"Yeah, I've talked to Tom (Brady), (Richard) Seymour and some other guys there. Those guys are lifelong friends, and I've heard some people say that it'd be a good fit. Why wouldn't you want to go to a really good team, which is always close to the Super Bowl, which was in one a couple years ago, was a game away from another one, which has great coaching and is a great organization with a well put-together roster? Why wouldn't you want to be a part of that? And with all the history I have, what we accomplished in the playoffs, that wouldn't be a bad way to finish up."

I considered taking Chung off this list, as the second pick of the second round is hardly what most consider a "diamond in the rough." That said, there isn't a single player on this list (or the offensive list, for that matter) that I have more confidence in developing into a true standout than Chung. I tagged him as the most reliable open-field tackler in the 2009 draft and see no reason to back off that assessment now that he'll be playing for a defensive genius like Bill Belichick.

As fans we can now learn more about the new free agents like cornerback veterans Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs in the secondary as well as the ancient offensive determination of running back Fred Taylor and wide receiver Joey Galloway.

We should also learn more about who will replace Mike Vrabel as Pierre Woods and Shawn Crable will be seeing action to start at the opposite outside linebacker position of Adalius Thomas.

The best is yet to come as we can see the rookies come on board to fight for roster spots. Fans can look forward to Patrick Chung, Darius Butler and Ron Brace to impose youth and solidify a much criticized defense. Plus see how well second year players like Jonathan Wilhite, Terrence Wheatley and Gary Guyton challenge a few of the starters.

The best is saved for last, as those players returning from injury will now be available for everyone to judge if they are back at full strength. The biggest name to return is none other than Tom Brady, but also the likes of Laurence Maroney and Tank Williams.

We will also get to see a revamped special teams as there will be a new coach, new captain and a number of new positions to be won including long snapper between veteran Nathan Hodel and rookie Jake Ingram.

Whew - alot to go trough in a little bit of time, but imagine what the players will go through.

Besides watching for the development of Brady, the other major story is if Vince Wilfork will attend or hold out for a better contract.

As the once and mighty have said before 'bring on the grapes!'

IN BILL WE TRUST!!

Yes, Tom Terrific is back and seems to have a new view on football after being out for 2008. For those thinking the Patriots will be like 2007 and run the table going undefeated, I just say this.... slow it down!

I am excited that Brady is back and with the addition of Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis to replace Jabar Gaffney, the Patriots could be the pass (haha) several records in 2009.

I hope they do and that will be great and take pressure off of a defense that may struggle without a pure starting outside linebacker to replace Mike Vrabel and the still unknown factor of Vince Wilfork, who si in the last year of his contract, and will he be a holdout for a better contract.

It could be a bit of Wilfork not wanting to go to the OPTIONAL OTAs or not wanting to get injured before settling on a contract or it could be the Pats even said - hey stay home, we want to work out Brace and give him more reps (HA right!).

Anyway, there will more to the story when mandatory camp begins next week. If Wilfork is not there then he will be fined, but I do not think that would hinder Wilfork from holding out. Every other holdout versus Belichick ended up with what they wanted whether a better contract ( Richard Seymour), not to be franchised (Asante Samuel) or if not a better contract to be traded (Deion Branch).

It is after all a business and Players need to take care of themselves while they can. I think we need Wilfork in 2009 and in the future and hope a contract can be agreed sooner rather than later.

IN BILL WE TRUST!!

"When we watch film, I think guys can watch him and remember his example and remember 'that's the way we got it done with him.' I think that's the right example to follow, that was the right formula -- the Harrison formula."

Brad Gagnon at The Score put out an interesting challenge on his blog last week, calling on sports fans to answer, Who's the team of the decade?

My answer is obvious, but not just for the reasons you might think.

Brad makes a great statistical case for the Patriots over at his place: they have won the most Super Bowls (3), are tied for the most conference titles (2), tied for the most division titles (6), have the best regular season record (102-42), and the best playoff record (14-3). They also own the first perfect regular season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and before that, a streak of 21 consecutive regular-season wins, more than that if you count the playoff games in between.

Then Brad has to go and sully my glowing feelings of pride by noting, correctly, "It's safe to say that the Pats would've had this thing locked up had they beaten the Giants in Super Bowl XLII."

Furthermore, he points out, on a purely statistical basis, the Pittsburgh Steelers could rival the Patriots' record in the postseason if they win the Super Bowl this year. "Consider New England to be the team of the first half of the 2000s, while Pittsburgh's the team of the second half," he concludes.

But I disagree with that. Even if the Steelers were to win this year's Super Bowl and dominate the second half of the decade on paper, there's simply no way for them to dominate the zeitgeist of the decade the way the Patriots have.

That's what we're really talking about when we're talking about the team of the decade - like Time Magazine's Person of the Year, it's not who's been the most successful or the most liked, but the most influential and / or emblematic. We're talking about the first team that will spring to mind when you think of the decade, for better or for worse, and there's a lot more to that than wins, losses and rings.

Even if the Pittsburgh Steelers establish another dynasty in the salary-cap era, it'll still be just that: another one. The Patriots were the first to do it, when it was thought to be impossible.

They began the decade in the spotlight with the controversial defection of Bill Belichick to New England from the New York Jets. Before he'd ever set foot on the field in Foxboro, Bill Belichick was at the center of attention in the league, and he's hardly left it since.

The next year, the Patriots ended a 42-year-long championship drought (read: the entire history of the franchise) in an improbable run featuring the rags-to-riches story of Tom Brady, and the parallel drama of Drew Bledsoe as he recovered from devastating injury. Once again, they were the source of controversy after the Tuck Rule game. They went on to become the underdog of Super Bowl XXXVI.

It went beyond the stories on the field, though. Playing in the first Super Bowl to be held since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, as the league's Super Bowl DVD from that year puts it, "the team flying highest was wearing red, white and blue." Bob Kraft also captured the sense of identification between team and country with his line after the upset victory: "Today, we are all Patriots."

And so on, through the dynasty years. It wasn't just that they won - it's that they won with a new style, a new scheme, and incredibly shrewd player development. They were called a "model franchise". Other teams openly aspired to mimic their success.

As if all the wins and the cultural resonance weren't enough, the Patriots were also at the center of the NFL's greatest rivalry of the last decade. It was a trifold rivalry - between two teams, the Indianapolis Colts and the Patriots; between two head coaches in Tony Dungy and Bill Belichick; and between the two premier quarterbacks of the decade, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. These two teams have played the most contentious, fraught series of playoff contests in the AFC over the last 9 years, and when Peyton Manning finally got his day in the sun, he had to go through the Patriots in the AFC Championship first.

Of course, I'm biased. I know there are people out there who would despise the idea of another superlative attached to the Patriots. People who absolutely can't stand the entire franchise, and all it stands for.

But in the end, that's what really seals this for me.

The Patriots are the touchstone team of this decade, not just because they have been successful or loved, but also because they have also been hated and failed. Throughout the perfect regular season, when the records they were breaking weren't making headlines, SpyGate was. I heard that season, on this blog, from fans I never normally hear from, like Baltimore Ravens fans. Suddenly it was important to everyone in the league whether Bill Belichick was a cheater.

The controversy spread to envelop the St. Louis Rams, an otherwise obscure former Patriots video assistant named Matt Walsh, a Boston beat reporter named John Thomase, and his newspaper, the Boston Herald, after Thomase broke news on the eve of the Super Bowl against the Giants alleging the Patriots had videotaped a Rams walk-through prior to Super Bowl XXXVI. While Walsh eventually failed to supply any evidence, the repercussions of this bombshell lasted well into Spring Training the next year. A $100 million lawsuit was filed in New Orleans over the alleged cheating in the championship game. Senators in Washington got involved. Eventually, the Herald was forced to print an embarrassing public retraction and apology for fanning the SpyGate flames.

The Patriots media juggernaut has another dimension, too, and another face: Tom Brady. Open this week's Sports Illustrated and you'll find him inside the cover in a two-page ad for bottled water. Open one from a few weeks ago and you might spy him in a Stetson ad. Pass by People, Us Weekly and the like on the newsstand, and there's Brady, his wife, his ex-girlfriend, and his baby, being gabbed about and debated over to rival the SpyGate controversies. People who don't watch football have an opinion on him and his family. He is a crossover star, instantly recognizable, on a par with the likes of Derek Jeter and Brett Favre. I can't think of anyone from this decade's Steelers who's earned that description.

Love them or hate them, if you're a football fan, you've spent a lot of time this decade thinking about and arguing about the Patriots, no matter what team you root for. They've been the underdog, the model franchise, the dynasty, the fallen heroes and the villains, all in a few short years. When we look back on this decade with all its turmoil, only the Patriots will embody it all. 

Two days after the Oct. 6 surgery, he defied Bündchen's pleas and his doctor's orders to stay off the leg by putting Jack on his shoulder and moving around the hospital room, playing with him. A hematoma developed in the knee, and the staph infection ensued.

The best news, though has to come from Randy Moss and Wes Welker as they have expressed their happiness in the return of Brady and how comfortable they both feel in the Patriots system.

Welker was interviewed by SI's Peter King on MMQB and Moss was interviewed by ESPN's Tim Graham.

Welker looks forward to work with Brady and improve on their 2007 season Meanwhile, Moss believes the Patriots will be much better then 2007 and he excited to have Brady back and said 'the sky is the limit' during the interview.

It is great to see Brady is now back in action and I love the fact that Moss and Welker are both excited for 2009. Now as long as all three can stay healthy and the line can protect Brady, we should see great things in 2009.

I do not care about going undefeated, there is only one game worth winning and that is the Super Bowl. The offense seems to be in place to score points, now let's hope the defense can stop the other teams from scoring as much.

IN BILL WE TRUST!!

Not only do the Patriots host a number of events during the season and off season, but more then a few players also have their own charities near and dear to their own hearts.

Vince Wilfork is hosting a raffle for his own charity the Vince Wilfork Foundation which supports the Joslin Diabetes Center and Diabetes Research Institute. Winners will receive prizes raningn from a BBQ with Wilfork and his family to tickets to see the Patriots play.

The raffle is $2 per ticket (minimum 5 tickets) which may be bought online through the Celebrities for Charities Foundation.

Adaluis Thomas is also hosting an event on June 14th. The Motorcycle run and car show will benefit the Adalius Thomas Foundation. The foundation supports local non profit organizations including Mass Mentoring. There are a number of events to participate, so check out the links and enjoy the festivities. 

IN BILL WE TRUST!! 

After playing in Nick Saban's 3-4 defense, one could say he was Taylor made to join the Patriots and replace fan favorite Mike Vrabel who was traded to Kansas City.

After no word from Taylor or the Patriots, Miami has since announced it has signed Taylor to a one-year deal worth about $1.5 million.

Great! The Bromance between Taylor and Patriots quarterback will be seen back on the field as Taylor wrestles him the ground....

Interestingly, the Globe's Mike Reiss notes some thoughts on what the Patriots might have known:

The feeling here is that this is the result the Patriots expected. If Taylor hadn't moved closer to pursuing an opportunity with them by now, the Patriots probably figured they were facing longer odds, and realized that playing close to home was Taylor's preference.

Not everyone was in line with that thinking as only Tuesday, PFW in Progress discussed Jason Taylor joining the team.

So where does that leaves the Patriots?

The weakest position on the team is the starting position at outside linebacker and then back-ups at inside linebacker. Now that Taylor is gone, there are very few free agents on the market for the Patriots to pick up to start at OLB. The Patriots may make a trade for a player and this may jump start discussions for Julius Peppers.

I look back on last year and see injured linebackers Adalius Thomas, Gary Guyton and Eric Alexander (IR) being replaced by Junior Seau and Rosy Colvin.

2009 has not even started and it looks as if those two may be on speed dial and possible Willie McGinest could return for one last hurrah before retiring. Any one check if Roman Phifer still available?

I trust Bill and he is the expert on the talent within the Patriots roster for his system. However, I look at the linebacker position in 2009 as I do the wide receiver position in 2006 and the cornerback position in 2008. Those positions hurt the team and lead to the Patriots losing the 2006 AFC Championship (although the defense (CBs) allowed the Colts to get back into the game) and also missing the 2008 playoffs.

The Patriots then reacted in 2007 by signing Randy Moss and Wes Welker and now in 2009 signing Leigh Bodden, Shawn Springs and drafting Darius Butler and safety Patrick Chung.

If Bill believes he has the talent on the team he needs to win a Super Bowl, then so be it. But now I do expect some movement to sign one or two more veteran free agents for OTAs and training camp and maybe we see a trade before training camp ends.

IN BILL WE TRUST!!

Having said that, I do wear my Pat Patriot cap in Switzerland, the Flying Elvis in London and Ireland (mostly in Dublin...) and a 'normal' Patriots cap in other places.

My Super Bowl Champions t-shirt from 2004 is getting old, but I did wear it to the USA v Russia Ice Hockey World Championship Semi-Finals in Bern, Switzerland last week. One of the few Americans in the crowd, but a lot of Russian beauties to see!

I am looking to have a new Patriots fan club in Zurich, Switzerland and even have a local pub Paddy Reilly's who is interested to sponsor our group for a few games that hopefully will be shown on ESPN America. I should have enough members to even register with Patriots.com.

We do not have tickets, but a few of us will be going to London for the Patriots game versus Tampa Bay. If anyone knows of a good place in London and meet other Patriot fans then let me know where to go! 

I will be going back to Massachusetts this summer and visit Patriot Place and maybe try to visit with the Fred adn the guys at PFW in Progress and maybe get a tour of the stadium. Although, I will probably have to buy them lunch, but that would be worth it! I listen to their podcasts each week, so it would be interesting to meet with them in person.

Another place I like to read for information is NE Patriots Draft which has alot of good insight and seems to have a good connection in the NFL. Today, they have a good video on Brady from you tube.

Obviously there is also Mike Reiss at the Boston Globe, but they are starting to have too much video which I cannot access from work...

There is so many sites trying to put out information on the Patriots, it is generally hard to find something new and interesting with the few minutes I have at the airport or hotel.

Also, if anyone knows of a few good podcasts, let me know!

IN BILL WE TRUST!!

"I can see a change from practice one to practice two. Yeah, I think that was probably, hopefully, the biggest jump. Well not hopefully, but it is probably the biggest jump we'll make. Just everybody having a better idea after they saw the film [and] after they got corrected. Then, they went out yesterday afternoon; we made a lot of improvement and then we've added some new things. We'll correct those. These guys are working hard. They get a lot better from practice one to practice two."  

Following Vrabel's departure in exchange for a second round pick, trade talk involving the Carolina Panthers' veteran Julius Peppers flourished, and then fizzled. Without a move made on Peppers, fans expected the Patriots to use their first round pick or the second round pick acquired for Vrabel and former quarterback Matt Cassell to restock at this position.

What happened was that the Patriots not only didn't pick a linebacker in the first round - they didn't pick anyone there, instead trading their pick to Baltimore for more lower-round picks.

There were still players available in the second round that seemed like they might've fit in to the Patriots defense, including my own personal pipe dream, Ohio State alum James Laurinaitis. The Patriots chose three defensive players in the second round...but no linebackers. Finally, in the later rounds, the Patriots picked up South Florida's Tyrone McKenzie, who had played OLB, but he probably won't play inside in the NFL. Even if he does, as a late-round rookie, he's unlikely to make the kind of impact a higher-ranked player like Laurinaitis or a veteran like Peppers would.

Even if the Patriots had wanted versatility in a defensive player at OLB, there were also defensive end / OLB hybrids there for the taking in this draft. And still the Patriots passed.

With such an obvious hole to fill, and with free agency as well as the draft having passed without major moves, heads are being scratched from Martha's Vineyard to the northernmost reaches of Maine.

The question I find most intriguing that's being asked in all this is whether or not the Patriots might be moving away from the 3-4 defensive scheme. To do this, the Patriots would have to totally reconfigure their defensive line, where stout, aggressive talent is crucial in the two-gap version of the 3-4 the Patriots usually run.

When you think 'stout, aggressive talent' and 'defensive line' with the Patriots, who do you think of? Why, none other than the Patriots' two biggest contract question marks, Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork. And oh, by the way, another standout Patriots defensive lineman, Jarvis Green, is also up for contract renegotiation after this season.

Meanwhile, though no linebackers or DEs were selected in this year's draft, the Patriots took two nose tackles, BC's Ron Brace and Kentucky's Myron Pryor.

Given we have so little evidence to go on so far, a wide variety of scenarios are possible; the most plausible seems to be that two college NTs might not wind up NTs in the NFL, but instead could be insurance for Wilfork and Green. This draft could have been Belichick's way of signaling that he's willing to play hardball with his veterans on the defensive line and nothing more.

But another possibility is currently being debated in football circles: that these moves signal a move away from the 3-4 defense in favor of a 4-3 scheme.

This seems unlikely. The Patriots were actually among the first teams to implement the 3-4 under Chuck Fairbanks in the 1970's. Bill Belichick's experience with the 3-4 stems from his upbringing as a coach under Parcells, and he has developed the 3-4 system carefully and thoughtfully during his time as Patriots head coach. It doesn't seem like he'd move away from the scheme based on one year's contract issues.

But it was also the consensus after the 2008 season - indeed, after the 2007 season - that the Patriots defense was in need of a major overhaul. Last year, especially, the flagging veterans and too-green kids did not combine for a pretty picture by the time all was said and done. And the trade of Mike Vrabel, seemingly out of the blue, shows there are no sacred cows where Bill Belichick is concerned. That's not to mention the sudden departure of Ellis Hobbs, as well as this year's choices in the draft -- you can always expect the unexpected from him.

At the very least, if we're wondering all this out in TV land, you can be sure the Patriots' opponents are doing similar speculating about what New England's next move will be. And I'm sure that's exactly how Belichick wants it.