FOXBOROUGH — Championship defense.
That’s what the Patriots hear from their green-haired teammate — and de facto No. 1 cornerback Jalen Mills — whenever they trot onto the field at training camp.
“I try to catch everybody when they’re coming out, dap everybody up, and tell them ‘championship defense’ because I think that’s the mentality that we have to have,” Mills said. “I know that we’re in camp and February is a long way from now, but a championship defense isn’t just built in one game. It’s a building stone. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.