Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, N'Keal Harry and Damiere Byrd are just some of the names the Patriots have at wide receiver, but the player who has stood out the most through the first few days of padded practices isn't any of them.
It's Devin Ross, who spent most of last year on the Patriots' practice squad and has bounced around the league, but has yet to appear in any regular-season games.
The 25-year-old has made two of the most impressive plays so far by hauling in two Brian Hoyer deep passes on back-to-back days Monday and Tuesday. Ross knows he needs to make the most of every rep he gets, which has made these catches feel even better.
"It makes it really special," he said via video conference Wednesday. "My receiver coach mentioned that every rep we get is like a piece of gold and I took that to heart. I feel like it's a true statement. Every time you get a chance to go out there it's a great opportunity to be able to put something great out there and make a name for yourself and show your coaches and teammates what you can do. I feel like every opportunity to go out there is special for me so I just make sure I go as hard as I can no matter how I'm feeling. I know it's a big opportunity and it's great to go out there and try and build trust and confidence."
The Colorado product said being able to return to New England after spending last year on the practice squad was a huge positive.
"I was very excited to be able to sign back and come back to this great place," Ross said. "Last year I just loved being in the building. The environment is amazing, the coaches and teammates are very amazing. Everybody s fun and good to be around. It's a great atmosphere so that makes me even more excited to go out there and play to make sure I can do whatever I can to stay here and have fun with it as well. It just a blessing to be able to play football and be here. I love it."
He added: "I feel real comfortable. It's just a process. Every day's a new day. (I make) a daily deposit. Go in and go hard every day in the meetings and everything and just being able to grow as a player and gain the trust of my coaches and teammates. It's the best thing for me so I'm happy to be able to compete and come out every single day."
While Edelman, Harry and Sanu feel like roster locks, the rest of the spots at the position are up for grabs. By making plays like he has so far and having a chip on his shoulder, if things continue Ross could very well steal a roster spot come early September.
