FOXBORO – For someone working on their birthday, K’Lavon Chaisson seemed to have gotten his wish.

The Patriots took it easy Friday.

Head coach Mike Vrabel led a 75-minute walkthrough, where players did not run or compete after two days of practicing under a hot sun. In fact, they wore sneakers, ballcaps and bucket hats while pacing through drills.

Chaisson, though, wasn’t satisfied.

The newly minted 26-year-old spent 30 minutes immediately after practice working with coaches behind the Patriots’ practice field. He sweat through his entire undershirt and shorts, dripping by the time he walked over for a brief interview with reporters.

Why?

“I do understand that it’s a blessing to be here. I don’t take that for granted,” Chaisson said Friday. “I’ve been on the injury side, I’ve been on the side of not being able to be on a team before. Any chance I get to lace up, put a jersey on, have a logo on my helmet and a name on the back of my jersey, I just try to give everything I got. I let everything else play out.”

What’s played out since Chaisson inked a one-year, $5 million contract in free agency is a little bit of everything.

The former first-round pick, now entering his sixth NFL season, has recorded a sack and taken a handful of reps with Vrabel’s top defense during training camp. He’s also played with the backup units, always aligning on the edge as the pass-rushing threat he finally seemed to become late last year.

Over his final six games in Las Vegas, Chaisson recorded four sacks. That total matched his total over his first four seasons, when he toiled away in Jacksonville and earned the unofficial title of draft bust. But as a 20-year-old entering the league, Chaisson had a lot of learning and developing to do.

Now, stronger and wiser, he sounds ready for more.

“I think I’ve got a lot left to show,” he said.

Asked about Chaisson’s untapped potential, Vrabel seemed to agree with the idea Chaisson could simply be a late bloomer.

“I think that’s probably a good way to look at it,” he said. “It takes some players a little longer than it takes others, and I would say that I’m hopeful that his best football is in front of him. I’m very excited about how he came in personality-wise and what he’s shown on the field thus far. So, that’s an interesting, fun room to be around.”

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If Chaisson can develop into the player scouts believed he would become in 2020, then a wildly talented, but raw, pass-rusher from LSU, the Patriots can count on, at worst, a solid rotation of edge defenders: Chaisson, Harold Landry, Keion White and perhaps fifth-round rookie Bradyn Swinson or veteran Anfernee Jennings.

If not, the Pats will be forced to rely heavily on stud defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore if they want to apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

As for Chaisson, his focus remains on what’s in front of him: the small steps that led to a late-season breakout in Year 5 and could bring a big leap in Year 6.

“Just keep staying the course. Honestly, man, I can’t really tell you if it was really too much different (last season), but just keep doing my thing. Just keep playing and keep balling,” he said. ” And obviously I think I carry a motive, and just like to keep my head down and honestly keep working. And then whatever the result is, the result is. But I know for sure that I did my part.”