It's another opportune time for Ventrone

Matthew J. Lee/Globe StaffProspective safety/wide receiver/special teamer Ray Ventrone (right) is willing to extend himself to secure a place on the Patriots' final roster. (Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff)

The NFL preseason isn't meaningless.

It means opportunity.

Not the store-bought, prepackaged brand of opportunity sold to first-round picks and top-dollar free agents.

The opportunity that comes around in the preseason is the kind you have to cobble together a down at a time.

It's needle-thin at best. It shrinks faster than it grows. A touchdown doesn't guarantee that it gets any bigger, but a dropped pass might close the iris to a dot size.

If that concept registers with any player on the Patriots' preseason roster, it's Ray Ventrone. He's the contortionist trying to squeeze his way though opportunity's steel-barred window.

He has spent the past four years seizing every opportunity, and manufacturing some when they weren't there. He plays defense because that's what put him on the radar as a scrappy safety at Villanova. He plays special teams, because it's the easiest way to get noticed on hustle alone. And when Bill Belichick asked him to line up in the slot this spring, he did that, too.

He's an opportunist.

"I'll do whatever they tell me," he said. "You've got to take advantage of your opportunities. I think I've done a pretty good job of that."

There was a point when it seemed whenever a shot came Ventrone's way, the karma controllers kicked sand in his face.

The 2004 draft was a cosmic practical joke.

As he headed into his senior season at Villanova, more than a couple draft boards had Ventrone as at least a mid-round pick as a safety. In the fourth game of that season, he broke his leg. His college career was over. His draft hopes were slim, though not gone completely.

When draft day rolled around, the Patriots had the last pick, and they had an eye on Ventrone. They were also peeking at this tight end out of William Penn, Andy Stokes.

They took Stokes.

Karma's puppeteers chuckled.

Ventrone coped.

He just had to find another opportunity.

"There's a lot of guys that get drafted and don't stay and there's a lot of guys that don't get drafted and end up staying around," he said.

The Patriots had closed the door on him, but they hadn't locked it. They signed him as an undrafted free agent and used him on the practice squad.

"Once you show up here as a rookie, it doesn't matter how you get here," said Ventrone.

What matters is what you do when you're there. So even though he was signed as just a practice player, he practiced hard enough to earn Practice Player of the Week honors.

"I take it serious," he said, grinning. "Real serious."

After signing him to a one-year deal this spring, the Patriots asked him to play receiver - a position he hadn't touched since his days at Chartiers Valley High School in Pennsylvania - on top of lining up at safety and on special teams.

And as long as it means he has an opportunity to play, Ventrone will do it.

"I think everybody's grateful that they have an opportunity to play in the NFL," he said. "We're all lucky. We know we're fortunate. Just try and take advantage of it."

He was all over the place in the Patriots' preseason opener against the Ravens Thursday. He caught two passes for 35 yards. He also trapped a ball that ended up being called incomplete after review. He screamed down the field on some kick returns, and got pancaked on a couple others. He lined up at safety, the closest thing to home.

"It's been a good experience just trying to learn," he said. "Coach is always stressing the more you can do the better. So I'm just trying to do as much as I can."

His versatility and willingness to be thrown into any situation are things Belichick admires.

"It's a real credit to him," said Belichick. "His work ethic, his toughness. He came from a relatively small school and he's trying carve a niche for himself in the NFL, so he's competing and competing hard.

"He does a little bit of everything. He keeps working hard at it and getting better and showing up."

As long shots go, Ventrone is Mr. Ed in the Preakness, but that doesn't stop him from running the race.

"Ray's a very competitive guy, a tough kid," Belichick said. "He works hard."

The hope is that if he nudges hard enough, he can make a hole for himself on the opening day roster.

He's not being greedy. If there's a slot on the depth chart four or five down, he'll take it. If not, he'll keep working.

"I just want to keep learning, trying to get better," Ventrone said. "Keep making plays, just take advantage of my opportunities."

Because his opportunities aren't like everyone else's.

Julian Benbow can be reached at jbenbow@globe.com