Mark Farinella reports Leigh Bodden has recharged his batteries after a year off from football.
"I'm definitely rejuvenated, glad to be back out here, ready to go," the Patriots' veteran cornerback said Sunday at Gillette Stadium. "I'm 100 percent. All I can do is just try and keep going and put a good Leigh Bodden out there and just try to stay healthy."
"Everything came back good," he said. "It's just getting back out there and being a little rusty. But I actually wasn't as rusty as I thought I'd be. I've just got to keep working and keep getting better. "I'm far from where I want to be," he added, "so hopefully by the first preseason game I'll be where I want to be."
DJ Bean reports Rob Gronkowski misses Alge Crumpler and hopes for a big sophomore season.
"Expectations raise every year you [play] in the league. I’m not going into my second year and lowering my expectations," Gronkowski said. "Obviously not. So obviously my expectations are higher, and hopefully the coaches’ are too for me. I plan on going out there and whenever I’m in, whenever they put me in, just making sure I do the job so then [I can] go beyond those expectations."
"Alge Crumpler’s a great guy, and is definitely going to be missed," Gronkowski said. "[Players] already miss his presence. He’s a great leader and I’m definitely going to miss him. I hope the best for him, too, in the future. He wasn’t just a great player, but he was a great guy on and off the field."
Karen Guregian note Deion Branch likes the potential of the receiving unit with the addition of Chad Ochocinco, and he's getting a lot of help from everyone.
"There’s no quick process when you spend eight, nine, 10 years in one offense," Branch said. "He’s a veteran player, so that’s one advantage that he has. It’s just all about how much can he gather and consume in a day. That’ll be something that he has to do and I think with the help of myself, Wes (Welker), Tom, all of us are going to help him try to get the stuff in as soon as possible."
"I think we should be good," he said. "Chad is great. He’s a proven player, a veteran, very entertaining. We expect he has to come in and help us out."
TEAM TALK
- Patriots Training Camp schedule update: There will be no practice on Monday.
- Andy Hart tells us what happened at Sunday's practice.
- Patriots Today - Sunday extra points (2.20 min. video)
- Patriots Today - Haynesworth on the field. (2.07 min. video)
- Patriots Today - Hear from Branch, Gronkowski (2.14 min. video)
- Patritos Today - Bodden, Ochocinco unite (1.16 min. video)
LOCAL LINKS
- Mike Reiss gives us his initial reaction to the Matt Light re-signing.
- Christopher Price takes a closer look at what Matt Light's new deal means for the Patriots.
- Karen Guregain says that although a deal is not imminent, Nate Solder will sign eventually but there's no way he'd be ready to start.
- Mike Reiss declares Albert Haynesworth shows enormous potential lining up beside Vince Wilfork.
- Monique Walker reports Albert Haynesworth made his presence felt at camp yesterday, especially by the O-Linemen he pushed around.
- Mike Reiss highlights the Patriots second full-pad practice of training camp.
- Ian Rapoport notes Brandon Spikes was rattling helmets in an impressive full-pads afternoon session Sunday.
- Greg A. Bedard gives us a rundown of Sunday's full-pads practice. Defense ruled the day as offense struggled.
- Mike Rodak offers his observations from yesterday's afternoon practice. The defense dominates.
- Danny Picard tells us the positive and negative aspects to the Patriots' padded practice.
- Paul Kenyon notes the Patriots are focused on bringing their own players back right now, and gives us a recap of Sunday's practice.
- Paul Kenyon calls Dan Koppen a beacon of stability for the Patriots at the center position.
- Danny Picard notes Jermaine Cunningham is a very important piece to the Patriots defense.
- Mark Farinella tells us to expect a new, quieter version of Chad Ochocinco this season.
- Shalise Manza Young Patriots Notebook: Matt Light agreed to a two-year contract last night; Brandon Spikes is committed to getting better as a player; Nick Caserio said the Pats are in talks with BenJarvus Green-Ellis and he might be here sometime this week; Marcus Cannon has been on the field as an observer since signing his contract, but "things look promising" in his recovery.
- Ian Rapoport Patriots Notebook: Haynesworth drew attention during drills in the afternoon session when he blew up some O-Linemen; Danny Woodhead has been taking the bulk of carries since Green-Ellis can't participate until Aug. 4; Patriots flew in DT Tommie Harris for a workout; No practice today; Lee Bodden is rejuvenated and ready.
- Greg A. Bedard offers a graphical look at the Patriots' 88-man roster of the moment.
- Jeff Howe projects his first Patriots roster.
- ESPNBoston posts some photos from Sunday's first Patriots practice session at Gillette, which featured Albert Haynesworth's debut as a Patriot.
- Christopher Price profiles five remaining free agent possibilities for the Patriots.
NATIONAL NEWS
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) League disapproves four rookie contracts. Patriots' Ryan Mallett and Stevan Ridley are two of them.
- Mike Klis (Denver Post) Bill Belichick's way has room for wayward talent.
- Doug Farrar (Yahoo! Sports) Is Chad Ochocinco ready to buy into the 'Patriot Way?'
- Matt Bowen (Nat'l Football Post) How to grade rookies in NFL training camps.
- Peter King (SI) MMQB: Cornerbacks making out well in this wild free agency period.
- Don Banks (SI) In unprecedented offseason, teams are sticking with who they know.
- Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) As a practical matter, Manning's new contract is fully guaranteed. This should end the media confusing him with Mother Teresa.