FOXBORO, Mass. -- It's safe to say New England Patriots cornerback Marco Wilson did not enjoy his time with the Arizona Cardinals.
Wilson, who has served as a starting cornerback opposite Christian Gonzalez in recent training camp practices, spent his first two-plus seasons in Arizona. He played 43 games (37 starts) before the Cardinals waived Wilson in December 2023. Bill Belichick's struggling Patriots claimed him the next day.
A fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Wilson expressed his first training camp in New England has felt like a fresh start. And in doing so, the fourth-year pro made his feelings known about the Cardinals.
"I feel like this is a real start to my real NFL journey," Wilson said after Monday's practice. "I feel like I'm finally on a team that takes things seriously, inside the building, off the field. I finally feel like I'm really coming to work day in and day out, like it's real serious work.
"I really appreciate that aspect because I am in the NFL, I'm a professional and I really feel like it."
Wilson certainly has looked like a professional through 13 practices. The Patriots have been working without cornerbacks Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones, which has created an opportunity for Wilson and others. The Florida product has made the most of it, starting New England's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers.
"Marco is steady making improvements every day," Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington said Monday. "And so for us, it's guys like that we need to come up for us. We need Marco to perform well for us."
It's seems Wilson is in a better frame of mind to do so.
