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?

 
via cache.boston.com 

As many of you know, Mike Reiss is a sports reporter for the Boston Globe and scribes about the goings on with our favorite team, the New England Patriots. Mike's fact-based writing style provides us Patriots nuts with great reference material; you will often see him quoted here, more so than any other reporter.

I knew Mike Reiss was prolific, but I realized just how crazy he was during the Goodell/Specter press conferences.  Reiss's Pieces , Mike's Patriots blog, was being updated constantly with the goings on.  I think it really connected us fans with what was happening at the time.

I've done enough jabbering.  Let's get to the Q&A.

A Colts blogger of ours did an excellent analysis suggesting it will take time for the Patriots's new acquisitions to add value to the defense.  Have Belichick and the front office done enough to fill the gaps between the old guard (Bruschi, Vrabel, Seau) and the new guard (Crable, Mayo) while our rookies come up-to-speed?

Reiss: Time will obviously tell, but I'm going to say a definitive "yes" right now. One area that stood out to me at recent organized team activities was the versatility among many of the defenders, and how the Patriots have a lot of different parts that will allow them to do different things. I could be way off on this, but I think this defense is going to be a lot more dynamic than we've seen in recent years. I sense they're going to try some new things -- a little 3-4, a little 4-3, different sub-package combinations -- and I wonder how much the influence of new secondary coach Dom Capers is playing into that. It might be stuff that we don't see for a few weeks and then all of a sudden it pops up. In terms of the new defenders, I think Fernando Bryant looks like he's a starter at one cornerback spot. I also envision Jerod Mayo and Victor Hobson teaming up with Tedy Bruschi to provide a 1-2-3 combo at inside linebacker. I wouldn't be surprised if Brandon Meriweather is in the starting lineup at safety and much improved, with Tank Williams a major factor in sub packages, bridging the gap between safety and linebacker. On paper, the Patriots might be a bit weaker on the back end of the defense (it hurts to lose Asante Samuel), but I think they'll be stronger in the front seven. Overall, this rates as one of my top storylines going forward -- how will this defense be re-shaped? I might be reading the tea leaves wrong, but it's one reason I particularly enjoy following a Bill Belichick-coached team. Good luck figuring out what's coming next.

The Red Sox won the World Series, The Patriots narrowly missed having a perfect season and the Celtics are inches away from a championship. Have we become spoiled?  Are our expectations now too high?

Reiss: Can I turn this question over to safety Rodney Harrison? Entering his 15th NFL season, Harrison was asked this exact question at the Patriots Charitable Foundation Golf Tournament on Monday. His answer: "No question, fans are spoiled. Having a baseball team, world champions. A football team. Now possibly with our basketball team. Just a great legacy and history of winning championships around here. Hopefully it continues." As for my own opinion, I think Harrison is probably right in some respects. I'd just add that it seems to me that many fans realize this is a great era of sports in town that we'll be reflecting upon fondly when we all look back. Given all the ups and downs of the Patriots since their inception -- not just wins and losses, but ownership instability and off-field incidents -- I don't think any long-time Patriots/football fan who lived through that can ever really be considered spoiled.

Tom Brady won't be around forever.  Do you think the Patriots see something in Kevin O'Connell indicating he's the future of this franchise?

Reiss: I don't know if I would word it that way. Obviously, a team wouldn't draft a player in the third round, specifically a quarterback, if it didn't think it had a chance to be a big part of the future of the franchise. But in this case, I think it's as much as being a No. 2 as it is the possibility of being a future starter. More than 60 quarterbacks started at least one game last year in the NFL. That's an astronomical number, and a reminder of the importance of the backup spot. Can Matt Cassel be that guy? I don't think anyone knows the answer, because it's a question that can only be answered if he's thrust into that role, and he hasn't been. So in that case, I like the idea of improving your odds by adding a highly touted player to the mix. I also like the idea that Cassel's contract expires after this season and the team gives itself built-in insurance. That's just smart long-range planning. I'd also point out that there have been positive signs from Matt Gutierrez, a rookie free agent who signed with the club in 2007. The Patriots have been fortunate that Tom Brady has been an ironman, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't prepare for the possibility of having to call on a backup.

There's been a lot written about Chad Jackson and his return to full time play. Do you think he could be the Donte Stallworth replacement we're looking for?

Reiss: Yes, but I don't have the highest confidence at this point. Maybe it's that I caught out of the corner of my eye Jackson running the wrong route in the weekend mini-camp, when there wasn't a defense on the field. I don't want to base my opinion solely on that -- it would be short-sighted to do so -- but I also know there needs to be a trust and bond that develops between quarterback and receiver and that doesn't seem to be there at this point with Tom Brady and Jackson. That's what training camp is for, and it's probably fair to say that's why Jackson will be one of this camp's most intriguing stories to follow.

It's early and there's been limited access to Patriots voluntary camps (ie: Passing Camp), but which new acquisition do you see as adding value quickly?

Reiss: Not including the obvious choice of first-round pick Jerod Mayo, cornerback Fernando Bryant would be at the top of my list. I also think Victor Hobson is going to help, and people will be looking back and saying 'How could there not have been more interest in the free agent market for him?' The third name I'd add to the list is Tank Williams; much of today's game is played with offenses calling on three- and four-receiver packages, and he adds value as an extra defensive back who has linebacker-like skills.

A big Thank You to Mike Reiss for his time and thoughtful answers.  Very cool, Mike.  Don't forget to check out Mike's articles as well as Reiss's Pieces at boston.com 
 

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