With the excitement of the draft dwindling behind us, the New England Patriots are looking forward to their new rookie talent to arrive in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Today, first round draft pick Linebacker Jerod Mayo will be introduced by Robert and Jonathan Kraft to the fans and media.

The drafted and undrafted rookies will go through a two day mini-camp beginning on Friday and we will have updates from Bill Belichick.

Who will attend the rookie training?

According to NEPatriotsDraft.com the following players are undrafted free agents picked up by the Pats:

LB Vince Redd (Liberty), Mike Dragosavich (NDSU) - signed by the team, DE Chris Norwell (Illinois), TE Jon Stupar (Virginia), C Ryan Wendell - Fresno St.), OT Josh Coffman (ECU) - 2 years/$0 Bonus, DL Casey Tyler (Portland St.) - 1 year/$0 Bonus, DL Carlos Feliciano (Maryland), LB Gary Guyton (Georgia Tech), RB Benjarvus Green-Ellis (Ole Miss), LB Keith Saunders (Alabama), SS Mark Dillard (La Tech) and both RB Kenny Cattouse (Troy) and TE Tyson DeVree (Colorado) on a tryout basis.

After the draft the Patriots reviewed their personnel and have released veteran linebacker TJ Slaughter and former practice squad member defensive back Tim Mixon.

Still no word or updates on Junior Seau or Ty Law to return to the team.

It should be in interesting weekend to see how the rookies adjust and to see if there are any other roster moves.

New England Patriot defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and his wife Bianca will be hosting their 5th Annual Vince Wilfork Draft Day Fundraiser Party at Pinz Entertainment in Milford. The event will the raise money to support the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami.

Fans will have the opportunity to meet Wilfork and several teammates as they wait to see which player the Patriots will select in the draft. Fans will also be able to participate in a live silent auction for premium Patriots items, with all proceeds benefiting the Diabetes Research Institute.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.pinzbowl.com. For more information e-mail fans@vincewilfork75.com.

This event will be the best event to see the players and watch the draft while contributing for a good cause!

More draft parties?

The New England Patriots will be hosting their annual NFL Draft Party at Gillette Stadium. Fans will be able to meet Hall-of-Famer John Hannah, other alumni players and current cheerleaders. There will be draft updates from the front office and fans will be able to walk down to the game field.

Admission price ($65.00) includes:

Buffet Lunch and 3 Complimentary Soft Drink Coupons (access to cash bar)

Participate in our Patriots Draft Party Mock Draft for a chance to win a pair of 2008 Patriots Season Tickets!

Appearances by current Patriot players

Special Appearance and Autograph Signings by John Hannah and select New England Patriots Alumni

Updates from the front office and coaching staff

Visit to the Patriots Playing Field (bring your camera!!)

Visits from the New England Patriots Cheerleaders and Pat Patriot

HUGE TVs

Free Parking

Raffles

Event Date: Saturday, April 26, 2008

Location: Gillette Stadium

Doors Open: 2:30 PM

Ticket Limit: Tickets will be sold on a first-come first-serve basis, and there is no limit on the number of tickets you may purchase (subject to availability). All tickets are non-refundable.

GO PATS!!!

There were a few stories this week about the Patriots and their players.

The most noteworthy has been the news on Ben Watson's ankle surgery and that he may miss training camp.

Watson originally injured his ankle while playing versus Dallas on October 14th. Watson missed the next two games and returned only to re-injure the ankle versus the Steelers. The Patriots have not commented on the injury, but as Watson and David Thomas have been often injured over the last two years, the Patriots may look to Stephen Spach to play a bigger role in 2008. Maybe the Patriots pick up Christian Fauria.

The Patriots need a blocking tight end like Kyle Brady (started off great in 2007, but was also slowed by injury and couldn't do much in the playoffs) or former Patriot Daniel Graham. The Patriots usually pick a tight end in the draft, so we will have to see on this one.

Patriots signings

The Patriots re-signed linebacker Pierre Woods and offensive tackle Wesley Britt, two exclusive rights free agent. These signings were expected and retains young talent. Woods has yet to solidify his role at linebacker, but does contribute on special teams. Britt has been competing each year for a starting role and he has filled in for Nick Kaczur and Matt Light.

Seymour happy to be back

For the first time in two years Richard Seymour is able to start the offseason conditioning program with out any injuries. After two knee surgeries and shoulder injury Seymour is happy to be healthy.

Many fans have been critical of Seymour the last few years as his play has dropped off dramatically since he held out for a better contract and received the big 'pay day'. 2008 will be another year of high expectations as Seymour's time with the team may soon be finished if he continues to perform poorly and still have a hefty contract.

Seymour and and Ty Warren are both under larger contracts and most fans believe Vince Wilfork is the player to take care of for the next big pay day. Wilfork's contract will be expiring at the end of the season.

Buy the numbers

Mike Reiss has reported the new numbers for recently signed players.

WR Sam Aiken — 88

CB Fernando Bryant — 25

OL Jimmy Martin — 60

CB Lewis Sanders — 29

LB T.J. Slaughter — 51

CB Jason Webster — 21

S Tank Williams — 26

Other News

Dallas announced they are not interested in running back McFadden and therefore it looks like there would be no chance for a trade of picks between the Pats and Dallas if McFadden were to fall to No.7.

There is also speculation that Tampa Bay QB Chris Simms may soon no longer be with the team. Simms has not shown up for their offseason conditioning program and there have been rumors the Bucs are looking to trade him. Would the Patriots be interested? Belichick knows Phil Simms from their time in New York, but Chris has not been playing like his dad. When Chris did play, he also did not have much help around him.

IN BILL WE TRUST!

With free agency seemingly dead in the water, there are still a few NFL teams looking to fill needs, but will they wait for the draft or take a veteran they know will add value?

It is interesting to see how 2008 has been similar for the Patriots to free agency periods before 2007. There was too much hype on the Patriots in 2007 and now media pundits feel the Patriots have had a terrible offseason due to losing Asante Samuel, Randall Gay and Eugene Wilson from their secondary and cutting Rosevelt Colvin.

Jamie recently gave a review on the Patriots free agency moves and outlines his thoughts and grades. Although the Patriots have found a few additions in the secondary with CB Fernando Bryant (lions), S Tank Williams (Vikings), CB Lewis Sanders (Falcons), CB Jason Webster (Bills), these players seem to be often injured and decent replacements for the likes of Gay and Wilson or at the very least special teamers.

Dom Capers knows a few of these players and they all seem to be tough physical kind of guys he likes to have to play up in the box. I am hoping that Capers is able to improve the secondary and I agree with Jamie, 'if Bryant is the starter alongside Ellis Hobbs to start the season, I don't like the Patriots' chances to make it back to the Super Bowl'.

Ty Law is still available (as well as Hank Poteat), but even then I do not like to depend on him to start the whole season. The draft is deep with cornerbacks more so then safeties, so I see Meriweather playing safety in 2008 rather then filling in at corner as he did in early 2007. If Law does join he along with Capers should be able to bring along the young talent into the Belchick mindset relatively quickly. Worse case scenario Troy Brown returns as a nickle back and the Pats at least said no to 'Pac Man' Jones.

Overall, I disagree that cornerback is the top need for the Patriots this offseason as the Patriots have often filled the voids in the secondary with players off the street and have used quantity over quality.

If we look at the Patriots roster, the greater need is still youth at linebacker with only Pierre Woods and Eric Alexander are the only 'veterans' (sorry Izzo is special teams and comes in on goal line defenses) behind Tedy Bruschi, AD Thomas and Mike Vrabel. They have never played well enough to even come in during the early blowouts in 2007…

TJ Slaughter was recently signed and Panthers Adam Seward (RFA) was brought in for a check up with no contract given. These are back-ups not starters even if they figure out the Patriots system.

Junior Seau is still surfing and has not made up his mind to return and the Pats may be interested in Takeo Spikes, but age is still a concern.

So sure the Patriots did re-sign a few key players like Randy Moss and Lonie Paxton. And Tedy Bruschi is old and slow, but still a team leader and play maker having the most tackles on the team in 2007 - not bad!

I think keeping Gaffney is great as he adds value with Stallworth gone, the others that were re-signed are all fillers and not game changers and talent to get to the Super Bowl.

I would grade the free agency as a D, based on the Patriots not doing enough to fill the gaps and not much opportunity to draft starters in the draft.

Having said that …

IN BILL WE TRUST!

According to the rumor section of Sports Illustrated, the Patriots are one of four teams interested in LB Takeo Spikes. Previously, I figured that Spikes wouldn't be on their radar due to the fact that he has played in the 4-3 his entire career and is coming off an injury that shortened his only season in Philadelphia. However, if this rumor is true, Belichick must feel that Spikes has the ability to make the switch to the 3-4. If Takeo is fully recovered from his injury, he certainly has the athletic talent to make an impact and fill the linebacker void in New England. Spikes hasn't played a full season since 2004 with the Buffalo Bills. He likely would play outside, which would free up Adalius Thomas or Mike Vrabel to move inside with Tedy Bruschi. I also wouldn't rule out Spikes playing inside, though he is better suited to play OLB due to his size and pass rushing ability.

On a separate matter, Fox Sports posted an article giving a side-by-side comparison of Chris Long and Vernon Gholston, the top two DE/OLBs in the draft. While I would be ecstatic for the Pats to land either one, if given the preference I would take Chris Long. He has great character and intelligence, is an excellent pass rusher, and plays the run better than Gholston. He also has the benefit of working with one of Belichick's friends and a former Parcells staff member along with Belichick, Al Groh. I feel that gives him a leg up on Gholston as far as the Patriots go.

If there's one thing Pats fans have learned since Bill Belichick has taken over, it's expect the unexpected on draft day. Between trades and the drafting of players unthinkable to all prognosticators, the Patriots have kept everyone guessing when it comes to the NFL Draft. During Belichick's second draft, everyone expected the Pats to draft WR David Terrell from Michigan with the #6 overall pick. Instead, Belichick and Pioli drafted DE/DT Richard Seymour. Seymour became a Pro Bowl player, and David Terrell isn't even in a starting lineup. Nobody expected the Pats to draft a guard in the first round in 2005, let alone Logan Mankins. He was voted to the Pro Bowl this past season. Draft experts have had the Pats drafting a linebacker or a corner in the first round the past few years, but they have yet to do so, despite the need.

This year could be different. The Pats haven't had a pick as high in the first round as they have this year since 2001 when they drafted Seymour. Most say the Pats will try and trade back and accumulate more picks and try and get better value for players most feel they can get at later picks than #7. There are still mixed opinions as to whether there are any cornerbacks or linebackers that deserve a top 10 grade. CB Leodis McKelvin has been deemed by most as the top corner in the draft, though that doesn't necessarily mean that he receives a top 10 grade. The only true linebacker that can possibly sniff the top 10 picks is Keith Rivers from USC, who projects as an ILB in the 3-4. Any other player that could play LB in the Pats' 3-4 defense, such as Vernon Gholston or Chris Long, are linebacker/defensive end hybrids. The question remains: What exactly will the Pats do to try and get the best pick at the best value?

The possiblity remains that Belichick and Pioli pick the best player available at #7 regardless of the position the player plays. That could mean tackle, runningback, defensive tackle, or defensive end, which are not positions the Patriots are in dire need of. One thing the Pats have shown is that they are not afraid to pick "best player available" according to their draft board and have stayed away from drafting for need of the player doesn't fit their value board. The Pats could also draft a player at a position of need but one that draft "experts" feel is a reach at that spot. The Patriots do not seem to tend to the conventional draft boards and have their own set of values for players. A corner such as Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie could be rated as the top corner on the Pats' board but rated as a late-round pick on draftniks such as Mel Kiper's board. Again, conventional wisdom says the Pats move back in the draft because they need more young players and could stockpile picks, there are no sure-fire top ten guys where they are picking, and they prefer to pay big guaranteed contracts to veterans over rookies. But this is the Patriots we're talking about, right?

Do not dismiss the possibility of moving up in the draft to grab a prospect they feel is a can't-miss prospect. Remember, expect the unexpected with the Patriots on draft day. It is highly possible that the Pats covet Vernon Gholston and/or Chris Long, two prospects that would be OLBs in the 3-4 and are projected to be impact players, but would not last past the Jets at #6. Moving up would not necessarily be very costly to the Patriots in terms of draft picks.

SpyGate. Performance-enhancing drugs. Violent fights at strip clubs in Vegas. Spousal abuse. Domestic violence. Concussive head injuries.

Of all the 'citizenship' issues facing the NFL, which one do you think they're choosing to focus on lately? If you guessed any of the above, you'd be wrong. Instead, a report surfaced on SI.com Wednesday that the NFL is debating new rules about hair length.

Yep.

The rule banning long hair on the field was proposed by Kansas City. It does not require players to get haircuts, but does "require them to tuck it up inside their helmets," said Atlanta president Rich McKay, chairman of the league's competition committee.

An example of the dangers of long hair given in the article was Troy Polamalu, who "had his hair grabbed by Kansas City's Larry Johnson and was thrown to the turf after an interception against the Chiefs."

So apparently the Chiefs are saying Polamalu shouldn't have been allowed to tempt Johnson with all those flowing locks just crying out to be grabbed. Maybe Johnson should find a more sportsmanlike way to stop Polamalu? Just a thought.

But really, isn't some Home for Lost Boys around the league on the verge of taking in Pacman Jones? (It could even be us!) Aren't there a few more pressing issues when it comes to player safety?

Even aside from that, it would just be a bummer for me as a fan of the offensive line of the New England Patriots to see their 'rally mullets' curtailed by the scions of decency at league headquarters. Without his fierce fiery mane, I'm afraid my boy Matty Light especially might be at a disadvantage in future playoffs.

The image conscious NFL is grappling with fallout from the Patriots' spygate scandal when a team employee was discovered video taping the New York Jets defensive signals during a 2007 game. The Patriots were heavily fined for the rule infraction and coach Bill Belichick was subjected to league wide derision.

Commissioner Roger Goodell was summoned to a meeting with Senator Arlan Specter (R-Pa) who questioned that the NFL was sweeping the issue under the rug. Specter challenged Goodell's decision to destroy the tapes confiscated from the Patriots. The commissioner said that, having completed its investigation, the NFL saw no useful purpose in keeping the tapes and was not legally bound to do so.

Specter viewed the action as akin destruction of "evidence" and ominously threatened Senate investigation of the league's action.

Commissioner Goodell proposed rule changes to the NFL's competition committee to change league enforcement procedures and for a "whistleblower" provision to protect team employees who report suspect activity.

It's hard to figure why Specter would hold a private enterprise like the NFL to the same standard as a federal agency, like the CIA, but, avoiding nuisance congressional investigations should focus owner attention. Protecting fan confidence that games are won by actions on the field is a larger, more important focus.

"We are determined that our game is clean and competitively fair," Ray Anderson, the league's senior vice president for football operations, said during a conference call on Wednesday. "We want integrity from top to bottom."

The owners resisted rule changes to allow radio communication between the defensive captain and the sideline, as now happens with quarterbacks. I never heard a satisfactory explanation for that. Offense excites the fans and the connection with the quarterback and the sideline play caller provides a slight edge.

By taping opponents defensive signals, Belichick built upon that, although he never intended to use the information during the same game. It was the destruction of the Patriots reference library of those tapes that so incensed Specter. Revelation of the Patriots' practice might convince owners to vote, finally, in favor of radio communication with the defense. That would negate the advantage of what's locked in Belichick's brain about opponent's signals. Belichick's brain is advantage enoug

If the Patriots are anything in regards to the draft this offseason it is the workouts of defensive pass rushers. The recent workout of San Diego quarterback Josh Johnson seems to be the one offensive exception so far.

It makes a fan wonder if that means Tom Brady's current back-ups Matt Cassel or Matt Gutierrez should be nervous? Although playing a career high (tie) of playing time with 6 games in 2007, Cassel had better moments on the field then his first chance to play versus the Dolphins on October 21st with an interception returned for a touchdown by Miami defensive end Jason Taylor. Tom Brady returned to complete the game. Cassel finished the year with a 32.7 QB rating. Cassel's contract is up at the end of 2008.

Gutierrez also played versus Miami and threw once for a 15 yard gain. Gutierrez played 5 games in 2007 with most of the opportunities coming at the end of games to kneel the ball down. With only one throw all season Gutierrez had a 118.8 QB rating.

Looking again to the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots held a private workout with Auburn University defensive end/outside linebacker Quentin Groves on March 13. Groves is not a Top 10 pick, but may be a good option if the Patriots are able to trade away the 7th pick and move down the boards.

Groves is most likely the eighth or ninth defensive candidate worked out by the Patriots so far. It is hard to keep track, but the other probable defensive candidates I know at this point are from USC with linebackers Keith Rivers and Thomas Williams, defensive ends Lawrence Jackson and Sedrick Ellis and cornerback Terrell Thomas.

Belichick was at the University of Florida defensive end/outside linebacker Derrick Harvey and also made a visit to the University of South Florida to meet with cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams.

The Patriots also met with Purdue linebacker Stanford Keglar and Ohio State defensive end/outside linebacker Vernon Gholston.

If I were to make a bet for the draft, the first pick for the Patriots would have to be for a pass rusher and most needed as an outside linebacker. I think Gholston or Ellis may still be there by the 7th pick. If Belichick really likes Gholston, look for the Pats to move up and take the Falcons spot (thanks Dimitroff!). Otherwise they may take Ellis with the 7th pick.

When the Pats try to move down they may have the option to take Rivers, Harvey, Keglar or Groves depending on the how far they move down the draft board.

It would be a great possibility to land a DE/OLB like Harvey, Keglar or Groves and the cornerback Jenkins in the first round..

That is not my mock draft pick yet… but all things being equal - it probably should be.

IN BILL WE TRUST!

The New England Patriots coaching and scouting staff have been visiting many campuses across the country for college Pro Days or individual sessions to work out various draft prospects.

During the build up to the NFL Draft date each NFL team is allowed to have up to 30 prospect candidates in for a visit and workout. The player visits have multiple purposes. Similar to the weekly injury reports during the season, a team may use the visits as showing interest in players other teams may want to also (look out for the Jets picking at No. 6!), otherwise simply stated a team can do their own test on a players injuries or follow up on their personnel scouting reports.

The Patriots place a high importance of the coaches, scouts and personnel department working together to evaluate college prospects and making the right choices for which players will have all the football intelligence and athletic abilities to add value to the team.

Once the team recognizes potential draft andidates, the players are requested to visit with the team coaches and personnel staff. The visits are not part of the team workouts and are often used to close any questions or concerns the team may have before completing the final selection boards for the draft.

An example is in 2006, when wide receiver Chad Jackson arrived to Gillette Stadium and was tested on complex routes and patterns for Coach Belichick & Co. Jackson did well enough for the Patriots to move up in the 2nd round to grab Jackson as a 'late' first round pick.

Was this the right decision?

The jury is still out on Jackson who was limited in action with a hamstring and ACL injury for most of his rookie season in 2006 and Jackson began the 2007 on PuP and never breaking the line up with the likes of Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte' Stallworth and Jabar Gaffeny ahead of him. The expectation from fans is that Jackson should be able to replace Stallworth (now with Cleveland Browns). However, if Jackson performs inconsistently in training camp and the preseason, he may be cut. So it is still early before we can write off Jackson, but this year could be his last with the team.

IN BILL WE TRUST!!

The Patriots have been quiet during free agency, this week they have been making the rounds visiting prospective draft candidates. If you look closely, you may be able to determine what area they are concentrating for the draft.

The Pats have been to USC to hold private workouts for linebackers Keith Rivers and Thomas Williams, as well as defensive end Lawrence Jackson.

USC has a strong defensive unit including defensive end Sedrick Ellis (a potential top ten pick) and cornerback Terrell Thomas.

Former Patriots Head coach and now USC head coach Pete Carroll has high expectations for his players.

"Our guys in the draft are all terrific kids," Carroll said in a phone interview. "They've been through a lot and have done nothing but win. They have very high expectations for themselves. The game matters a lot to them, and they're there for their team. They're going to be good picks in that regard. The way they work and how they study the game, you can just bank on all of these guys."

The Patriots have worked out Purdue linebacker Stanford Keglar. Most analyst predict Keglar as an inside linebacker in the Patriots 3-4 defense and utilizing his size and speed to drop back in to coverage. Kelgar may be a good replacement for Tedy Bruschi.

The Patriots held a private work out with The Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston (nice website I found nepatriotsdraft.com). If Gholston is available at the No.7 pick, the Patriots would be able to utilize him as a pass rushing OLB and able to play as a down lineman in their 3-4 system. Gholston would join fellow alumn Mike Vrabel as a versatile DE/OLB type player the Patriots love to have.

If selected, Gholston would be the first DE/OLB by the Patriots since Willie McGinest was selected the first year Patriots owner Robert Kraft owned the team in 1991

Bill Belichick himself is in Florida and had a visit to the University of Florida and worked out defensive end Derrick Harvey. Harvey is a possible selection with the No. 7 pick and would most likely play as an outside linebacker in the Patriots 3-4 system.

After a quick review of the Patriots schedule and draft prospects interviewed and worked out, one may assume the Patriots are looking to build their draft board with a defensive mindset.

For those of you that like message boards on the draft check out this one on the Patriots I found in doing my research.

IN BILL WE TRUST!!

The AFC East is getting stronger everday as the Buffalo Bills continue to sign free agents as they re-signed safety Bryan Scott and cornerback Willam James.

The Jets have signed tight end Bubba Franks and are interested in former Patriots receiver Troy Brown and cornerback Ty Law.

Although the Jets have solidified their offensive line to protect their quarterback (who ever that may be) and improve their running game for , the team still sent representatives to meet with Arkansas running back Darren McFadden.

Meanwhile, Parcells continues to be himself as his recent no-trade comments on defensive end Jason Taylor leads one to believe Taylor has to retire or play for the Phins. Uh Bill - he could also hold out.

But Parcells did sign a kicker, Dave Rayner, even if only for kickoffs and competition for Feely in training camp.

Update: Miami checked out BC QB Ryan and Virginia offensive tackle Jake Long. So it looks like Miami is thinking offense in the draft? Miami has not met yet with McFadden, The Ohio State DE/OLB Vernon Gholston or LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey.

So what did the Patriots do recently? Nothing… but I am not worried… yet!

Update..Patriots met with Gholston. So if Gholston is still there at the No. 7 pick the Patriots will know what they are getting (or not) with this choice.

IN BILL WE TRUST!!

Anyone else notice how quiet the Colts have been since being handed ignominious defeat at the hands of the San Diego Chargers last year? Yeah, me either, until I came across an article on IndyStar.com pointing it out.

According to the article, by Mike Chappelle, entitled "Colts inactive in free agency, but foes remain worried," twenty of twenty-two starters from last year's team, which, again, was beaten in the first round of the playoffs by a San Diego chargers team operating largely without Philip Rivers or LaDanian Tomlinson, are back this year, and therefore all is right with the world.

"Rest easy, Colts fans," writes Chappelle. For, you see, Houston's coach, Gary Kubiak, has surveyed the field and found none more mighty than the squad from Indianapolis. Quoth the article: "I don't see them coming back (to the pack) at all," [Kubiak] said during last month's NFL Scouting Combine. "I think we're all going to have to go out and get them."

The article then takes a pooh-poohing look at the activities of the six other playoff teams from last year, beginning, of course, with the New England Patriots, who are "in serious retooling mode on defense, and must get younger at linebacker." The fact that those teams are doing any kind of retooling at all while the Colts are kind of just sitting there gives the Colts the upper hand? I guess?

The tone and slant of this article might not seem noteworthy to someone unaccustomed to following Boston sports. Of course the hometown papers serve up the angles the hometown fans enjoy, right?

Around here, though, we get the likes of Ron Borges and Dan Shaughnessy, mean-spirited men with healthy streaks of loathing, and I guarandamntee you that had the Patriots so far been silent throughout free agency, we'd already have much hand-wringing, criticism, uses of the word 'arrogant' and five-foot-tall headlines about the situation.

So I guess what I'm trying to say, with apologies to Bob Lobel, is: why can't we get sportswriters like that?

There are many mock drafts and before we start to go down that route (oops, too late) it is interesting to see what the local and national media are selecting for the Patriots with the seventh pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

As we look at the local media the Boston Globe's Mike Reiss was on ESPN to give his selection. Mike did a breakdown on needs between linebacker and cornerback and selected cornerback as the greater need.

Reiss chose Kansas CB Aqib Talib, but also considered Troy's CB Leodis McKelvin and USC's LB Keith Rivers. These are all good picks if the Pats were to go on a needs basis. Reiss did comment on the opportunity to move down, but with most mock drafts was not allowed to trade away the draft pick.

Sticking with ESPN, Mel Kiper reviews the Secondary and Linebackers in the 2008 draft.

The NFL Network has their own mock draft picks and MarshalL Faulk comments on why the Patriots will choose a cornerback. Mike Mayock and Charles Davis (who??) making their selections for 2008… oh boy.

Speaking of the NFL Network, I have complained many times about how bad Bryant Gumbel and Chris Collingsworth are at calling games, but I also thin Jim Mora has no reason to be doing any analysis or commenting on NFL Total Access. While covering the Buffalo Bills at Circling the Wagons, Dan Goldman believes Marshall Faulk is the worst NFL analyst on television.

Over at Sports Illustrated, Don Banks recent mock draft has the Patriots choosing CB Leodis McKelvin. Good choice the same one that I originally went with when thinking about the Patriots needs.

However, if the Patriots are not able to move out from the No. 7 pick, I think overall we really need to look at value over need and the Patriots will not give top ten money to a defensive back. The driver behind the Patriots defense is the front seven and if Sedrick Ellis or Glen Dorsey is free - they take him.

Typically if there are no defensive lineman, the Patriots would take an offensive lineman to win in the trenches - this is where offensive tackle Ryan Clady, from Boise State, may be selected.

If McFadden drops to 7 and the Pats still have to pick then they will take him.

Otherwise I think if they go for need it will be a defensive end / linebacker type but since Gholston will not be there, they would go with Derrick Harvey over OLB Rivers.

But hey, no one knows what the Patriots will do - they surprise us every year!

IN BILL WE TRUST!!

Football players from the New England Patriots and around the NFL are associated with multiple charity organizations and attend charity events.

Offensive Lineman Matt Light and his Light Foundation have been hosting various events over the last few years.

This year in June, the Light Foundation will bring together Native American youth and youngsters from Rhode Island for a two-week outdoor experience with a five-day football camp. The event will support the local Northern Cheyenne Boys & Girls Club.

Light recently spent a week on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation hunting buffalo. The meat from that harvest will help feed hundreds of local children from the Boys & Girls Club

Light is also planning a July golfing event in Ireland. As part of the Southwest Ireland Charity Golf Tour, Light, a few other NFL players and fans will be touring Ballybunion Old Course, the Waterville Course, The Dooks Links, Tralee, and Ring of Kerry. All proceeds will go to the Light Foundation.

"The Light Foundation strives to empower young people to reach their highest potential by initiating and supporting hands on programs and events that promote the development of secular moral values and personal financial acumen so as to instill a sense of self-reliance, sufficiency and independence. We endeavor to accomplish this mission by combining traditional outdoor activities and experiences with athletic endeavors addressing the physical and mental aspects of humanity that make us all unique."

Other Patriots are also helping with charities clos to their heart, as Linebacker Tedy Bruschi met recently met at Gillette Stadium with other stroke survivors from around New England. The event is part of the American Stroke Association large-scale stroke awareness campaign. Pictures and film from the event will be used as a part of their campaign.

Although we are still waiting to hear if Junior Seau is interested to return to the NFL, he recently held his 16th annual golfing tournament for his Junior Seau Foundation. Seau was interviewed by Fox Sports about coming back to the NFL and he said he hasn't really thought about it yet as he is still recovering from shoulder surgery.

Rodney Harrison was one of many NFL players in attendance and also interviewed. A former teammate with Seau in San Deigo, Harrison commented on Seau's commitment to attain high goals on and off the field.

It is great knowing the players are contributing to make the world a better place.

GO PATS!