From Reiss's Pieces:

Jabar Gaffney over Chad Jackson. In 11-on-11 work, the top receiving trio for quarterback Tom Brady was Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Jabar Gaffney. Chad Jackson, who struggled at times in the preseason opener, did not got any work with Brady when the team had three receivers on the field in the drill. Jackson came on with backup quarterback Matt Cassel.

Uh oh.  "The Chad", heir apparent to the Donte Stallworth crown, is not getting reps with Brady.  If I read too much into this, Chad's in a world of hurt regarding his spot at Donte's position.  If I relax and take a deep breath, Belichick is trying to spread the wealth, giving "Brady time" to all.

In the spring, it appeared that Hobson was a good bet to help the Patriots this year, but he’s yet to break through in training camp (most recently working next to Bo Ruud & Eric Alexander), and could be in jeopardy of not making the club if a player like Gary Guyton (rookie free agent) continues to excel on special teams.

Victor is moving from OLB in the Jets' 3-4 to ILB in the Pats' 3-4 and appears to be having a tough time of it.  Brian Basset from The Jets Blog, in Around the AFC East, Week 1, had his doubts about Hobson's effectiveness:

I think that Hobson is well suited to play inside, but at a minimum, the Patriots should be looking to start their young guys by the end of the season in Hobson's place.

Mike Vrabel and Ellis Hobbs join the first string. Outside linebacker Mike Vrabel and cornerback Ellis Hobbs seemed to have their workload increase.

It's good to see these vets back in the rotation after recently coming off of the PUP.  Interestingly enough, Hobbs is lining up opposite Fernando Bryant which, at this point, projects to be the 2 starters at cornerback.

The possibility of keeping 5 running backs on the final roster. With Belichick asked several questions about RB LaMont Jordan, the topic of possibly keeping five running backs came up (the Patriots kept 4 out of camp last year). The five would presumably be Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, Heath Evans and Jordan. "We'll keep the best football players, the players that will help our football team the most," Belichick said, pointing out that if the team would keep four quarterbacks (like it did in 2000) it would also consider keeping five running backs.

That's Bill being his usual cagey self.  Heck, I don't blame him.  You don't want to let the cat out of the bag too early.  But, can you imagine that lineup in the backfield?  Depth like a Roman Phalanx, mad skills, physicality and youth.  I could see Belichick hanging on to 5 running backs just to stuff it to all the pundits who claimed we didn't have a running game last year.

Jerod Mayo -- not a repeat offender. One aspect that the coaching staff and veteran players often stress is that mistakes will happen with young players, but the key is to not let the same mistake happen twice. Belichick noted that first-round draft choice Jerod Mayo has been solid in that regard, as he isn't a repeat offender.

Yup, great draft choice.  Time will tell, but I'm feeling better and better about Jerod Mayo.  Young, smart and big, he appears to be coming along nicely.  We're rooting for you, Jerod.  Keep up the good work.

www.boston.com

Wes is back! Wes is back! Wes is back!  Most of the PatsPulpit faithful know of my somewhat creepy obsession with the little engine that can.  As much as I admire Moss, I think Welker had the biggest impact on the 2007 season of any player...other than Brady, of course.  Wes will never put up big TD numbers, but he's the guy marching the offense down the field when the Patriots change to quick slot or underneath routes.  Apparently, Wes dropped a few balls and had this to say:

I think it’s, you know, hard to meet up with the guys in the offseason and get balls as hard as these guys can throw," said Welker. "So, I think that’s one of the tougher parts, especially if you’re not in shape. First off, being in shape, and then getting used to getting those balls and catching them and tucking them away.

The sky is falling!  The sky is falling!  Bull crap.  This is training camp, sports fans.  Dropped balls mean diddley, especially with a guy like Wes.  Any doubts that he'll be in fine form for the season?  I think not.

At any rate, he was pulled off of the PUP along with rookie ILB Bo Ruud and CB Ellis Hobbs.  Hobbs, the CB veteran of the team, is almost guaranteed a starting spot; along side who is anyone's guess, although Fernando Bryant is looking good.  I think the term "starter" is somewhat overrated these days with all the speciality packages and substitutions taking place on a regular basis.  It's more a matter of how many snaps a player plays, in my opinion.

Nick Kaczur spoke to the media about his off-season goings on:

I definitely made a mistake," said Kaczur. "It's football season now. I'm trying to put everything behind me and concentrate on the season now. It's a good thing I have the support of a great organization, and my teammates were all behind and my family and my wife. It's just time to focus on the season now and put everything behind me.

That's it, Nick.  Drink more coolaid and say all the right things.  Keep your nose clean and stay away from dudes on the street selling prescription drugs.  Heck, can't you just ask the team doc?

And last, but not least - the Patriots first pre-season game against the Baltimore Ravens is Thursday, 8/7/2008 @ 7:30 on WCVB/Channel 5.  I will have an open game thread going for your comments.  Throughout the week I'll be putting together some things to look for with our new acquisitions as well as the vets.

Whoo hoo!!  Training camp starts today and...it's raining. :-(  This means the boys hold practice inside at the Dana-Farber Field House, closed to the public.  This is a perfect example of why you should check patriots.com before making the trek to Foxboro.  The first bit of news is players on the PUP or Physically Unable to Play list:

DL Jarvis Green
RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis
CB Ellis Hobbs
OL Nick Kaczur
G Stephen Neal
OT Oliver Ross
LB Bo Ruud
LB Mike Vrabel
WR Wes Welker
C Ryan Wendell
DL Mike Wright

Before you freak, like I did (Wes/Vrabel/Hobbs?!?!?), here's an explanation from Mike Reiss about the difference between the active/PUP list during training camp and reserve/PUP list during regular season:

These players can return to practice at any time in training camp, once they are cleared to practice because they are on the active/PUP list. The active/PUP list is different from the reserve/PUP list during the season. When players are on the reserve/PUP list during the season, they miss at least the first six weeks.

Get back into practice, guys.  Make me feel better.

It's time to talk football and the New England Patriots's roster.  In this Spotlight On series, I will pick a position and dive into the players with a few tidbits on each (not too much - I can't come close to Marima's skill at analysis ;-)).  So, let's get cracking.

After our resident Colts's blogger, shake n bake, crafted a most excellent analysis of the Patriots's rookies and how long before they may be useful , It got me thinking, "Have the Patriots's done enough to shore up issues for our linebacker core?"

The concerns with our linebackers have been well documented and in the draft, Belichick wanted to get younger and faster on defense .  Given that it takes some time to come up-to-speed, have we done enough?  Have we plugged the gap between the old guard (Bruschi, Seau, Vrabel) and the youngins (Mayo, Crable)?  Let's check it out.

The Patriots and NFL columns are years experience and NOT what you'll find on the Patriots's website ; they use current year the player is in (ie: a newborn is in his first year).

Eric Alexander - mostly lining up on special teams, Eric sees spot duty as an LB.  A proficient special teams tackler, Eric is brought in to the strongside OLB position when called for.

Tedy Bruschi - What can you say, Tedy's Tedy.  He's the heart and soul of this defense, not to mention a clear leader; he is continuously voted defensive captain by his teammates.  At 35, it is safe to say he's only got a few years left of active duty.  Noone wants to see him go, but it's a fact of this business; it's a young man's game.

Shawn Crable - A new guy in town, Shawn will play OLB and is a tall, big dude.  I'm really hoping he turns into the pass rusher he projects to be, but he may need to get bigger and stronger to muscle offensive lineman.

Gary Guyton - He needs to bulk up a bit, but this ILB has a great vertical and long jump, and is super fast for his position.  He seems to have good hands and can get down with OLs as well as blitz when needed.

Victor Hobson - Vic comes to us as an FA from the Jets and will fill that  "middle ground" between old guard and new.  An OLB in Mangini's 3-4, he would be a better fit for ILB due to his lack of speed.

Larry Izzo - Leading or tying for the special teams tackle record 7 years out of 8, Larry is Mr. Special Teams for the Patriots.  Voted special teams captain 6 years in a row (2001-2006), he's the heart and soul of that unit.

Jerod Mayo - We expect big things from this young man.  Jerod will, more than likely, play ILB, but he's more than capable to play OLB if called upon.  He's not tall and may not have the long arms for wrapping up, but he sure seems powerful.

Vince Redd - Projected to play OLB, at 6-6 260 lbs this kid is freakin huge.  With those long arms, OLB is just where he needs to be - batting down balls, wrapping up RBs and receivers, and terrorizing quarterbacks.

Bo Ruud - OLB is the place for Bo, but he needs to bulk up.  He doesn't have much experience in a 3-4 and may have a lot to learn, but he is apparently a film junkie.  Since High School, his football brothers and he would watch and study film.  Let's hope his geekness translates to the field.

Adalius Thomas - A lot was expected of Thomas in his first year, and he had a very average 2007, but that's not totally his fault.  A more natural OLB, he was asked to take on ILB duties for a while.  He certainly has the experience and his time with the Ravens proved he has the skills.  I'm looking forward to 2008.

Mike Vrabel - A veteran Patriot, Vrabel is the ideal OLB - he makes quarterbacks really nervous.  He may not register a sack, but lots of QBs are looking over their shoulders.  Mike will also line up as TE on red zone and goal line packages.  He's got receiver-like hands and it's a real kicker to see a linebacker catching touchdown passes.

Pierre Woods - A special teams ace, Pierre is a very productive tackler, consistently leading that unit by either tying or coming up with the most tackles in a game.  Pierre will sometimes jump in as a reserve LB.