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The New England Patriots had a new player at practice on Thursday wearing a No. 42 jersey. Per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed, that player was cornerback Azizi Hearn.
Hearn played with Patriots rookie offensive lineman Atonio Mafi at UCLA last season.
Buy Patriots TicketsNew England is undoubtedly looking for cornerback depth, and they are hard at work trying to fill out the position. One of those moves include them signing Breon Borders to fill a practice-squad spot on Thursday.
The Patriots recognize the need for a strong secondary, as they begin to enter the more challenging part of their schedule.
42 is rookie CB Azizi Hearn, per @DougKyed. Undrafted rookie who played with Atonio Mafi at UCLA last season. Bill Belichick has a good relationship with his college coach, Chip Kelly. https://t.co/iHnnKWbPt0
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) September 21, 2023
One has to wonder how Hearn will play a role for the Patriots moving forward. At the very least, this signing gives New England options at a position where having flexibility is important.