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Patriots kick-off 2016 in 81 days: Profiling No. 81 Bryce Williams

By Connor Fulton

Sep 12, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; East Carolina Pirates tight end Bryce Williams (80) runs with the ball during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the East Carolina Pirates 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; East Carolina Pirates tight end Bryce Williams (80) runs with the ball during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the East Carolina Pirates 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Welcome to another installment in Musket Fire’s annual jersey number-dictated New England Patriots kick-off countdown series. For the duration of the summer, we will be profiling the player whose jersey number corresponds with the number of days left until the New England Patriots open the season against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 11. Since today marks 81 days until the Sunday Night Football opener, we are profiling No. 81, undrafted rookie tight end Bryce Williams.

Size: 6-foot-5, 260 pounds

College: East Carolina

2015 stats (with the Pirates): 58 receptions, 588 yards, four touchdowns

NFL experience: Rookie

Hometown: Lexington, NC

One of two undrafted rookie tight ends selected by the Patriots this spring (the other was Steven Scheu out of Vanderbilt), Williams faces steep odds to make the Patriots’ final roster. That being said, the loss of Michael Williams for the season does increase the chances of Williams making a story out of himself in training camp and squeezing onto the final roster.

4 ripple effects of Pats placing Michael Williams on injured reserve

And unlike fellow undrafted rookie Scheu, Williams possesses distinct pass catching talent, enough so for this writer to peg him ahead of Scheu for the time being (although Scheu is a better blocker).

Williams has some flowing locks of hair, so you won’t miss him if you attend a Patriots training camp this summer and you also won’t miss him on television during preseason games.

Recent installments in Patriots kick-off countdown profile series:

82 days – No. 82 Keshawn Martin

83 days – No. 83 Martellus Bennett

84 days – No. 84 Nate Washington

Who knows, maybe Williams will leapfrog over veteran Clay Harbor on the depth chart and force the Patriots to take him as their No. 3 tight end behind Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett.

Be sure to stop by Musket Fire tomorrow morning as we mark 80 days until the Patriots open 2016 by profiling the owner of the No. 80 jersey, veteran wideout Danny Amendola.

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