Some leftovers from a conference call with New England Patriots tight end Scott Chandler:
Playing for former Bill Belichick assistant Kirk Ferentz at Iowa: "Coach Ferentz had a big impact; just getting a different type of coach than I had in high school. In high school we were running the spread offense and throwing the ball every play and you get to Coach Ferentz and he runs a very pro-type program there. You're laid out what's expected of you and you're expected to carry that out. If you're not, you're not going to play. I really appreciate that approach. He tells you what you need to do to get on the field. I was able to go there and have a successful career. Obviously he's built a great program there. I know he and Coach [Bill] Belichick have a lot in common in the way they approach coaching. I'm excited to get in with Coach Belichick."
Expectations of playing for a Belichick-coached team: "I think Coach Belichick is a real straightforward guy. I haven't had too much interaction with him, but from what I've heard, he's just a guy who is going to tell it like it is. That's an approach that after bouncing around and sometimes you have guys who beat around the bush and don't tell you really what's going on, but Coach Belichick seems to do that. That's an approach that you can appreciate as a vet."
What it means to be on other side of Patriots-Bills rivalry: "I don't know. I think if you get into those kind of things, you end up making this game more about you and really it's about the team. I just want to come in and do what I can to be a part of the Patriot culture and just do my part. I don't really want to get into those feelings of vengeance or anything because they're not really there for me. I had a great five years in Buffalo and it's time for me to be a Patriot now."
On having some of biggest games of his career against New England: "I think you go into a game just wanting to do what it takes for your team to win and sometimes that means catching the ball and sometimes that means blocking well. I've probably had games that I didn't have very good stats, but they were some of my better games throughout my career. It just so happened that in those games I needed to catch the ball a little bit and I was able to do that.
Connections with Rob Gronkowski: "I've talked to Rob on the field after games and that's about it. I'm sure we'll get to know each other and get along well. He seems like a fun guy to be around. Obviously he's a great player. I'm looking forward to being able to learn from him and watch him do his thing. He's pretty fun to watch."