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The former undrafted lineman started his career in New England, where he spent 11 days. Now, he's back in the mix. PIC: Rusty Jones, AP
At 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds, some were surprised that Calvin Anderson went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft. His career at Rice was commendable, and he exercised his last year of eligibility at Texas. Many eyes were on Anderson for his stature, performance, and smarts - after all, he studied math at Rice.
But Anderson didn't hear his name after 7 rounds. Bill Belichick, who had kept him on his radar, signed Anderson as a UDFA shortly after the draft, but Anderson was cut just 11 days later.
Now, after three seasons with the Denver Broncos, Anderson is getting another shot in New England. The Patriots signed him to a 2-year, $7 million deal this week to bolster their offensive line depth, an area that has certainly been a priority for them this offseason.
For Anderson, less time is spent focusing on the past stint he had in Foxboro rather than the lessons it taught him to move forward and onward. "I didn’t have the time really to sob over it or anything," he told the media. "It was a very quick turnaround. You have to get back up on your feet if you’re going to make it work. I was forced into having to turn it into a learning experience very quickly. But I think in retrospect, I think maybe a year later I was really able to appreciate how much of a benefit it was going through that so early in my NFL stint.”
Anderson figures to compete for tackle depth on the Pats this season. He'll most logically slot into where Yondy Cajuste was in the chart, providing a decent chunk of the snap count but not starting many games (Cajuste was waived on Thursday). But with some offseason additions, the Pats hope for better production at offensive tackle than they had in a lackluster 2022 season at the same position.