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New England Patriots
Location: Foxborough, Mass. | Stadium: Gillette Stadium (68,756) | Chairman/CEO: Robert Kraft | President: Jonathan Kraft
Coach: Bill Belichick | Super Bowls: 3
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Patriots: Five things to know

 

Patriots: Camp tour | Freeman

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Observations from Patriots training camp:

1. You wonder when some of the older veterans on the Patriots will begin to permanently break down. Safety Rodney Harrison on Thursday was added to the team's physically unable to perform list putting the number of players on PUP at 12. One veteran who wasn't on it and continues to be one of the more amazing athletes I've ever been around is Tedy Bruschi. He's played on five of the six New England Super Bowl teams and when camp opened Bruschi looked at fit as he's ever been.

2. In the first practice session, safety Brandon Meriweather had an interception when New England's offense attempted a trick halfback pass play. I've said this before: Meriweather could end up being a top five safety in this league.

3. Last season, New England's defense struggled to stop people toward the end of the year. What do the Patriots have to do to get better this year at stopping teams late? "Finish," said Vince Wilfork. "Finish the season, finish plays and finish drives."

4. If you think the Patriots aren't giving the New York Giants their proper due for beating them in the Super Bowl, you're wrong. At least publicly -- when they want to talk about the Super Bowl -- New England players give the Giants plenty of credit. "The Giants played a hell of a game," said Wilfork, "and they deserved to win."

5. At the end of the first practice coach Bill Belichick went to one of my personal favorites with a group of rookies and backup players: Oklahoma drills. They were physical and at the end of the session Belichick did what he does best which is teach. He spent a nice chunk of time speaking with some of the younger players about what they did correct and wrong.

 
 
 
 
 
Mike Freeman
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