FOXBOROUGH -- Someone’s hearing footsteps.

Veteran tight end Benjamin Watson was back on the practice field Monday morning, his first appearance in training camp since the fourth practice session, back on July 31st. In between his last appearance and Monday, Watson missed 15 practices, a whopping total for anyone not on the physically unable to perform list.

Since Watson’s last appearance, Dave Thomas has shown flashes of versatility and newcomers Alex Smith and Chris Baker have shown improved chemistry with quarterback Tom Brady. Even Tyson DeVree has had his moments of glory.

So where does that leave Watson?

The 28-year-old has been a bit of a mixed bag since arriving in Foxborough. A first-round pick out of Georgia in 2004, he split duties with Daniel Graham his first three years in the league until Graham left in free agency following the 2006 season. Watson had his best season in 2006 when he had 49 catches for 643 yards and three touchdowns. But over the years, he’s also struggled mightily with injury -- he’s never played a full, 16-game regular-season -- as well as some ill-timed drops that have left fans fuming.

Last season, he had 22 catches for 209 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Late in the year, Watson celebrated the birth of his daughter with a touchdown celebration move in a Dec. 7 win over the Seahawks in Seattle, which drew a bad penalty. Coincidence or not, he didn’t catch a pass the rest of the season.

With two new veterans in the system joining Watson, Thomas and DeVree, the field is crowded. (Keeping in mind that Bill Belichick has been known to collect tight ends the way some people collect stamps, it’s hardly a surprise.) But Monday’s 90-plus temperatures notwithstanding, it’s easy to see why some people believe the heat is on Watson this preseason.

“It’s been very frustrating, but it’s part of the deal,” said Watson, who was missing from the Monday afternoon session. “It’s part of playing football. [I’m] just working to get back.”

Given the nature of the competition at the position, the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Watson said it was hard not to rush back quicker than he did this camp. But at the same time, he acknowledges that he has to take the bigger picture into account.

“Definitely. As an athlete, any time you’re not able to participate for whatever reason it is, your goal is always to get back, and you tend to rush,” Watson said. “That’s why they have guys like Coach (Bill) Belichick and guys like (Patriots Head Trainer) Jim Whelan, who manage that and make those decisions for you.”

“[Watson has] got a lot of strengths. He’s fast. He’s athletic. He’s a real smart guy,” Belichick said. “He’s versatile athletically and he’s versatile mentally, so he can do a lot of things. He can play on the line. He can play off the line. He can play detached. He can play in close. He has a good skill set.”

In Watson’s absence, both Baker and Smith have worked primarily with the No. 1 offense. Baker has displayed an impressive willingness to work with Brady -- the quarterback and tight end were seen earlier in camp trying to get a timing route down after practice. Smith has also shown an ability to work within the New England system. Thomas has been put in several spots on the field, and has appeared to respond well. And DeVree -- an afterthought at the start of training camp -- has shown a knack for catching everything that’s been thrown in his direction.

They’ve all been on the field for most of camp. Watson, more often than not, hasn’t.

“I’d like to see every player on the field,” Belichick said. “We’d like to see them all out there.

“I don’t think it really matters what any of us did last year or any other year. We’re into a new season and that goes for everybody: coaches, players, veteran players, rookie players, guys that were on this team last year, guys that were on another team last year. We’re starting a new process. We all need to get ourselves ready. That encompasses the whole team. There’s nobody that’s exempt from that.”

“Any time you’re not out there, it’s tough,” Watson said. “The important thing is to realize it’s only been ‘x’ amount of days. But in camp, everything feels so long. Just trying to do the best I can in the training room and get back out there. That’s my main goal.”