Free agent wide receiver Phillip Dorsett had a rather limited role within the New England Patriots' offense this past season, catching 32 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns.

Well, he is hoping to make a bigger contribution next year, as he is searching for a starting role as he hits free agency.

“Obviously, I want to be a key contributor. I want to be a starter,” said Dorsett, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. “That's always been my goal.”

Dorsett's role suddenly grew late in the season after Josh Gordon was suspended indefinitely, and while Dorsett said that the sudden change was rather jarring, his preparation allowed him to handle it.

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“It was difficult, honestly; being thrust into a starting position, working your butt off, and being there and trying to be reliable for your team, and then taking a back seat,” he said. “I'm a team player and I knew that whatever Bill's decision was, it was going to benefit the team. I'm not a guy that's going to go out and complain. I'm just going to do my job, keep working hard, and make sure I'm ready every day mentally and physically.”

The 26-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Miami, was originally selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round (29th pick overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.

He spent the first two years of his career with the Colts, but was pretty disappointing and was then dealt to the Patriots just before the start of the 2017 campaign.