New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has explained the benefits to the club not using squad numbers or names on the back of their players' shirts during their practices.
The Patriots are the only club in the NFL not to use squad numbers or names during their organised team activities, and McDaniels believes that helps breed familiarity between the veterans and the new faces on their roster.
"We're learning a lot of different names and faces right now," McDaniels told reporters. "We want our teammates to learn who the other people in the huddle are.
"I think it's great for the quarterbacks to do that but also for the skill players, the different groups of linemen, the different centers.
"There are a lot of different people working with one another during the course of practice that really lends itself to us becoming a team. That's what we're really focused on."
New England finished with a 12-4 record in the 2013 season.
Simon Sinclair
