FOXBOROUGH. Mass. — Cassius Marsh was raised in southern California, attended UCLA and moved up the coast to the Pacific Northwest after being drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2014.

On Sept. 2, the fourth-year linebacker found out he’d be relocating to the East Coast after being traded to the Patriots. He arrived in New England the next day with a couple of bags of personal items, and four days later played on defense and special teams in a season-opening loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Along the way he tried to catch his breath.

“It’s a crazy thing when you move from one coast to the other,” Marsh said, noting his car finally was delivered here late last week. “Getting traded anytime is nuts, I’m sure, but I couldn’t have been traded to any further team.”

It was a trade that attracted little attention at the time but has turned out to be a pretty big deal.

When linebacker Dont’a Hightower left with a sprained knee against Kansas City in Week 1, Marsh got the call. He wasn’t necessarily ready but was willing.

Marsh, who generally has played outside linebacker and frequently lined up at end in pass-rushing situations, went on to see significant playing time in the next two games. He made his second career start in a victory against the Houston Texans last weekend.

“It’s been a crazy couple of weeks but definitely settling in,” Marsh said. “I’m getting closer to the guys, understanding the system, the coaches, and just the everyday process here. I’m starting to figure it out and get my routine back, and get my body back. It’s all just a process but yeah, it was a little bit crazy.”

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Marsh has played 42 percent of the defensive snaps and collected seven tackles, a sack and a forced fumble heading into Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium.

In addition, he’s a core special teamer who has made two tackles and played 82.8 percent of the snaps, while serving on the kickoff and punt coverage and return units.

The Patriots gave up 2018 fifth- and seventh-round choices for Marsh, who was selected in the fourth round (108th overall) by the Seahawks after a solid, four-year career at UCLA. He started 38 of 50 games, and collected 110 tackles and 14 sacks, blocking three kicks and catching two touchdown passes as an occasional tight end for the Bruins.

The Patriots like what they’ve seen, both athletically and, if you will, academically when it comes to Marsh getting acclimated to the Patriots’ game-plan specific approach.

“Well, Cassius is smart,” Coach Bill Belichick said. “He works hard. He picks things up quickly. He’s really done everything that we’ve asked him to do and worked hard to get it right.

“He’s athletic and has some experience. He’s played for us in the kicking game and defensively. I think he’s making progress. Again, we’ve got a long way to go but making progress.”

Marsh’s rookie season ended after five games due to a foot injury. The injury actually wasn’t that bad and he was ready to go about a month later, but the Seahawks were dealing with a plethora of injuries and sent the rookie to injured reserve for roster-shuffling reasons.

So Marsh was on the sideline for the Super Bowl and had a great view when Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson on the goal line to clinch the Patriots’ remarkable, come-from-behind victory against the Seahawks.

“I’ve got some recollections of it,” Marsh said. “It’s not my fondest memory. I was on the sideline and saw the whole thing. Like I said, it wasn’t my fondest memory.”

Marsh hasn’t missed a game since, appearing in 39 straight, including four postseason appearances. He’s justifiably proud of his durability.

“I try to do the best job I can to take care of my body and make sure I’m always feeling my best,” Marsh said. “If I feel something I deal with it and just do the treatment, eat right and get my work done in the offseason. This is my job and I take it very seriously.”

And that goes for whichever coast he happens to be earning a living on.

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