Throughout the years of the Patriots' dynasty, it wasn't uncommon to see a player from a divisional rival decide to sign with New England in free agency, as they were the team to be on if you wanted to win a lot of games and head to the Super Bowl. That was particularly true with players from the AFC East, which became a thing of the past over the last five years after Tom Brady and Bill Belichick left.
However, that might not be the case now with Mike Vrabel as the head coach and Drake Maye at quarterback. Several free agents have already stated they were initially interested in the Patriots because they had an established head coach and quarterback.
Alijah Vera-Tucker is one of those players who spent the first four years of his career with the Jets, and based on his first comments to New England media, it's clear he's happy to be out of there, even if there are no hard feelings.
And Patriots fans are happy, too, since he was a first-round draft pick, and it's always fun to steal a potentially great player from a divisional team, particularly the Jets.
Alijah Vera-Tucker is happy for a fresh start with the Patriots, just like fans are happy he was stolen from the Jets
He said as much during his introduction to Patriots media last week, emphasizing the disdain he had for his new team while in New York, and he's sure Jets fans aren't too thrilled that he stayed in the division.
"I'll be real with, playing with the Jets for the past five years, we developed, you know, I'll be real with you guys, a certain type of hate for this team...Some of the fans are a little upset, which I get, you know, I'd be upset too. But I wish nothing for the best for that team, you know. I'll keep rooting for them and the guys over there as long as we don't play them."
He's clearly a much classier player than some would be, given the chaos that he dealt with being part of the Jets' organization, and knowing that their fans are upset he's now in Foxboro makes it even better.
Vera-Tucker shared that he felt he needed a fresh start, especially since he had a frustrating start to his career, with three major injuries.
"A fresh start was what I think I needed. When you have three accidents, it sucks ... But I really enjoyed my time the past five years. Nothing but respect for everybody in that building, and the fans. I do hope they win a lot of games, just not against us."
Given the state of the Jets, it seems unlikely they'll do much winning at all, never mind beating the Patriots any time soon.
Fortunately, they'll have a starting left guard with a lot of potential to be a Pro Bowler, as long as he can stay on the field. It's the kind of upgrade they need for Maye to reach new levels in Year 3, which also allows Jared Wilson to play at his most experienced position at center.
That should put them in a better spot to protect the quarterback, while also helping the run game, which struggled to gain much momentum last year. And Vera-Tucker can be a significant part of that.