Free agency pickup Calvin Anderson is ‘going to bring everything I have’ to the Patriots

The New England Patriots added six outside free agents to their roster over the last week. First up among that group was offensive tackle Calvin Anderson, who signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the team last Tuesday.

Anderson is no stranger to the Patriots, having originally joined the club as an undrafted free agent in 2019. His initial stint in New England lasted only two weeks, however, so he now has to reintroduce himself to the team and its fanbase.

So, what message does he have? A rather straight-forward (and admittedly unsurprising) one: that he is willing to put the work in.

“I want them to know that I’m a hard worker,” he told patriots.com. “I want them to know that I have ambitions, but all of that takes a backseat to being part of the team and helping to see the team win. I’m going to bring everything I have to the Patriots facilities, to the Patriots team, to the Patriots teammates that I’m now going to have.

“I can’t wait to be an addition to the team, and help the team succeed again.”

As noted above, Anderson did not hear his name called in the 2019 NFL Draft and started his career in New England. After he was waived in favor of veteran offensive tackle pickup Jared Veldheer, he found his way to the New York Jets.

Anderson spent four months in New York, before getting signed off the Jets’ practice squad by the Denver Broncos. While he did not see any playing time in his first year with the club, he ended up spending four seasons in Denver as a reserve option at the left and right tackle spots.

As such, the Texas product saw action in 41 games with 12 starts — two in 2020, three in 2021, and seven in 2022. This body of work has also put him in a position to return to where it all started, reuniting with the Patriots and head coach/de facto general manager Bill Belichick.

“I think his pedigree speaks for itself,” Anderson said about Belichick. “He just has an aura about him, I think. When I first met him — I was a rookie at the time, so it was all bright lights for me — I remember his demeanor and his aura. Getting to speak to him again, and now getting to come back here again, you want to be around somebody who knows what it takes to win. He definitely knows what it takes to win.”

As for Anderson, he has not experienced a lot of winning so far in his pro career: the Broncos finished with a losing record in each of his four seasons in Denver. Both he and the Patriots will hope for a change, starting in 2023.