New England Patriots wide receiver Eric Decker is no lock to make the teams roster, and if he wants to be playing Week 1, he is going to need to pick up his game.

According to Doug Kyed of NESN, Decker is having a hard time in practice.

He is also having a hard time holding onto the football, something that has never been a concern in his career so this new development is worrisome.

The Patriots brought him in to be a veteran leader that could still provide production the field, but if he can't hold onto the ball, the team isn't going to keep him around.

With Tom Brady as the quarterback, the expectations are high of his receivers, and Decker's namesake isn't going to be enough to keep him around the team.

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It appears later on in Monday's morning practice that Decker did redeem himself with three nice catches including a long ball.

The former Minnesota Golden Gophers star has been in the NFL for eight years surpassing 1000 yards receiving in three of those years. His best year was in 2013 with the Denver Broncos where he had 1288 yards and 11 touchdowns. The last few years he hasn't been productive and has dealt with injuries.

Last year with the Tennessee Titans, Decker had 563 yards and one touchdown. One positive from last year was his 65 percent catch rate which was the second highest of his career.

If he can prove that he can hold onto the ball this preseason, chances are he can make the roster.