Scott Chandler Shows Off His Smile
BOSTON (CBS) -- Scott Chandler is hoping to pair with Rob Gronkowski in 2015 and give the Patriots that two tight end attack that worked so well for them from 2010-2012.
And for right now, he has a pretty mean game face on.
When talking to the media after Thursday's OTAs in Foxboro, Chandler couldn't help but smile. And in doing so, he revealed a canyon where two of his front teeth should be.
His crooked smile is only a few months old, but this all dates back to his days in high school in Texas.
"It's an old, old injury. In high school I got elbowed in the mouth and had six teeth knocked out. They tried to put them back in and thought for a while they'd work out. This offseason I got an X-ray and it didn't look so good, so I got these two pulled," he said, pointing out the gap in his mouth.
Chandler has a retainer that he uses away from the field. But on the field, he doesn't mind the look at all. In fact, he embraces it.
"Out here on the football field, I like to look mean," he said with that smile.
It's a look that will only last a few more weeks, when the 29-year-old will get new teeth screwed in.
Asked if any of this is painful, Chandler told WBZ-TV's Dan Roche, "Just when you look at me. It's painful for you, not me."
Chandler signed with New England this offseason after spending the last five years in Buffalo, hauling in 17 touchdowns in 65 games. He had some solid success against his new team with 28 receptions (averaging 13.7 yards per catch) and four touchdowns in nine games.
But his time in Buffalo ended in March when the Bills released him (they signed Charles Clay just a few days later), so why not go to the team that beat you seven times in nine games over the last five years?
"I'm excited to be a New England Patriot. I just want to do everything I can to help this team win," Chandler said Thursday. "I'm just trying to learn the offense and find out what I can do to help the team."
Chandler joins Rob Gronkowski, Michael Hoomanawanui and Fred Davis on the Patriots depth chart at tight end, with sixth-round pick AJ Derby out of Arkansas also hoping to figure into the mix. Chandler has been working hard with that group, as well as some extra reps with quarterback Tom Brady, hoping to follow suit with this year's OTA mantra, 'Getting better every day.'
"There's a lot of work ahead of us. We're focused on getting better every day," he said of himself and his fellow tight ends. "As a team we're coming out and trying to figure out what we can do to give us the best chance to win."
For his strong work over the last few weeks, the nine-year veteran is already receiving praise from some of his coaches.
"Scott's been a tremendous veteran addition to our team," said offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, anxious to use his new offensive toy this season. "He has a great work ethic, he's come in here and done everything he could to catch up. He has a good rapport with the quarterbacks and the other tight ends and he's very coachable, very intelligent and in great condition. He's everything you could ask somebody to come here and be at this point in the year."
OTAs will end on Friday, but the June fun on the field won't be over just yet. The Patriots are holding a mandatory minicamp next Tuesday through Thursday before breaking until Training Camp, likely at the end of July.
During that break Chandler will get his two new front teeth, a procedure that will fix his smile, but ruin his mean face.
At least he has most of the summer to work on a new one.
