Patriots' Eric Lee hopes to make most of opportunity

FOXBORO — Eric Lee returned home to coastal Alabama after the Patriots wrapped up their offseason program with a three-day minicamp in June, but found himself back on a football field not long after.

Lee and fellow Daphne High alums Ryan Anderson of the Washington Redskins, Michael Pierce of the Baltimore Ravens and T.J. Yeldon of the Jacksonville Jaguars — all of whom helped the Trojans go 15-0 and win a state title in 2010 — sponsored a free youth football camp [...]

FOXBORO — Eric Lee returned home to coastal Alabama after the Patriots wrapped up their offseason program with a three-day minicamp in June, but found himself back on a football field not long after.

Lee and fellow Daphne High alums Ryan Anderson of the Washington Redskins, Michael Pierce of the Baltimore Ravens and T.J. Yeldon of the Jacksonville Jaguars — all of whom helped the Trojans go 15-0 and win a state title in 2010 — sponsored a free youth football camp on July 7.

The camp, which emphasized life lessons and football skills, attracted an overflow crowd of more than 300 kids ages 6 to 14 and was a way for this NFL quartet to give back to their community.

“It was something I always wanted to do,” the soft-spoken Lee recently said. “It was a great kids’ camp. We never had one of those in our area before, so it was great. It was all about them … about teamwork, personal skills and just having fun.”

For the past five weeks, Lee has participated in a different sort of camp. That would be training camp, and it will determine whether the second-year defensive end earns a spot on the Patriots’ 53-man roster Saturday or the 10-man practice squad a day or so later.

Lee will have a final chance to state his case when the Patriots close out the preseason for the 14th consecutive year against the New York Giants, at 7 p.m. on Thursday at MetLife Stadium.

“It’s another opportunity to go out and put my best work out there, competing with great players,” Lee said. “So being able to be around this team and build the trust factor are important things.”

As always, the starters and top backups on both teams are expected to play little, if at all. Instead the coaches will use the game to get a last look at those players vying for the final few roster spots.

The Patriots have impressive depth on the defensive line after beefing up with the offseason additions of Adrian Clayborn and Danny Sheldon.

Lee finds himself competing with the likes of fellow youngsters Keionta Davis, Geneo Grissom and Vincent Valentine for a spot that may not even exist unless an injury or a trade comes into play.

But rather than wonder what might happen over the next 48 hours, Lee plans to do what he does to the best of his ability over the course of 60 minutes on Thursday.

“Honestly, it’s a competitive room and we all cherish that room for what it has, which is ability,” Lee said. “So going out there each and every time we’re asked — whether it’s a Thursday or a Sunday — and doing our best, that’s our approach and that’s my approach. That’s how I see it.”

Lee had three tackles, including one for a loss, and a sack while playing 30 percent of the defensive snaps in the first three preseason games. He’s also stood out on special teams with two tackles on just nine snaps.

It was the same last year after the Patriots signed the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Lee off the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad on Nov. 21. He spent his rookie season on the Houston Texans’ practice squad after going undrafted out of South Florida in 2016.

Lee had four tackles and a sack against the Miami Dolphins in his NFL debut five days after arriving in New England and a week later had a goal-line interception and 1½ sacks in his first NFL start, against the Bills in Buffalo to boot. He would go on to start the final four regular-season games and play in all three playoff games.

Making it all the more impressive, Lee found himself shifting between his natural position of defensive end and the unnatural position of outside linebacker while learning a complicated scheme in a compressed period of time.

Lee, as one would expect, has been more at ease this spring and summer.

“Being around my teammates and just jelling a little more, having a little more time to create that camaraderie has helped quite a bit,” he said. “Trusting your teammates, knowing your teammates, goes a long way on the football field.”