In a typical offseason, the Patriots signing former Cardinals wide receiver Damiere Byrd would be labeled a classic Belichick move.

Patriots fans are understandably crushed by the departure of Tom Brady, and nobody wants to hear that a receiver with 44 career catches in four seasons is a fantastic signing.

But Byrd had flashes down the stretch last season when his playing time increased, finishing the year with two games of 70-plus receiving yards in his final three contests.

Byrd might not be a household name, but he’s the type of signing that Bill Belichick loves.

Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray completed over 71 percent of his passes to Byrd in 2019 with a 121.1 passer rating on throws to the new Patriots receiver in the final four games.

The first aspect of Byrd’s game that stands out is his speed, which is no surprise due to his track background and blazing 4.28-second 40-yard dash at his 2015 Pro Day.

Although he can fly, he’s got a smooth release package and is sudden in his short-area movements, with the understanding of how to sequence and set up moves to create separation at the line of scrimmage.

As a burner on the outside, Byrd adheres to the old route-running principle of making every release look like a fade route as a way to set up different breaks against press coverage.

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