FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- In the closing seconds of regulation time in Super Bowl LI, New England Patriots running back Dion Lewis dropped to the ground because of an injured hamstring. For Lewis, it was a painful finish to a year already cut short by injuries.

His hope is that 2017 will be different, and so far, he has managed to keep injuries at bay.

"He's had a good offseason," head coach Bill Belichick said Thursday. "He really worked hard to get back last year [because of a knee injury], and then this year, he's been able to improve on that. [I'm] anxious to see him in training camp, but he's done a good job out here."

Belichick's reference to training camp stems from his belief that real football begins only when players wear full pads. In spring practices, players limit themselves to shorts and T-shirts.

Lewis, who appears to have regained the shiftiness and explosiveness he displayed before a torn ACL in November 2015, echoed Belichick's sentiments.

"Training camp is when it's real," he said. "I‘m looking forward to going out there and showing people what I know I can do."

Lewis, who dazzled in 2015 before tearing his ACL, has almost become an afterthought in a running back corps that now boasts recent free agents Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead, not to mention returning Super Bowl hero James White.

Add second-year running back D.J. Foster to the equation, and there's no shortage of talent and promise at the position. While some have speculated that Lewis could get squeezed out of a roster spot because of the numbers crunch, it's hard to imagine the Patriots will sever ties with the veteran back based on how he has performed in spring practices.

On Thursday, Lewis and other pass-catching running backs worked on out routes in the red zone with quarterback Tom Brady. When he planted his right foot and broke toward the sideline, it was sudden and smooth.

The next challenge for Lewis: consistently making plays like that during training camp.

"We have a great group of guys. I'm excited to get out there with those guys, compete, have fun. That's what it's about, competing. I'm a competitor, so I feel pretty confident," he said.

"It doesn't matter who the names are or who they bring in, you just have to worry about how well you compete. You have to be ready to compete. You can't think of who they bring in and why did they bring them in."