FOXBORO, Mass. — The easiest way to ensure a roster spot in New England is by impressing the Patriots coaching staff. But earning the trust of quarterback Tom Brady certainly can’t hurt.
Stephen Anderson, who’s fighting for a spot on the Patriots’ 53-man roster with fellow tight ends Matt LaCosse, Ryan Izzo, Ben Watson and Lance Kendricks, knows it’s “very important.”
“Any time you can have Tom’s trust, that’s huge,” Anderson said Wednesday. “But you have to put in work on days like this when it’s hot, when the offense isn’t doing well. You have to make sure your assignments are sharp because that’s how you gain that trust. It’s not going to happen in a day. It’s going to happen consistently over time. That’s what we’re all working to do.”
Anderson, who’s listed at 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, is known as more of a receiving “move” tight end. But he bulked up nearly 10 pounds this offseason in an attempt to become more well-rounded as a blocker.
“Any time I get an opportunity to prove myself in any drill, then I’m going to do my best to do that,” Anderson said. “That’s why I’m out here. I wouldn’t be playing if I didn’t. Just really going out here, giving my best effort, remembering my rules, my technique and going back to the tape and taking the coaching, being coachable and then going out and showing out again. It’s very important for me.”
The Patriots’ tight end room took a big hit this offseason when Rob Gronkowski retired. Anderson isn’t fooling himself into thinking he alone — or any of the Patriots’ tight ends individually — could simply step in for a future Hall of Famer.
“Yeah, there’s a lot of competition,” Anderson said. “You can’t replace Gronk. You can only have members that come in and do their individual jobs and not try to do it all. I think as a group, that’s what we’re trying to do and we’re taking some good strides in accomplishing that.”
Anderson has had a solid training camp six practices into the summer.
