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http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/
http://www.patriots.com/news/index.cfm?ac=latestnewsdetail&pid=19537&pcid=41
June 14, 2006
Practice notes
FOXBOROUGH -- Quick hits from Wednesday afternoon's practice at the Patriots' mandatory offseason minicamp:
* Skies were threatening, but the rain held off for the workout on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium. Players wore shorts, jerseys and helmets (no pads), and there was no contact.
* The workout ended on a high note with University of Virginia coach Al Groh addressing the team with a motivational speech. Groh received a round of applause from the team when he finished.
* University of Florida coach Urban Meyer was also in attendance and was seen jotting down notes throughout the workout. He walked off the field with quarterback Tom Brady, and appeared to be asking Brady questions.
* Tight end Benjamin Watson caught three straight passes in red-zone work against the defense. On a fourth straight attempt, defensive back Chad Scott made a nice pass breakup. Watson's intensity was seen when he dove for the pylon on one play.
* The team worked on punt returns and gunner drills at one point. The returners were rookies Willie Andrews, Vernell Brown and Chad Jackson; Bam Childress; Troy Brown; Kevin Faulk; and Reche Caldwell. Andrews caught three punts and appeared most comfortable with the skill.
* Owner Robert Kraft arrived for the last portion of practice and watched in the area between the two practice fields. Several of the team's scouts were also present, as was vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli.
* Receiver Reche Caldwell was on the receiving end of a long touchdown toss (Ellis Hobbs in coverage) on one play in 7-on-7 drills.
* Wide receiver Troy Brown made the catch of the day, a one-hander in red zone drills, to cap off the practice.
* Tight end David Thomas and running back Kevin Faulk were other players who stood out with nice hands in the passing game.
* Safety James Sanders also seems to be picking up his game, as he stayed stride for stride with tight end Benjamin Watson on one play and broke up a pass.
* Offensive linemen Billy Yates and Dan Stevenson stayed after practice to work on long snapping, while rookie free agent Brian Barthelmes stayed late to work on snaps from center with coach Dante Scarnecchia.
* NFL Europe receiver Rich Musinski returned to the practice field after not being present for the first three practices of the minicamp. He was the lone player to return from those who missed practice earlier in the day.
* Both kickers continued to work on field goals. First impressions: Steve Gostkowski has a strong leg, while Martin Gramatica appears smooth in addressing the ball. It's too early to tell if one is distinguishing himself over the other.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Patriots' next practice is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m. We'll plan on posting our next update after that workout.
Posted By: mreiss | Time: 05:49:27 PM
http://www.patriots.com/news/index.cfm?ac=latestnewsdetail&pid=19537&pcid=41
Tom Casale, Patriots Football Weekly
...
Out of that group of young receivers, Childress and Stone have been the most impressive at mini-camp up to this point. They have caught the ball well and both players have been back returning kickoffs, adding to their value and increasing their chances of making the team.
Not to be outdone by his younger counterparts, Brown closed the afternoon practice by making the play of the day - an acrobatic one-handed catch in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. While some things in New England are changing, some things still remain the same.
More notes from Wednesday’s afternoon practice:
· The rookies continue to impress. Granted they’re just in shorts and none of the players have actually participated in an NFL game yet, but Laurence Maroney, Chad Jackson and Dave Thomas all look like the real deal. Jackson and Thomas catch virtually every ball thrown their way. Thomas sucks the ball in like a vacuum and Jackson hauls in any pass he gets his big mitts on. Maroney is very explosive after he catches the ball out of the backfield and while returning kicks. As far as football speed goes, he looks to be one of the fastest players on the field. It’s still way too early to speculate but the Patriots top three picks are off to an impressive start and this looks like it could be another strong draft class for the Patriots under Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli.
· Receiver Rich Musinski made his debut at mini-camp, wearing the No. 5.
· Jakari Wallace looked really good in passing drills, catching the ball well and getting out of his breaks quickly.
· Eric Alexander has been getting a lot of reps at linebacker and looks fluid and athletic on the field.
· Tom Brady threw a perfect touchdown strike to Ben Watson in the corner of the end zone, just over the reach of safety James Sanders. Despite giving up the touchdown, Sanders has played very well over the last two days.
· Willie Andrews, Chad Jackson, Bam Childress, Vernell Brown, Reche Caldwell, Troy Brown and Kevin Faulk took turns returning punts. Jackson appeared to be the least comfortable fielding punts out of the group.
· Patriots owner Robert Kraft stopped by and watched practice for about an hour.
· Brady hit Caldwell for a long touchdown on a beautifully thrown ball. Caldwell beat corner Ellis Hobbs on a post route.
· Virginia head coach Al Groh addressed the team once practice was over.
· For the second day in a row, Dan Stevenson and Billy Yates stayed a little longer after practice to work on their long snapping.