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FOXBORO - If Benjamin Watson is worried about the increasing competition to be a tight end for the New England Patriots, he isn't letting on.

The sixth-year veteran from Georgia, whose career has been punctuated by several bouts with injuries, is part of a crowded group as the Patriots prepared to begin their mandatory full-squad minicamp. Most notable among the additions are two players who have been productive starters elsewhere, ex-Jet Chris Baker and ex-Buc Alex Smith.

At the conclusion of the Patriots' 12th and final "organized team activity" practice Tuesday, Watson said he couldn't let the competition bother him.

"It's hard sometimes because we're all human beings, we all have emotions and stuff like that, but you just realize it's part of the business and guys come in all the time," he said. "If you look back to the past however many seasons, guys have come in and gone at every position. Tight end isn't the only position to ever have new guys come in.

"It's just about doing what I can do, coming out every day and practicing and then the coaches make personnel decisions," he said. "I can't worry about that." Watson, who's entering the final year of his current contract, said he can't afford to take the Patriots' roster stocking personally.

"They as an organization, the Patriots have to do what's best for the organization and it's never personal," he said. "Coach (Bill) Belichick's job is winning football games and he tells us it's not personal. It's just part of the business."

Starting today, the competition will begin for real. Baker, Smith, returning veteran David Thomas and fringe veteran Tyson DeVree will join Watson in the quest to determine who'll be taking the field on Sept. 14 against the Buffalo Bills.

"It definitely is the most depth," Watson said of the position group, "and all of us have game experience, all of us have played. So it's a great group. It's great to have guys that have played. We can bounce stuff off each other. We can learn from each other. It is a deep group."

Ex-Patriot dies

The Patriots announced the death of former defensive tackle Pio Sagapolutele, 39, last week. According to published reports, Sagapolutele suffered a massive stroke caused by a brain aneurysm, most likely the result of repeated head trauma during his playing days.

"I am very sad to hear the news about Pio," Patriots' coach Bill Belichick said in a prepared statement. "When we drafted him as part of our first draft class in Cleveland, we saw a tough, hard-working, dependable player and that is exactly what Pio brought to his teams on a daily and yearly basis. He was a quiet leader and a significant contributor to the record-setting Browns' defense in 1994 and then again with the Patriots' 1996 AFC Championship season. My prayers are with Yvonne and the entire Sagapolutele family."

Sagapolutele played one season with the Patriots under Bill Parcells in 1996 after signing as an unrestricted free agent. The 6-foot-6, 297-pound defensive tackle started 10 of 15 regular-season games and all three playoff games that year, including Super Bowl XXXI against the Green Bay Packers.

Sagapolutele, who attended San Diego State, played the first five years of his career with Belichick's Browns, who made him the 85th overall draft pick in 1991. He finished his career with the New Orleans Saints in 1997.