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http://www.patriots.com/search/index.cfm?ac=searchdetail&pid=20409&pcid=44&special_section=trainingcamp2006
8/9/06
Training Camp: Wednesday morning notes
By Andy Hart, Patriots Football Weekly
With Tedy Bruschi sidelined with a wrist injury, competition at inside linebacker is on center stage at Patriots training camp practices this summer.
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With Bruschi on the shelf for the foreseeable future, and his status unknown for the team’s season opener against the Bills Sept. 10, veteran free agent addition Barry Gardner continued to get significant reps at inside linebacker with the first unit on Wednesday. Veteran special teamer Don Davis worked alongside Gardner on the inside with the first unit. Monty Beisel and Freddie Roach took reps with the second team, while outside linebacker Mike Vrabel, who played inside out of necessity last season, has also made some cameo appearances on the inside at practice in recent days.
Based on the reps less than two days before the exhibition opener, it would appear that Gardner and Davis could get the starting nod in Atlanta.
Gardner is experienced, thanks to 18 starts over his first two seasons in the league with the Eagles in 1999 and 2000, but the veteran only started six more games over the next five NFL seasons and is with his third team in three seasons. His 24 career starts, and 266 career tackles make him the most experienced of the would-be inside players other than Vrabel, but he’s a complete newcomer to New England’s 3-4 scheme and style of play.
“It’s definitely a different scheme,” Gardner said after a recent practice. “I’ve played in 4-3 schemes. It’s also a fun scheme to play in. I never knew much about the 3-4. I mean I experimented a little bit last year with the Jets, but this is definitely a scheme that requires linebackers to be able to make plays. I am excited about it.”
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