The New England Patriots' last preseason game against...drumroll please...their arch nemesis, the New York Giants.  The team that snatched victory from the hands of our boys from Foxboro...please.  It's a time for Belichick and the coaching staff to make some determinations about the roster, to test a few more theories and to get some final reps in before it matters.

As much as we've harped on the poor showing of our guys on the field, I've come to believe only the coaching staff truly knows why they played that way.  Ellis Hobbs playing soft for the past 2 games?  He may have been told to do so in order to prevent injury (he is recently off of the PUP, ya know).  Matt Cassel getting hammered?  Some folks have already pointed out he's played against first stringers vs. the 2nd and 3rd stringers Gutierrez and O'Connell have come up against.  And, as I've stated before, there's the mad scientist, Bill Belichick, cooking up who knows what and hiding large portions of the playbook.

Quarterbacks - We shouldn't read too much into this, but Tom Brady is in the projected starting lineup.  However many (or few) reps he takes doesn't matter; it'll be good to see him in a game situation, albeit preseason.  What happens to numbers 2, 3, and 4 is anyone's guess and I'm more confused than ever.  I will say if Belichick needs an open roster spot, he may look at one of these 3.

Running Backs - I am 90% that this gang of 5 (Maroney, Morris, Faulk, Jordan, Evans) is protected.  I firmly believe Belichick thinks teams are scheming against the aerial assault of the '07 season, so he's switching gears and emphasizing the run.  I haven't seen Jordan's hands, but we have Faulk for that; I believe Jordan's our redzone back.

Wide Receivers - Randy is Randy; he'll always have a starting spot.  Monday, the other WR spot in the projected starting lineup was empty, but now contains Jabar Gaffney.  This is interesting for a couple of reasons: 1) Wes is not there and may be recovering from his rib injury (I will bring him chicken soup and tea with honey and magazines...STOP THAT!) and 2) Jabar is the guy, not Chad.  Chad's play has improved through the preseason, but only the coaches know if he can move forward.  Even though CJ Jones made some plays in the last outing, he has not impressed me in the preseason; I think he's at risk.

Offensive Line - Matt Light returned to practice on the 25th, but is not seen in the projected starting lineup for thursday night.  It still adds a needed boost just to know Matty's back.  I won't go into each player in detail, but overall, possibly reading too much into it, Belichick is a little more confident in the O line as he's put Brady back there.  Again, Brady taking reps could change in a heartbeat, but that's my take.

Linebackers - Bruschi (obviously) and Mayo at ILB.  Not Victor Hobson, the veteran from NYJ, but Jerod.  Victor has struggled to transition from OLB to ILB and has, in my mind, been beat out by Mayo.  Victor is on the bubble.  At OLB we find Mike Vrabel and Pierre Woods.  This may mean Woods got the job over Crable, but it's still tough to tell.  I hope Crable isn't on the chopping block; I like him.

Cornerbacks -  We find Ellis Hobbs and Fernando Bryant and I think #3 will be Terrence Wheatley.  At one time, we were carrying no less than 10 cornerbacks and we're now down to 8 with the most recent roster cut being Jason Webster.  I believe this to be the most vulnerable group of all (we only carried 4 in 2007).

Safeties - For months I've been saying Rodney Harrison and Brandon Meriweather own these roles, but just realized they both play the SAME position - strong safety.  We may see both of them on the field at the same time, but not always.  Your free safety will, most likely, be John Lynch.  John will also assume the nickel role on passing situations and either James Sanders or Antwain Spann will jump in at free safety.  The Patriots have been placing a lot of emphasis on nickel packages so I'm interested to see how it plays out.

Special Teams - in the depth charts, CJ Jones, Wes Welker and Chad Jackson are listed as punt returners, while Chad Jackson and Matthew Slater take kickoff returns.  This could be a saving grace for guys like Jackson and Slater who may be on the bubble in other positions, but can contribute here.

Whew, if you made it through that, gold star.  My fingers are tired of typing and my brain hurts.  The older I get, the less I can cram in there and something, inevitably, has to leak out first.  Fire away with your predictions on who stays or just cut this story to shreds.  It's all good.

Yes!! Yes!! Yes!!  Finally there's lots to scribe about.  I LOVE this time of year because something is happening all the time.  Players are being acquired or let go; backups are getting a shot at drills.  It's drinking from the firehose, but who cares!  With that said, here's a few more notes to chew on.

When the Patriots were working in the red zone, there were two times in which passes did not get past the line of scrimmage because they were batted down up front. On one play, it was rookie linebacker Shawn Crable getting his hands up and disrupting the passing lane. The Patriots were in a base 3-4 alignment and Crable was rushing off the defensive right side from the outside linebacker before swatting down quarterback Matt Cassel’s delivery. At 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds, Crable brings noticeable length to the field and with plays like that, he could be a factor in the team’s pass rush this season. Linebacker Jerod Mayo had the other deflection.

I always thought Shawn's long arms would be an asset during pass rushing schemes and this is a good sign.  Yes, it's very early, but it's cool anyway.

Belichick went 1-on-1 with rookie first-round pick Jerod Mayo. At one point, Belichick could be seen putting his hands on Mayo’s left shoulder pad, directing him in his movements. It was a snapshot of how hands-on the coaching can be in New England.

I can't imagine how that would feel.  A 22 year old draftee working 1-on-1 with one of the greatest coaches in the NFL today.  I have a feeling after he's run the gang into the ground, none of the players hold BB on a pedestal; he's simply "Coach" and the guy who is there to whip them into the championship team they're going to be.

With cornerback Jason Webster not at practice, that elevated second-round pick Terrence Wheatley to the first-unit defense opposite of fellow cornerback Fernando Bryant. Jonathan Wilhite then moved into the slot role. Wheatley seems to be competitive, as one can’t see a noticeable drop-off when he’s on the field.

I've liked Wheatley since we drafted him.  There was something about this kid that caught my eye.  Talented, young, smart and hungry, he appeared be the classic Patriot.  The fact that he can jump in without a noticeable drop-off is a very good thing considering the CB position was one that pundits claimed would be a huge weakness for the Patriots.

Although he was on the field for Saturday afternoon’s walkthrough, today’s morning session marked the first chance to watch newly acquired running back LaMont Jordan in a full-pads practice. As advertised, the 5-foot-10, 230-pound Jordan runs with a low center of gravity and with power. Such a style seemed to fit the work the Patriots were doing in the red zone. After the practice, Jordan – who joked that he went back to his high school look of a bald head and sideburns – said he hoped to have a Randy Moss-like season. “Randy came from Oakland and had a big year [in 2007]. I’m hoping for the same thing.” Like Moss, Jordan joins the Patriots from the Raiders.

As I stated earlier, at 5-10 and 230 lbs, LaMont runs with a low center of gravity and will be a powerful force.  This move will add a lot of depth to the RB position creating many problems for defenses around the NFL.  Classic Belichick, he's not one to rely on a few stars to carry the load; he wants depth in key positions.  It's early, but this projects to be an interesting year on the ground.

One of the most interesting and hotly contested battles of Patriots' Training Camp will be Corner Back.  With 8 players vying for 2 starting positions, this is going to be a fun one.  The departure of Asante Samuel threw everything into a tailspin, or so our rivals would hope.  I don't believe so and here's why: Ellis Hobbs.  Ellis, considered the weaker of the 2007 starting CBs, was "targetted" throughout the season.  Come to find out he was legitimately weak - he had an injured groin and shoulder.  Another unfair observation?  Do tell.  Ellis was burned in the Super Bowl by Plaxico Burress for the game winning TD.  Horsepucky.  The injured Hobbs was left alone with a Top 5 WR and got beat.  Where the heck was his backup?  Where were the safties?  Nowhere to be found.  Why, on earth, do you leave Plaxico Burress covered by 1 guy...in the Super Bowl...inside the 20?

Alright, enough crying over spilt milk.  With 8 corner backs, someone will have to go.  NFL teams can have an 80 man roster during training camp, but must cut down to 53 for the regular season.  The Patriots are at 77 and will be fine for camp, but will have to ditch 24 players.  I'm guessing at least 1, maybe 2, will come from the corner position.  Here's how I see it breaking down:

Ellis Hobbs - Ellis is the man.  In my mind, a guaranteed starter unless something goes horribly wrong, like being put on PUP at the start of the season.  With 4 years experience, all of it with the Pats, he knows the system better than anyone else.

Fernando Bryant - Coming up on his tenth year, Fernando is the most experienced of all the players at this position, but is a first year Patriot.  Mike Reiss thinks Fernando will be a top contender for the second CB position, but only time will tell.  I think he gets the nod.

Mike Richardson - If you didn't know who Mike was, not your bad.  He spent the 2007 season on the PUP.  At Notre Dame, Mike had an excellent career and as a senior, was thought of as a leader for the DBs on the team.  I think he gets another year to prove himself.

Lewis Sanders - At 6-1 and 210 lbs, Lewis is the largest of the corners.  With 8 years in the NFL, Lewis could add some much needed experience if the young acquisitions don't come up-to-speed fast enough. 

Antwain Spann - Antwain has been moved from the practice squad to active duty a number of times.  With his varied success on the team, I see him at risk and one of the players most likely to be cut.

Jason Webster - Playing only 1 2007 game for the Bills (most likely due to injury), Jason's chances of a permanent roster spot seem slim. at best.  A solid player at the beginning of his 8 year career, I see his roster spot in jeopardy.

Terrence Wheatley - He's super fast and can double as a kickoff returner, so I see Terrence hanging around and possibly doing some things for the Pats.  If he can come up to speed as an NFL CB, his quickness could turn him into a great ball hawk.  This is a rookie draftee to watch.

Jonathan Wilhite - Of the young dudes drafted this year, I think Wilhite may be one of the most vulnerable.  To gain a roster spot, he'll have to shine on special teams, but I think, at 5-9 185 lbs, he's small for this role.  So isn't Ellis Hobbs, but he has more experience in the system and has proven himself.

Here's my final breakdown classified as starter, backup or sub-packages, vulnerable: Ellis Hobbs, Fernando Bryant, Mike Richardson, Lewis Sanders, Terrence Wheatley, Antwain Spann, Jason Webster,  Jonathan Wilhite

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?

This voluntary (yeah right) first practice is a chance for everyone to dust off the cobwebs and for the rookies to get their first taste of BB's system.  Speaking of Belichick, he views this an important part of the preparation:

"It's a teaching camp," said Belichick. "We try to install a good part of our system and give them a chance to execute it and get familiar with it and hear it called and try to run it, just getting a chance to go through it on the field in a team setting.

Injury riddled for the last couple of years, WR Chad Jackson is ready to hit the field and prove his worth.  The departure of Donte Stallworth certainly created an opportunity for him, but he's gotta deliver.

via cachemediasrv.patriots.com

Rookies and recent acquisitions traded catches from Brady with the likes of Mistah Buttah himself, Randy Moss:

He looked as smooth as ever. He makes catching the ball look so easy. It’s funny to watch guys like C.J. Jones, Matthew Slater or even Kelley Washington take one rep and Moss the next. The guy is one of the truly natural wonders of the football world. He’s special.

Rookie Matthew Slater lined up on offense as a WR.  You may recall he did double duty as a WR and S during rookie camp.  Belichick loves guys like this; he will most likely spend a lot of time on special teams, but it's good to know the kid is versatile.

Sammy Morris is back and looking strong despite missing the last half of the 2007 season with a chest injury.  Considered fragile, I hope he can stay healthy; I've always liked him because he seems like a sure and decisive RB.  He finds the holes and goes for it rather than bouncing around.

With the departure of Asante Samuel, the CB position is begging for someone to come and take it.  The field is crowded with FAs Fernando Bryant, Jason Webster and Lewis Sanders vying for a spot with rookies Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite.  It remains to be seen if Asante's shoes can be filled.

Terrence Wheatley
via multimedia.heraldinteractive.com