New England Patriots Links 8/17/09 - Bruschi Back; Mankins & Ohrnberger Carted Off.

Erik Scalavino reportsTedy Bruschi's return to the field highlighted Sunday's practice.

"It was just … you get a little bit older and you’ve gotta mend some aches and some pains. That’s why it took longer for me to get out here," the 14-year veteran explained to reporters after practice.  "But I’m feeling better now and hopefully I can get back to work."

"We’re in training camp right now. Roles are being defined. I know we have a lot of good inside linebackers. Gary Guyton, Jerod Mayo. Every year, I have to come in and establish a role for myself on this team. This year is no different."

Christopher Price lists his thoughts from the afternoon session, including the backup QB competition.

In our continuing quest to try and figure out the backup quarterback situation, read into this what you will — on Sunday, when the quarterbacks would go off and do a quarterback-specific drill, more often than not it would be Brady and O’Connell, while Andrew Walter and Brian Hoyer would be working together on another part of the field. A bit of a change from last week, where Brady and Walter were working spent most of their time working together while O’Connell and Hoyer would be together.

Dennis Dillon (Sporting News) asks former 49ers and Broncos LB Bill Romanowski which current coach he wished he could have played for.

(Bill) Belichick for sure. It's amazing to me what he brings to the game: professionalism, a detailed system. The guy is not into media. He's into being the best football coach on the planet, and that really comes through. He deals with the press, and you guys probably don't like him that much because of how bland he is, but he's a football coach. And that's all he wants to do -- be the best.

TRAINING CAMP OBSERVATIONS

• Shalise Manza Young tells us what we've learned about the Patriots through two weeks of Training Camp.
• Erik Scalavino offers his noteworthy plays and observations from Sunday afternoon.
• Mike Reiss blames the heat for an overall sluggish practice.  Wilhite was wearing a red no-contact jersey.
• Shalise Manza Young Galloway knows he still has a lot to learn about New England offense, plus notes from Sunday's practice.
• Bill Belichick Sunday's Post-practice Presser.  (18.53 min. video + Transcript.)
• Joey Zarbano presents an audio wrap-up of Sunday's practice.  Listen to Tedy Bruschi, Matt Light and Chris Baker.

LOCAL SHOTS

• Mike Reiss reports offensive linemen Logan Mankins and Rich Ohrnberger were carted off the field during Sunday's full-pads practice due to heat-related issues.  Both are reported to be fine.
• Chris Gasper notes that Tedy Bruschi, at 36, won't be the 'heart and soul' of the Patriots defense much longer.
• Karen Guregian Patriots Notebook: Joey Galloway has been slow to grasp the system and not in sync yet with Brady; Ron Brace was glad to get those first-game jitters out of his system; Fred Taylor was in uniform but did not play against the Eagles. 
• Karen Guregian analyzes Tom Brady's first game under the trained eye of former NFL QB Jim Miller.
• Ian Rapoport offers five things to take away from the Pats' preseason win in Philly.
• Christopher Price gets rookie S Patrick Chung's impression of his first NFL game, "Everybody’s fast and everybody’s good, so you just have to have your ‘A’ game the whole time."
• Michael Whitmer calls attention to Stephen Gostkowski's 85.6 percent success rate (77 for 90), tops in team history, and better than Vinatieri’s 82 percent.
• Shalise Manza Young reports DL Le Kevin Smith has been working hard to be the best player he can be and earn his spot on the team, studying and working out the month before Training Camp.
• Ian Rapoport notes the big impression made by rookie DL Myron Pryor.
• Mike Reiss gets Bill Belichick's assessment of the long snapper competition and what he's looking for.
• Christopher Price presents a sizable portion of Tedy Bruschi's Q & A with the media following practice.
• Mark Farinella says rookie DL Ron Brace is happy to be with the home team and is committed to learning that huge playbook.
• Mark Farinella has a neat piece recalling his attendance at the Aug. 15, 1971 opening of Schaefer Stadium 38 years ago.
• Mike Reiss offers some news and notes from around the NFL.

LONG SHOTS

• Jason La Canfora (NFL.com) Around the League: Scout gives the scoop on Tom Brady's form.
• Michael Lombardi (Nat'l Football Post) Sunday at the Post.  Chris Baker will help the Patriots this year.
• Mike Florio (Pro Football Talk) wouldn't be surprised if Bruschi called it quits before Labor Day.  He doesn't know Bruschi.
• Peter King (SI) MMQB: The Vick signing scoop, my training camp tour, 10 things and more.

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning played golf together at Cypress Point in Monterey, Calif., recently. On the first hole, both slightly sliced their shots on the border of the first fairway and the club's driving range. Uh-oh. Needle-in-haystack, lost-ball time.

But it didn't take long to find them. Brady was playing a Titleist 12, Manning a Titleist 18. Get it -- 12, 18? Talk about your unique-to-one-person golf balls.