New England Patriots Links 7/30/10 - Belichick's Message To Rookies: Make Your Own History

Karen Guregian gets Vince Wilfork's and other players' reactions to Bill Belichick stripping the walls of the pictures from the Glory Days.

"I’m upset because of the pictures and everything, but at the same time, what (Belichick’s) trying to accomplish, I understand that, too," [Wilfork] said. "To get up there, you have to be a team player. You have to be what a Patriot is all about. That’s teamwork and discipline and working for one another. Those guys were great Patriot players. Some of the best Patriots that played around here. You have to respect them guys . . . But don’t get me wrong. What they done, they done. Now it’s time for us to move on. This is one way we can move on. Start something fresh and new. Start from ground zero.

"Everything you get, you earn. Until you earn it, you really can’t talk much on it. We haven’t done anything yet."

Albert Breer notes Nick Kaczur is making the transition to left guard in place of Logan Mankins.

"It’s definitely a little different, you have to shorten up your steps and things like that," Kaczur said. But the biggest challenge?

"Honestly, it’s learning the plays, you’d think it’d be the same thing," the sixth-year vet said. "But every time a play comes up, I still think of the tackle. I’m thinking, ‘No, I’m inside now.' So it just changes to different linebackers and different things like that."

"They’ve had me playing a bunch of different spots, so I’m kind of used to it," he continued. "It’s another challenge for me, another opportunity to show what I can do and be diverse. That’s what I’m looking forward to doing."

TEAM TALK

• Erik Scalavino offers news and notes from the first practice of the Patriots' 2010 training camp.
• Andy Hart offers his observations from the first practice.
• Paul Perillo offers his Thursday afternoon notes.
• Paul Perillo points out with Logan Mankins still out of the picture, former right tackle Nick Kaczur is making the move inside to left guard.
• Patriots Today - Locker Room Uncut. (2.14 min. video)
• Patriots Today - Pats set to start anew. (2.52 min. video)
• Patriots Today - Wrapping up day one of camp. (2.51 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Albert Breer wraps up Day 1 of camp.
• Mike Reiss reviews the top stories from the opening day of Patriots training camp at Gillette Stadium. (1.15 min. video)
• Mike Reiss offers Day 2 practice schedule.
• Albert Breer says the next half-decade for this franchise depends on the 24 draft picks from the last two years.
• Mike Reiss notes a fresh start for the Patriots means fresh faces are the look of training camp - and new energy.
• Shalise Manza Young reports Derrick Burgess has been placed on the reserve/did not report list by the Patriots
• Albert Breer catches up with Patriot linebacker/fullback Thomas Williams, who used MMA training to prepare for the season.
• Ian Rapoport notes Laurence Maroney turns to chess to help his game.
• Mark Farinella offers his audio blog of Day one of Training Camp. (5.26 min. audio with pictures)
• Christopher Gasper and Shalise Manza Young discuss Wes Welker's workout and the bare walls inside the Patriots locker room area. Laurence Maroney and Ty Warren talk about the team looking to the future vs. the past. (3.51 min. video)
• Mike Reiss looks at ESPNBoston.com's coverage of the first day of Patriots training camp.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Tim Graham (ESPN) Burgess retirement would weaken Pats.
• Tim Graham (ESPN) How do you rate AFC East aerial attacks?
• Judy Battista (NY Times) Revamped Patriots want Brady to remain. Ya think?