Patriots' Braydn Swinson Reveals Rookie Chores

FOXBORO, MA. — New England Patriots edge rusher Braydn Swinson is clearly not a fan of Nilla wafers.

As part of the LSU rookie’s initiation into the NFL, Swinson is getting to do all the veterans’ grunt work. No, not the extra reps in the trenches — I’m sure Swinson would prefer that — but the deliveries of the all-important snacks.

“I’ve got boys like Keion (White) and (K’Lavon Chaisson) — I’ve got big boys in my room, and they always want snacks,” Swinson said after practice. “But they eat some old head snacks, like Nilla wafers and stuff. Like, what are we doing?”

So Swinson has multiple things to worry about on his way to work. He's trying to make the team, a team already flush with talent along the defensive front. Now he has a shopping list he needs to keep on hand.

"I got some Nilla Wafers. I got some Gushers — those are really for me. Don’t tell them I said that,” he said, coyly. “I got some fruit snacks. They got sunflower seeds. Let me see what else … I got some Chex Mix, too."

"And then Harold (Landry) … Harold runs through Essentia water like he’s breathing oxygen. I don’t understand it. I probably refilled him about six or seven times. But you know? I’m enjoying doing it. It’s a blessing to be here. So I’ll do whatever they tell me to do.”

After Wednesday’s practice, Swinson walked up to the podium to do his press conference. He was holding Chaisson’s helmet, another Patriots newcomer who’s only improved his stock since training camp began. The 146th overall pick had his best practice of the summer on Wednesday. Swinson was continually around the quarterback, and cleanly beat fellow LSU rookie Will Campbell a number of times.

“It was just a good one-on-one,” Swinson said following the session. “That’s just going back to two years being at LSU, going against each other. I feel like me and Will know each other really well… better than anybody else out there, because we’ve been in college together for a long time. But overall, (it was) good work between us. Iron sharpens iron — it’s always a competition between me and him.”

Campbell is part of a rookie class that Swinson described as really close. He mentioned fellow defensive lineman, Florida State’s Joshua Farmer, ripping him for the Seminoles’ back-to-back wins over the Tigers. Farmer's alma mater in between the white lines, but inside New England's locker room, they are both at the bottom of the totem pole. The team's skit night looms for the rookies.

"We’ve got skit night coming up,” Swinson said. “We’ve got to tell our jokes and everything.”

Swinson described it like a fraternity. I guess you could call this his hazing: "Just doing what I’ve got to do," he said with a shrug.

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