The New England Patriots brought in wide receiver Eric Decker for some veteran leadership, but he needs to start holding onto the ball if he wants to have the chance to provide that during the season. It seems every practice he has two or three drops, and people around the Patriots and the league have taken notice.

Decker was asked about all the drops after practice Monday and said there are no excuses for it, according to The Providence Journal.

“There’s no excuses for it. It’s something I obviously have to address,” Decker said. “It’s something you work through. In my mind, that’s why God created practice. It’s just to be able to be better and kind of flush that out. But again, my job is to catch the football. I’ve got to do better in that field.”

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Decker went on to say that mistakes are part of the game, but everyone needs to have the mental toughness to be able to come back from the mistakes that they make.

“It’s part of the game. We’re all human,” Decker said. “We’re all going to make mistakes, but don’t let it become a habit. Don’t let it happen over and over again. This game is about mental toughness. You’ve got to understand that you’ve got to bounce back. They’re going to be asking you to respond. It’s not really what you do in that moment, it’s how you react to it. I’ve played a lot of football. I’ve had a few drops in my day. I have many catches as well. I know how to bounce back and get to it.”

Decker has a great opportunity with the Patriots, especially while Julian Edelman is suspended, and if he can clean up the drops he has a really good chance to make the team. More clarity should come in the next three preseason games as the team continues to get ready for another run at the Super Bowl.