CB Terrence Wheatley inked a deal today to make him the second to last draftee to sign.  Here's the team's press release on Wheatley's:

Wheatley, 23, played in 40 games with 28 starts for the University of Colorado over four seasons (2003-04, 2006-07). The 5-foot-9-inch, 183-pound cornerback recorded 156 tackles (124 solo), 1.5 sacks, 14 interceptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns, 31 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Wheatley also gained 1,350 yards on kickoff returns in his collegiate career. His 14 interceptions tied the second highest total in Colorado history, while his total of two interception returns for touchdowns was one shy of the school record. As a senior in 2007, Wheatley was a first-team All-Big 12 selection by the Associated Press and the league's coaches, starting 10 games and totaling five interceptions and 12 passes defensed. He became the first Colorado player in 25 years to record three interceptions in a game when he achieved the feat against Texas Tech.

The Patriots also signed FA offensive lineman Lavdrim Bauta, putting the Patriots at their maximum 80 man roster.  More from his press release:

Bauta, 24, was a three-year letterman for Duke before transferring to Villanova for his final collegiate season in 2006. As a senior with Villanova in 2006, Bauta started 10 games at right tackle. In 2005, Bauta started all 11 games at tackle for Duke while also being named to the ACC All-Academic Team.

The only unsigned draftee left is Jerod Mayo.  Jerod?  Please don't make me nervous.  I'm sure you're going to sign.  All this posturing by your agent is just making fans nervous.  Ok, so you were a first rounder and all.  Go for it because we want to see you at training camp.  We want to see you mind melding with Tedy.  Don't do this to us.  SIGN...SIGN...SIGN!  Do you really need another  Porsche?

Hello Patriots fans!  If you're like me, you're about ready to crawl out of your skin.  Like a bear waking up from hibernation, the amount of football news and stories has increased dramatically.  It's like drinking out of a fire hose if you ask me.  But, that's ok.  Better that than the "dead zone" that is the space between OTAs and Training Camp.

Mike Reiss, one of the best sportswriters covering the Patriots, is back from a well deserved vacation and you can tell.  Reiss's Pieces is absolutely loaded with a plethora of information.  Of paticular note is Mike's snapshots.  In his classic, non-editorializing style, Mike breaks down each position with an easy-to-read table full of strengths, weaknesses and questions, to name a few.  This is like a primer for those of us attending TC; print these snapshots out, study, and watch the field.  Thanks Mike.

Another awesome piece by Mike, entitled Reiss's 10 story lines to watch at training camp, is yet another great primer on what to watch for from the boys this summer.  This is classic football junkie stuff and I'm in heaven.  I just wish I had the time to read and digest every word of it, but things like work and family keep getting in the way.

Lest I forget to send some love to our Patriots Cheerleaders, tryouts have started.  These fine athletes get zero credit, but work incredibly hard at what they do.  Having a daughter in varsity cheerleading and a friend who was a former Patriots cheerleader, I can attest to how ridiculously hard they work.  And get very little credit.

ESPN.com's power rankings, the 2008 Training Camp edition, has the New England Patriots on top.  Let me get this out quickly: I place little value in power rankings.  It's a mind exercise a) attempt to make the subjective seem objective and b) fill up web pages or print articles.  At any rate, it's cool to see my team at the top.

Need some wallpaper to help get you in the mood for the 2008 season?  You'll find tons of stuff right here.

Tom Brady wins an Espy as Best NFL Player.  It's hard not to with the season he had.  I would, however, argue that a player who turns lemons into lemonade with less than stellar talent should win this award, much like Tom has done for the past 6 or 7 years, but stats are king in this gang.  In reading these awards, be prepared to cringe when you see the Best Play (Manning to Tyree) and Best Upset (Super Bowl, Giants vs. Patriots).  OUCH!!

www.83foundation.org

You knew this was coming. I've gone at least a month without writing an article about, or with, Wes in it. And now it's time.

One of the most productive receiving corps of the 2007 season, the real question is, "Can they do it again?"  Longevity and consistency is the hallmark of a great offense and this is true of this group of receivers.  For 2008, all eyes will be watching.  Will they dominate like 2007?  Can they continue the incredible success they had last year?  The answer is a definitive, homeristic yes.  Why?  Because with this group of guys we seem to have all the bases covered.  Seam - Moss; underneath/slot - Welker; power receiver - Jackson; speciality - Gaffney, Washington.  Let's not forget Aiken, Jones, Ortiz, and Slater.  And, for the stars of 2007 (Moss and Welker) it was their first year in a Patriots uniform.  THEIR...FIRST...YEAR!!  It can only get better.  Let's get to it.

Randy Moss - Breaking the regular season TD record by pulling down 23 touchdown passes, Randy is the gazelle of the group.  There's nothing sweeter than watching Moss "lope" down the sidelines, pull down a pass only he can catch, and then turn on the afterburners.  DBs, who were already struggling to keep up with him, give up as the legs attached to his 6-4 frame extend even further to totally embarrass that back.  While not catching those impossible passes, he draws mucho coverage away from other receivers; a HUGE benefit, if you ask me.  I'm glad he's signed.

Wes Welker - In my opinion, one of the most impactful acquisitions of 2007, Wes owns the slot.  Belichick, always watching other teams, picked him up from the Dolphins because he gave Patriots DBs fits - they just couldn't cover him.  Wes's footwork and quickness make him very slippery and difficult to manage.  He was absent from all OTAs which led to many questions about his health.  A theory which I agree with: he was worn out.  One of Brady's favorite targets as the chain mover of the group, he pulled down 112 catches for a 10.5 yard average.  When Moss wasn't open, Wes was the look of choice; I see that changing a bit as there's just too much film from 2007 showing that exact scenario over and over.  Defenses are preparing for it, I guarantee you.  The little engine that can, he'll succeed no matter what the defense tries.  Where's Wes?  Oh, he's behind you...with the ball...running for the endzone.

Jabar Gaffney - The ultimate speciality receiver, Jabar is brought in to make those impossible "keep both feet in bounds" catches.  Time and time again, I've seen Brady throw the ball at his fingertips and outside the plane of the in bounds line, only for Gaffney to somehow pull it down, keeping both feet in the green.  He's not used a lot and will never have stellar numbers, but he's the guy when you need to make possible the impossible.  The most memorable, however, is the Brady-to-Moss-to-Brady fleaflicker against the Steelers.  Brady ends up launching it to Jabar, burning Anthony Smith yet again.  This year, however, I have a feeling Jabar will take on a more active role with the departure of Stallworth.

Chad Jackson - A lot has been written about this man.  The heir apparent to Stallworth's position, much attention will be focused on "The Chad".  His role is Welker with a few more pounds and some muscle.  He's the chainsaw to Wes's scalpel.  Jackson will be relied upon to produce like an RB post catch; his job is breaking tackles and gaining yardage after the catch, a running back with great hands.  There's a few question marks, though.  Having spent his first 2 seasons injured for the most part, he's considered fragile.  In addition, it's been reported he has trouble with the playbook.  Coaches have been working with him non-stop, so I think we'll see improvement and productivity from Jackson.  He's definitely a guy to watch during TC.

Sam Aiken - A recent acquisition from the Bills and first year Patriot, Sam will be a strong addition to the special teams corp, but I don't see him getting much time on the field as a WR with the group of guys above.

C.J. Jones - Previously with the Browns and Seahawks, CJ has spent much of his career moving back and forth between active roster, practice squad and NFL Europa.  If things get tight and the front office needs to tighten its belt, I believe CJ is in jeapordy.

Robert Ortiz - 2007 saw him spend some time with the Seahawks after playing in Europe for awhile.  Robert, like CJ, may be in jeapordy if things get tight.

Matt Slater - Matt, a 2008 draftee, has been looking solid during OTAs.  Lining up at both WR and Safety, it'll be interesting to see where he ends up.  Belichick likes multi-role players and I see Matt initially adding value as a kick returner; he's got good hands and, with WR and Safety loaded up, he's an investment in youth, in my opinion.

Kelley Washington - One of the best special teams tacklers on the Patriots, I see more of the same for Kelley.  WR is a crowded position and unless he gets a chance to step in and make a big play, he will most likely become one of the Patriots best special teams guys again.  I hope he gets a shot; I really like Washington.

In a very interesting read, si.com's Don Banks discusses how the Chargers are making serious moves to beat the Patriots.  In particular, Antoine Cason was picked up to handle Wes Welker.  This I want to see - Cason the rookie against arguably the best slot receiver in the NFL today.  Wes, just to rub it in, make a great catch then tie Cason's shoelaces together and smack him on the back of the helmet.

Colts QB Peyton Manning has a bursa sac removed from his knee.  He'll most likely miss training camp with a 4-6 week recovery.  Indy fans now know how we felt seeing Brady walk to Giselle's apartment with a boot on.  Sucks, don't it?  No matter how minor, this crap makes ya nervous.

Mike Reiss, as usual, does a bang up job of breaking down the wide receiver corp and what to look out for.  Besides, isn't this like the coolest picture ever?

I struggled mightily with which picture to put up here.  Was it Rodney, dualing like a warrior with NYG's Tyree, during the final minutes of XLII?  Was it any number of interceptions or hits against opposing receivers?  In the end, I chose this one because I think it's what it's all about.  Whatever you think of the guy, he means a great deal to New England and the fans.  A 5 year Patriot, 14 years in the league, HE...DAH...MAN.

Part of playing this position is a sense of swagger.  The final line of defense against all manner of offensive attacks, safeties need to play with an abandon not found with a lot of other players.  And they need to carry themselves with an attitude that says, "You want some?  Come and get it!  Try to get past me.  I'm gonna bust you up."  Often times they do.  They make receivers pay for their mistakes.  They make those acrobatic leaping gazelles remember they were in safety territory.  If a safety can't make an interception, he'll wait until you're stretched out, pulling down a pass, and then get him some.  Yeah, the good ones dare you to cross the line they've drawn on the turf.  The great ones want you to.

Rodney Harrison - Rodney owns this position for the Patriots.  He is the franchise safety and will be for the next few years.  With 14 years in the league, he's approaching that time when his body just won't be able to keep up with the position.  He's the mentor - teaching the younger dudes or passing on the system to the more experience free agents.  At any rate, starter is not even a question for this guy.  Someone will have to rip that position from his cold, dead fingers.

Brandon Meriweather - The heir apparent to Rodney's throne, Brandon will simply not see a lot of playing time until Rodney moves on.  There is, however, much talk of him playing a role at CB.  This could be an interesting one to watch.

Tank Williams - Tank's been around.  With 6 years in the league, he's still young enough to have an endless motor, but experienced enough to come up-to-speed very fast.  Plus, I like his name.  I see him starting along side Harrison in 2008.

Mark Dillard - There is almost no information on Mark.  What little there is, projects him to be to guy most likely to be cut.

James Sanders - James emerged as a player in 2007 and jumped in for Harrison when necessary.  In 2008, look for the 2 to split time to keep them both healthy.  They both play on the edge and, consequently, suffer because of it.

Raymond Ventrone - Raymond has had limited success with the Patriots and has been moved from active roster to practice squad a number of times.  That, in and of itself, does not bode well for him.  Look to see him cut if Belichick needs to make decisions about the roster.

To me, this is fairly obvious: Harrison with Sanders rotating in and out.  Brandon, and then Tank filling in when needed.  Dillard and Ventrone are either heading to the practice squad or chopping block.

He's off his rocker. No, the rocker tipped too far and he's banged his head on the table where the bottle of moonshine is settin' a spell.  QB shootout at training camp?  Tom's our boy!  YOU...ARE...NUTS!!  Yes, there is a shootout, however it doesn't involve our tops-in-the-NFL pigskin tosser.  We need to keep the ranks fresh, dontcha know.  What happens if Tom decides to buy a ginormous Alpaca farm and retire?  Or, better yet, just lay in the grass with his girlfriend, Giselle, and sell cologne?  It's not a bad gig if you can get it.  Heck, I used to lay in the grass with my girlfriend and noone asked me to sell cologne.  Well, I'm not a 3 time SB champion QB nor was my girlfriend at the time one of the highest paid supermodels in the business.  She was cute and all, but I digress.

Unless something catastrophic happens, Brady is our man for the forseeable future.  He's the dude.  He's the franchise guy.  Nuff said.  So what's the big deal?  The big deal is planning for the future.  Matt Cassel's contract is up at the end of 2008 and Matt Gutierrez is relatively untested.  Just to confuse things a bit, Belichick and the front office have tossed in another QB with Kevin O'Connell.

The media had many questions for Cassel, but he was cool in a prototypcial, Belichick coolaid kind of way saying things like he is focusing on working hard and being prepared and... blah, blah, blah.  Word is, Gutierrez was tossing the rock with ease during 2008 OTAs.  Should Cassel be worried?  I think so.  I think he should be carrying a roll of toilet paper onto the field during training camp.

Tom Brady - Uhhmm...3 rings with average receivers (except for Deion Branch, of course), 50 regular season touchdown passes last year...Giselle...beautiful son.  Yup, he's got it all and he's the - drumroll please - starter.  Cymbal crash, thank you very much.

Matt Cassel - Matt should be worried.  Gutierrez looks good, darn good.  And Matt's appearances in 2007 weren't that awe inspiring.  You can bet, with the other Matt nipping at his heals, Cassel is cramming and looking to look sharp come July 24th.

Matt Gutierrez - He's hungry.  As I've stated above, he looked good in OTAs.  His throw had zip and he appeared to be working the routes correctly.  You can bet he's working as hard, if not harder, than Cassel.  He wants to move up in the ranks.  He wants the nod.  He wants to do something other than throw meaningless passes or take knees at the end of a blowout.

Kevin O'Connell - This pick was a head scratcher for many.  With 3 QBs already on the roster, was a third really necessary?  If O'Connell can make the grade and not fall victim to the chopping block, he could be a surprise pick.  A dual threat, he finished his senior year in college breaking both the passing and rushing records, the latter because his O line was sooooo bad, he was always on the run.

O'Connell, as the new guy, is probably vulnerable unless Belichick has him onboard for a reason.  Shake things up a bit?  He sees something in the kid?  Who knows.  He's Belichick, know what I'm sayin'?  I think Cassel is the most vulnerable at this point; he's got to hold on to his spot with 2 guys gunning for his job.  Maybe he should find a supermodel to date.

I thought this one was hilarious:

Maybe, the Patriots really do have smarter players than everybody else.

Patriots draft picks linebacker Jerod Mayo, cornerback Terrence Wheatley, linebacker Shawn Crable, quarterback Kevin O'Connell, cornerback Jonathan Wilhite, kick returner Matthew Slater and linebacker Bo Ruud combined to win the "Ultimate Rookie Challenge" trivia contest at the NFL Rookie Symposium, which was held earlier this month in Carlsbad, Calif.

(Note: turn on Homerism Overdrive).  This clearly means the Pats are going 19-0, Brady and Moss will shatter their 2007 TD passing and TD reception records, and Jerod Mayo will mind meld with Tedy Bruschi, instantly absorbing Tedy's years of Patriots defensive experience and, in the process, becoming an LB monster capable of scaring Manning's horshoes upside-down.

via tbn0.google.com

Kevin Faulk gets probation for drug related charges stemming from his Feb 22nd charge of Marijuana posession.  Kevin?  The jetisoning of CB Willie Andrews meant nothing.  You, however, are a necessary part of this offense.  KEEP YOUR NOSE CLEAN!!

The war-of-words with Green Bay's boy "moves forward":

In an interview with The Associated Press Saturday, Packers general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy said they don't plan to grant Favre the release he is seeking from his contract and are committed to Aaron Rodgers as their starter.

"We've communicated that to Brett, that we have since moved forward," Thompson told the AP on Saturday. "At the same time, we've never said that there couldn't be some role that he might play here. But I would understand his point that he would want to play."

I'm really getting tired of this drama.  I like Brett as a football player.  He seems like a class guy, but I think he should just move on.  As much as I can't stand Michael Strahan for his "We stomped you out" tirade during the NYG's victory celebration, he managed to retire with some dignity and class.

Last but not least, I talk to Brian G over at Buffalo Rumblings about some of the signing activity this July.

July was a busy month for the Bills.  There's been a number of key player signings: WR Steve Johnson, their 5th draft choice, was signed; Defensive Tackle Kyle Williams signed a contract extension; OL Demetrius Bell, 7th round pick, was signed to an undisclosed contract.  Break these moves down for us - how important were these signings to the organization?  Can the rookies be impactful early?

Buffalo Rumblings: Two young veterans were signed long-term, and for relatively cheap deals: RG Brad Butler and DT Kyle Williams.  These guys probably won't ever be Pro Bowl players, but they're incredibly hard-working guys that have definite futures in the league.  These were two good signings, especially considering the total new money between the two deals was roughly $23 million over three years for each player.  Butler and Williams are the kind of player that good teams are built around: tough, hard-working and young.

The rookie deals ultimately won't mean much this season.  Bell is a project player that will almost assuredly be stashed on the practice squad, though the team likes his raw tools.  Johnson is an intriguing prospect (and he was actually a seventh-round pick, one of three the Bills made), and since Buffalo's wide receiving corps is so thin depth-wise, he has a shot at contributing at some point.  I don't expect that to be this year, however, with Josh Reed and Roscoe Parrish sitting ahead of him on the depth chart.

Ultimately, these signings were routine and rather meaningless in my book.  The team has five much bigger names to deal with contractually: WR Lee Evans, OT Jason Peters, LB Angelo Crowell, CB Leodis McKelvin and WR James Hardy.  Those are the signings I'm interested in, and some of them need to happen relatively soon.

Brian's right to be interested in the signings he mentioned.  Leodis McKelvin could prove to be huge and they need to get him on board soon, like NOW.  The rookies might be impactful next year or the year after, but Buffalo needs to get the difference makers on the practice field with no lingering issues, just football on their brains.

Thanks to Briang at Buffalo Rumblings.  Head on over there to check out my answer regarding Josh McDaniels.

Moving on, we talk to Brian Bassett at The Jets Blog.

It seems there's still some decisions to be made about the QB position, re: is it Chad or Kellen?  In my mind, having this much uncertainty is certainly not a positive thing.  What's the NYJ fan perspective?  Are folks concerned?  Is there any rumblings from the organization and/or players that they're concerned?

The Jets Blog: I agree that not knowing is tough on everyone.  I've not asked (that's a great poll idea) but from what I gather, I feel like most fans are pretty evenly split on who should QB the team.  Some lean towards Pennington because he's a known commodity and they are eager to see what the new line (which means much better protection and run threat) will benefit him more quickly.  Other fans think that they've seen enough with Pennington and they want to play the younger Kellen Clemens, who sparkled in moments of the 2007 season and in whom the team invested a second round pick in 2006.  Those folks feel like Clemens got a bum deal running for his life behind a Swiss Cheese line that you'll remember nearly got him killed in Foxborough by Richard Seymour. 

As far as the organization, I just got word from a reader/spy that met a current player I won't name this week and who was dead serious saying he thinks "Chad is the guy."  The politic answer is that both will be much better than what we saw from the team in 2007, as they have a better supporting cast to take pressure off the QB position.

A decent O line makes all the difference in the world when it comes to QB play.  We saw it in the Super Bowl.  If you don't give your QB enough time to make good decisions, he's gonna be in trouble and have to put his running shoes on.  However, the Jets need to make a decision and SOON.  I'm of the opinion that the offense needs to know who their leader is.  He's the dude running the show on the front lines and the offense needs as much time with him as possible.

Thanks to Brian Bassett at The Jets Blog for a great answer.  Head on over to his site for my answer.

After a 1 week hiatus to sober up from the Fourth, we're back with another installment of Around the AFC East.  First up is Matt I from The Phinsider, SBNation's fine Miami Dolphins blog.

I read a seemingly silly piece on the Dolphins' QB situation: What if Miami brought Brett Favre into the organization.  On the surface, I thought this was ludicrous, but it could make some sense given the need for some stability in that position.  Favre could provide some needed mentorship in that position and possibly help the Dolphins win some games in the process.  What's your thoughts?  Silly?  Does it make sense?

The Phinsider: Your original gut feeling that this idea is ludicrous is right on.  It would be a monumental mistake for the Dolphins to even consider bringing aboard Brett Favre.

Really – how would bringing aboard Favre benefit this team?  Maybe instead of winning 4 or 5 games, they win between 6 and 8.  Then what?  After the season, the Dolphins would be facing the same question that they are facing now: who is the QB of the future for the Dolphins?  In all honesty, the only people within the organization who are probably pushing for this would be the marketing people.  After all, ticket sales would likely increase a little.  But luckily for us fans, the marketing department doesn't have a say in the football operations.

But the bottom line here is that this team is undergoing a youth movement and bringing in a guy like Favre is just what you said: silly.  This team needs to stay with their current philosophy, get younger, build through the draft, and get ready to contend in, say, 2010.  And in between now and then, they need to find their quarterback, whether it's John Beck, Chad Henne, or somebody not yet on the roster.  But it sure as hell isn't Brett Favre.

My Take: Agreed.  I was goading Matty to see if he'd bite and he wisely did not.  Favre adds nothing to the mix and, in my mind, should exit pro football gracefully which, by the way, is not the way he's doing it.  Matty is right to suggest the Dolphins should concentrate on building youth and talent into their organization as well as taking a longer term approach.  Build a good system and players will gravitate to it.

Thanks to Matty I over at The Phinsider.  Head on over their to see my answers to his question.