"In a nod to Roberts’ growing football acumen and instincts, he’s been designated as the Patriots’ defensive signal caller. It’s up to Roberts to relay the call from the sidelines to the huddle and direct traffic on the fly to the entire defense.
"‘He has a lot of experience and took a lot from last year’s season, so he’s done a good job with communication and being the signal caller on defense,’ Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Tuesday following a joint practice with the Texans at The Greenbrier Sports Performance Center. ‘That’s been a big step for him. He’s a solid guy, works hard, a really tough kid.’
“Heading into his second NFL season, the Port Arthur native has become a pivotal figure for the Patriots.”
Great situation for Roberts as the Patriots often look outside the box for players and don’t put as much emphasis on size. Nice to see him taking on more responsibility.
Roberts has delivered some of the biggest, bone-crunching hits of training camp. In the second practice with pads July 30, he shot through the left side of the offensive line before leveling running back Brandon Bolden.
Eight days later, when the Jaguars visited Foxborough, Roberts laid out running back T.J. Yeldon on a run up the middle.