Patriots captain Lawrence Guy on 2016 Ravens teammate Matthew Judon: ‘This kid’s going to be special’

Veteran defensive tackle Lawrence Guy was in his final season with the Baltimore Ravens when an outside linebacker from Grand Valley State landed.

That outside linebacker was Matthew Judon at pick No. 146 overall in the 2016 NFL draft.

Both became teammates again this March with the New England Patriots. And Guy, who re-signed on a four-year, $11.5 million contract in the weeks after the Division II product, shared his scouting report on Thursday.

“I played with Judon his rookie year in Baltimore, and it was exciting to see that add-on,” Guy told the media during his video conference. “I feel like everybody that came on, we added on, is going to bring something unique to the table. I can’t tell you what it is because we don’t know until they touch that field with the pads on. But I was thrilled when I saw Judon get signed.”

Judon signed a four-year contract worth $56 million as the new league year opened with a flurry for New England. His time in Baltimore had spanned 236 tackles, 34.5 sacks and north of 100 quarterback hits.

Along the way arrived seven forced fumbles and a pair of Pro Bowl selections off the edge.

“I remember him when he came out, coming from that D-II school, and what his growth was over those years was impressive and I knew he was going to be great,” Guy said of Judon. “I remember when I left Baltimore, I looked at my coach and said, ‘This kid’s going to be special. Just wait. He’s going to keep on growing.’

As a rookie along the same Baltimore front as Guy, Judon appeared in 14 games with no starts. He saw 30 percent of the snaps on defense and 24 percent of the snaps on special teams. Those snaps brought four sacks as well as a fumble recovery.

“What he became as a player and as a man is amazing,” added Guy.

Judon will turn 29 on the Gillette Stadium backfields in August. As for Guy, at 31, he nears his fifth Patriots training camp as a defensive captain and member of the franchise’s All-Decade roster.

“I’m happy to come back,” Guy said of free agency. “I told everybody at the end of the season last year that I laid roots in the ground. It’s been growing since. ... And understanding that I get to come back to a facility, a team, ownership and teammates that are accepting and willing to play for something and it means something to them — you never want to give that up.”