FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- In a most unusual occurrence Wednesday afternoon, newly-acquired New England Patriot Michael Williams began practice wearing No. 74 and then switched shortly thereafter to No. 85.
The switch highlights how Williams, formerly of the Detroit Lions, was a college tight end at Alabama who switched to offensive tackle in the NFL.
Based on the in-practice number switch Wednesday, and how the 6-foot-6, 304-pound Williams worked alongside tight ends Rob Gronkowski, Scott Chandler and Co. in the media-access portion of practice, the Patriots appear to initially be considering him at that spot.
Earlier in the day, coach Bill Belichick wouldn't commit on a position for Williams, whose helmet still had the number 74 on the back.
"He played tight end at Alabama, he played tackle at Detroit, so call him whatever you want," Belichick said. "It depends on how he does. We'll evaluate how he plays and teach him some things to do, and see how it goes."
Asked what traits drew the Patriots to Williams, who played both left and right tackle with the Lions, Belichick said, "Big, athletic guy. We like his make-up and like his skills. We'll see how it fits; I don't know."
At Alabama, Belichick said he thought Williams "caught the ball well."
The Patriots traded for Williams on Tuesday, shipping a future seventh-round draft pick to Detroit, according to ESPN NFL Insider Field Yates.
A few other notes from practice:
Receiver Josh Boyce was among 11 players absent. The group included receiver Brandon LaFell (PUP); cornerbacks Darryl Roberts and Jimmy Jean; linebacker Dane Fletcher; offensive linemen Marcus Cannon, Bryan Stork and Chris Barker; defensive tackles Joe Vellano and Chris Jones (PUP); and tight end Jake Bequette.
The session was held in shorts and light shoulder pads.
Some new jersey numbers, with linebacker James Morris switching from 49 to 59. Also, rookie linebacker D.J. Lynch is now wearing No. 44 after initially donning 46, while cornerback Jimmy Jean has switched from No. 35 to 34.
Receiver Julian Edelman led the way in early-practice running, often finishing first. He ran side-by-side with best pal Tom Brady on the far end of the field.
Veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne continued to watch most reps alongside position coach Chad O'Shea but entered one rep late in the media-access portion of practice, working against cornerback Malcolm Butler.
Photo: Veteran WR Reggie Wayne (15) works against Malcolm Butler (21) in practice. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/E76ts19d1i
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 26, 2015