Laurence Maroney gets all the attention. And why not? He's the "starter". Even though, in my humble opinion, starter is a term that has lost some, if not most, of its luster with many postions.  It's more about snaps.  How many has a player taken.  The Patriots, like many smart teams, invest in players who fit the system vs. 1 or 2 stars, constantly relied on and playing a ridiculous number of snaps.  Laurence and Sammy may not have the Top 5 numbers of some of the other guys, but they're gonna be dangerous this year; wait and see.

When Maroney was out of commission for weeks 4-6, Sammy Morris was averaging 4.6 yards a carry.  A season ending injury put him out and Laurence stepped in to put up 4.9 yards per carry in the last 6 games of the season.  That was a, "Where the heck's he been?" moment.  Many other classless dudes would have complained bitterly if they were essentially an afterthought for most of the season.  Not Maroney, the team player.  He worked hard, stayed healthy and stayed ready.  How could you not rely so heavily on the passing attack?  When the aerial assault started to faulter a bit, there he was - ready to rock & roll.

Laurence Maroney - Mr. Team Player.  Like I outlined above, 4.9 yards in the last 6 games.  Called on to provide an alternate set of weapons when Brady and the WR gang came up against film, Laurence stepped in to put up 100 yarders in 4 out of 6 of the last games.  Which, just so happens, makes him the league leader in postseason rushing.  Kiss my what? ;-)

Sammy Morris - Considered the "second back", Morris put up a respectable 4.6 yards per carry when he stepped in for an injured Maroney.  I like Sammy.  He seems to commit more than Laurence, for better or for worse.  He doesn't seem to bounce off of the line as much, preferring to blast through.  He may get nailed in the process, but at least he's committed.

Kevin Faulk - Averaging a decent 4.3 yards per carry, this doesn't tell the whole story.  Oh, did I mention he can catch like a mofo?  With 8.1 yards per reception for 2007 and a career 8.7, he's a serious threat when Brady decides to use him for the option.  Or, better yet, when the Patriots need some more meat in the slot than Wes can provide, Kevin is the dude.  A serious 3rd down back, he's a major secret weapon.  It boggles my mind defenses forget about him.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis - A UFA, BenJarvus is an investment in youth.  Granted, Laurence is in his early 20's with tons of gas left, it still never hurts to have more youth.  In Marima's most excellent profile on BenJarvus, we see that he's had back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons with a 94 yard per game average.  Not too shabby, BenJarvus.  If he can step it up to an NFL level, this will be an awesome running attack with a lot of depth.

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