and posted 44 tackles and two sacks. The system in New England is a lot different than he was accustomed to in Cleveland, but Sheard believes he already has a solid foundation.

          "It all depends on how much you study. We got a lot of studying done in the spring, got a good grasp of the system in the spring and I'm continuing to learn throughout the summer," he said.

          He admitted there was a lot of energy in the stadium during Wednesday's practice and the players were feeding off the noise from the fans, which have him looking forward to the regular season.

          "It's been fun," he said. "Learning a new system, learning new faces, learning new teammates it's been fun. There's a lot of energy and I'm happy to be here."

          Prior to former linebacker Willie McGinest being inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame, he spoke about the "Patriot Way" and how it doesn't take long for younger players, or newcomers to learn what that means.

          It didn't take long for Sheard to realize that.

          "Yeah, great team chemistry here," he said. "It's all fun out here. Honestly, guys come to work out here and have fun with it. It's definitely been fun.

          "It's a family atmosphere and everybody gets along. Everybody is pretty cool, close and tight. They welcomed me with open arms and I feel a part of the team. I feel like I've been here forever."