Greetings Patriots fans, from your designated trenchman. Seems I've assumed default oversight of the pig-pen, where the big boys battle, so in an effort to continue to uphold that role I bring you the latest in the ongoing saga of the Patriots' offensive line.

After bringing him in for a workout yesterday, the Patriots have signed Massachusetts homeboy Mike Flynn to a one year contract. The former standout at Springfield's Cathedral High and the University of Maine has played in the big leagues for 10 seasons, all of them for the Baltimore Ravens.

Flynn is the latest signing in a bewildering array of free-agents old and new that the Pioli/Belichick team has brought in to shore up the front wall. Spurred by a merry-go-round of injuries all along the front five, the Patriots now enter officially desperate waters. To bring in an o-lineman this late in camp is beyond cause for concern--it's indicative of a serious issue. That issue is depth.

More on Flynn and the rest of the fat guys over the jump.

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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.