Reggie Wayne has spent nearly a decade and a half in pro football, but starting over with the New England Patriots has him feeling differently.
"Like a rookie," Wayne said, per the Boston Herald. "They're throwing a lot at me right now. I'm not getting very much sleep. I feel like a rookie all over again."
Wayne has his nose deep in the team's offensive playbook, a demanding Erhardt-Perkins scheme that asks plenty of its receivers. New England's attack demands that wideouts make split decisions based on the defensive alignment, something fellow veteran Chad Johnson struggled to figure out. Wayne, by contrast, is one of the more versatile and engaged performers around.
Wayne initially felt like a stretch to make the 53-man roster, but Julian Edelman is no lock to play in the season opener because of a leg injury. Same goes for Brandon LaFell, who is nursing a setback with his foot and remains a candidate for the PUP list.
We never worry about the Patriots, who round into form annually no matter what sort of obstacles come their way. That said, there's a distinct lack of playmaking talent at the receiver position, leaving Wayne as a figure of interest heading into September for New England.
