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Every new coach, especially one as young as Joe Judge, needs an ally in the locker room, someone who knows what he is all about and can help spread that message to the players unfamiliar with the new guy in charge.
Nate Ebner is that player for Judge.
The easiest connect-the-dots in this year’s free-agency frenzy was linking Ebner to the Giants. Ebner is a special-teams ace who arrived to the Patriots as a 2012 sixth-round pick out of Ohio State, a former rugby player fitting the unique profile Bill Belichick adores as he unearths undiscovered gems.