Eric Decker Is Dropping Some Passes At Patriots Practices
BOSTON (CBS) -- When the Patriots signed wide receiver Eric Decker out of free agency this summer, the team appeared to have acquired a reliable veteran at a position where they really needed one. That still may pan out for the Patriots, but thus far, Decker is off to a bit of a rocky start.
Namely, Decker has had trouble holding on to the football, as has been noted multiple times from reporters covering practice down in Foxboro.
"I mean, there's no excuses for it," Decker told reporters after Monday's practice. "It's something I've obviously got to address and that's something you work through. In my mind, that's why God created practice. It's just to be able to get better and try to flush that out. But my job is to catch the football, so I've got to do better in that field."
An issue with drops isn't necessarily a new problem for Decker. According to Pro Football Focus, Decker dropped five passes last season, after averaging nine drops per year for five seasons from 2011-15. Decker also had a high-profile drop during the Titans' playoff win in Kansas City last season:
Of course, practice is just practice. And with Decker not taking any snaps last Thursday in the Patriots' preseason opener, the 31-year-old receiver has yet to even take a snap against another team as he gets to know the Patriots' offense. Plus, during Monday's practice he made up for some of the drops.
It's not at a level of being a significant issue by any means, but as far as training camp storylines go, it at the very least warrants monitoring as the summer practices and preseason games continue.
