Bill Belichick raves about WR Tre Nixon's work ethic

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Tre Nixon was a key contributor for the New England Patriots in Thursday night's preseason opener. The second-year wideout made an impact in the passing game and was used as a kick returner.

Nixon is doing all he can to secure a roster spot out of camp. He faces an uphill battle with plenty of depth on the Patriots' receiver depth chart, but his hard work isn't going unnoticed.

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Head coach Bill Belichick spoke highly of Nixon's work ethic after Thursday's game.

"Hard-working kid, tough kid," Belichick said. "Looking for an opportunity, has worked hard. Got an opportunity, and this is the time to take advantage of these opportunities whether it's in the return game as it was for Tre and Myles (Bryant), or whether it's in other phases of the kicking game as a coverage player or a blocker on the return team. ...

"Guys that show the aptitude in practice to be competitive in those situations earn an opportunity to play in the game and show what they can do. Tre would certainly fall into that category. Nobody works harder than he does. He's one of the hardest-working players on the team."

Belichick has said "nobody works harder" about a number of his players before, but it's still a nice compliment for the seventh-rounder out of UCF.

Nixon finished the 23-21 preseason loss to the New York Giants with four catches for 81 yards. He'll look to duplicate his efforts when the Patriots host the Carolina Panthers next Friday at 7 p.m. ET.

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