New England Patriots Have Versatile Receiver On Practice Squad

The New England Patriots struggled really hard to extract production out of the tight end spot this reason. Are they ready to make a roster move and change that before the postseason? Well, that’s not such a bad idea. Former Houston Texans pass-catcher Stephen Anderson offers a great versatility in this aspect.

Stephen Anderson was part of the Patriots practice unit all season. He was able to catch 25 passes for 342 yards and a touchdown last year with the Texans. The pass-catcher has 36 career receptions for 435 yards and two scores. What a receiver!

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has words of praise for Stephen Anderson. “He’s done well for us. We’ve used him in a lot of different roles in practice. He’s been great. He’s been one of the guys that’s been recognized on multiple weeks for the job he’s done for us either as a big receiver or as the go-to tight end for the team that we’re playing — also in the kicking game. He’s done well,” Belichick said.

Anderson was the practice player of the week after the team’s win over the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. He played both receiver and tight end in college where he was able to catch 101 passes for 1,260 yards and seven touchdowns. Anderson ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash with a 1.59-second 10-yard split, 6.95-second 3-cone, 4.13-second short shuttle, 38-inch vertical leap and 9-foot, 11-inch broad jump leaving school in 2016.

“He has good skill in the passing game. He’s learned all of the positions. We have a lot of different formations, and the tight ends are involved in so many of those. They’re an integral part of it. He’s smart. He obviously has game experience, but he’s also a versatile player that’s able to do different things,” head coach Belichick said.