Ex-player says Belichick paid him to start fights

Chad Eaton played eight NFL seasons from 1996 to 2004, including five with the New England Patriots.

It's a wide-ranging piece that covers much of Eaton's professional life as a player and coach, but the part that caught our attention was his time with Bill Belichick. Drafted in the seventh round in 1995 by the Cardinals, Eaton was cut twice before landing on the Browns' practice squad. Belichick was the coach, and he took a liking to Eaton because of his hard-nosed style.

“If practice was going slow, he’d look at me and just say, ‘It’s time,’” Eaton told the Daily News. “He wanted me to get on somebody’s (case) and start a little fight. I was known for that and it paid off on Fridays. There’d always be some extra money in my locker. Practice players don’t make much, so I really appreciated it.”