"First of all, I think you guys all know covering Julian and I over the last 12 years or so, how much I love him as a brother, as a friend, what he means to my family," said Slater after the opening practice of minicamp on Monday. "I'm so proud of him in everything that he's accomplished in his great career here. I think he's one of the all-time great Patriots. He means the world to me and his friendship is something that I value above all things. I hope that Patriots Nation continues to celebrate him and look back on his career with fondness and gratitude because he gave us a lot of great memories in a Patriots uniform."
It's hard not to miss seeing no. 11 on the practice field over the last few weeks of OTAs, with his tattered yellow Kent State undershirt sticking out from his jersey as he warmed up hidden among the offensive lineman.
"He was so unique, his DNA was one of one," said Slater. "The toughness, the intensity, the ability to compete at a high level when the game was on the line... I mean, I've never seen anything like it."