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You knew this was coming. I've gone at least a month without writing an article about, or with, Wes in it. And now it's time.

One of the most productive receiving corps of the 2007 season, the real question is, "Can they do it again?"  Longevity and consistency is the hallmark of a great offense and this is true of this group of receivers.  For 2008, all eyes will be watching.  Will they dominate like 2007?  Can they continue the incredible success they had last year?  The answer is a definitive, homeristic yes.  Why?  Because with this group of guys we seem to have all the bases covered.  Seam - Moss; underneath/slot - Welker; power receiver - Jackson; speciality - Gaffney, Washington.  Let's not forget Aiken, Jones, Ortiz, and Slater.  And, for the stars of 2007 (Moss and Welker) it was their first year in a Patriots uniform.  THEIR...FIRST...YEAR!!  It can only get better.  Let's get to it.

Randy Moss - Breaking the regular season TD record by pulling down 23 touchdown passes, Randy is the gazelle of the group.  There's nothing sweeter than watching Moss "lope" down the sidelines, pull down a pass only he can catch, and then turn on the afterburners.  DBs, who were already struggling to keep up with him, give up as the legs attached to his 6-4 frame extend even further to totally embarrass that back.  While not catching those impossible passes, he draws mucho coverage away from other receivers; a HUGE benefit, if you ask me.  I'm glad he's signed.

Wes Welker - In my opinion, one of the most impactful acquisitions of 2007, Wes owns the slot.  Belichick, always watching other teams, picked him up from the Dolphins because he gave Patriots DBs fits - they just couldn't cover him.  Wes's footwork and quickness make him very slippery and difficult to manage.  He was absent from all OTAs which led to many questions about his health.  A theory which I agree with: he was worn out.  One of Brady's favorite targets as the chain mover of the group, he pulled down 112 catches for a 10.5 yard average.  When Moss wasn't open, Wes was the look of choice; I see that changing a bit as there's just too much film from 2007 showing that exact scenario over and over.  Defenses are preparing for it, I guarantee you.  The little engine that can, he'll succeed no matter what the defense tries.  Where's Wes?  Oh, he's behind you...with the ball...running for the endzone.

Jabar Gaffney - The ultimate speciality receiver, Jabar is brought in to make those impossible "keep both feet in bounds" catches.  Time and time again, I've seen Brady throw the ball at his fingertips and outside the plane of the in bounds line, only for Gaffney to somehow pull it down, keeping both feet in the green.  He's not used a lot and will never have stellar numbers, but he's the guy when you need to make possible the impossible.  The most memorable, however, is the Brady-to-Moss-to-Brady fleaflicker against the Steelers.  Brady ends up launching it to Jabar, burning Anthony Smith yet again.  This year, however, I have a feeling Jabar will take on a more active role with the departure of Stallworth.

Chad Jackson - A lot has been written about this man.  The heir apparent to Stallworth's position, much attention will be focused on "The Chad".  His role is Welker with a few more pounds and some muscle.  He's the chainsaw to Wes's scalpel.  Jackson will be relied upon to produce like an RB post catch; his job is breaking tackles and gaining yardage after the catch, a running back with great hands.  There's a few question marks, though.  Having spent his first 2 seasons injured for the most part, he's considered fragile.  In addition, it's been reported he has trouble with the playbook.  Coaches have been working with him non-stop, so I think we'll see improvement and productivity from Jackson.  He's definitely a guy to watch during TC.

Sam Aiken - A recent acquisition from the Bills and first year Patriot, Sam will be a strong addition to the special teams corp, but I don't see him getting much time on the field as a WR with the group of guys above.

C.J. Jones - Previously with the Browns and Seahawks, CJ has spent much of his career moving back and forth between active roster, practice squad and NFL Europa.  If things get tight and the front office needs to tighten its belt, I believe CJ is in jeapordy.

Robert Ortiz - 2007 saw him spend some time with the Seahawks after playing in Europe for awhile.  Robert, like CJ, may be in jeapordy if things get tight.

Matt Slater - Matt, a 2008 draftee, has been looking solid during OTAs.  Lining up at both WR and Safety, it'll be interesting to see where he ends up.  Belichick likes multi-role players and I see Matt initially adding value as a kick returner; he's got good hands and, with WR and Safety loaded up, he's an investment in youth, in my opinion.

Kelley Washington - One of the best special teams tacklers on the Patriots, I see more of the same for Kelley.  WR is a crowded position and unless he gets a chance to step in and make a big play, he will most likely become one of the Patriots best special teams guys again.  I hope he gets a shot; I really like Washington.

Just a couple of quick thoughts and some questions for youse (that's what 3 days on "Long GUY lund" does to a guy).

There's been some rumors of Brett Favre with a Dolphin on his helmet.  As ludicrous as this may sound, it wouldn't be a bad idea.  Just think about the tangled web of QB stuff going on down there and you get the picture.  Pull in a vet like Favre and he can help the young guys come up to speed while providing much needed seniority on the field.  Not too far fetched, but I'm doubtful it'll happen.  If it did, it'd be classic Parcells.

While preparing for Around the AFC East, Week 7 (we start the questions and answers on Tuesdays), Matty I at SBNation's Phinsider asked me about Matt Slater.  I won't dive to deeply into my answer (you'll have to wait until Friday), but Slater has lined up at both WR and S during mini-camps.  I said during my bio of him that I thought it was a smart idea to put a kid like Matt at safety.  Why not take a player with WR hands and line him up as a DB?  Seems like it'd work to me.  I plan on keeping an eye on this guy during training camp visits.

All for now.  I have a few training camp stories in the works so look for them in the next few days.  Good to be home again...

Why is it that the New England Patriots have, what one could consider, one of the easiest schedules in the NFL?  7-9, 4-12, and 1-15.  That would be the 2007 records of our division rivals Buffalo, New York, and Miami.  In 2007, we handed our AFC East rivals a handy 0-6 with the closest game, believe it or not, being a paltry 10 point win over the Jets in Game 14.

2 AFC East teams have STILL not decided on a quarterback: the Jets and the Dolphins.  Can you imagine that kind of instability and hoping to make anything of your season?  I mean, an offensive line or special teams position, but quarterback?  Riddle me this, Batman: do Chad Henne, Josh McCown or John Beck (Dolphins) have the goods to step in like Brady did in 2000?  How about Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens (Jets)?  PLEASE!!  And while Trent Edwards (Bills) has gotten the nod over J.P. Losman, he's got some things to learn.  Let's not forget that former quarterbacks coach Turk Schonert was newly minted as Offensive Coordinator.  Instability.

The Patriots, while losing playmakers like Donte Stallworth and Asante Samuel, have gone a long way to strengthen an aging linebacker corp and defensive secondary.  5 out of 7 draftees are defensive with Matt Slater lining up at Safety during some of the minicamps.  Will it take time for them to come up to speed?  Sure, that's been proven; a Belichick defense isn't one you just walk into.  That's why we've added veterans like S Tank Williams and CBs Fernando Bryant and Jason Webster.

The QB musical chairs being played by our division rivals means I don't see our fellow Easters being anything more than practice squads for tougher rivals from the AFC South like Indy the AFC North like Pitt.  Should I be worried?