In The Red Zone

The bombshell from Patriots camp today is that WR Chad Ochocinco wants to spend a few weeks living with a fan in Boston while he looks for a place to live.  The only requirements are that they have an Internet connection and an X-Box.  This could be interesting.

Already Boston Globe sports writer Peter Abraham has put in a request via his Twitter account, saying he has both, he is only 20 minutes from Foxboro and he is hardly ever home.

Ochocinco is also learning the city by driving around it.  For anyone who has spent anytime driving through downtown Boston or even in its neighborhoods you know what a challenge this can be.  From the traffic to the one way streets to multiple streets of the same name it can be frustrating and confusing.  I give him credit though he is doing all this with his GPS unit turned off.

The Patriots announced that they would wear a patch on their game jerseys this season to honor the late Myra Kraft.  It will bear her initials “MHK” in silver on a navy oval.

The team will be bringing 80 fans onto the field Thursday prior to the game against Jacksonville.  It’s all part of a thank you from the organization for staying with them through out the lockout.

Today’s session was run in shorts and shells and there was once again no Albert Haynesworth, Brandon Spikes, Dan Connolly or Rob Gronkowski who all got hurt the day before.  They are all listed as day-to-day.

DL Myron Pryor filled in nicely for Haynesworth, while rookie TE Lee Smith showed his soft hands with some nice catches.  Second string QB Brian Hoyer also has a good day as he was on point the entire session.

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New DL Shaun Ellis is on the PUP list.  He was placed there as part of the whole arrangement in signing with the Patriots.  He has a past hip ailment and they want to work him at a bit slower pace.

After practice, the team claimed OL Mark Wetterer off of waivers from Cincinnati.  He is a 6’5”, 319-pound rookie out of Louisville.  The team waived S Ross Ventrone to make room on the 90-man roster for him.

When they were teammates with the Washington Redskins DL Andre Carter once called out Haynesworth.  When asked about it now he said, “That was then.  We’re Patriots now.”  One of the reports on Carter was that he was a good locker room guy and looks like he is showing it right off the bat.

DE Gerard Warren knew all along that the Patriots would be calling him.  Head coach Bill Belichick told him to sit tight and if he had a spot for him he wanted to bring him back.  Warren said Belichick “is a man of his word.”  So he sat and waited and he even told his agent “don’t tell me about other teams until you hear from New England.”

Warren said, “I’m glad to come back.  Last year was a great experience.”

Today was rookie slip and slide day at practice.  QB Tom Brady hosed the rookies down and the team watched them battle for waterlogged fumbles.

Belichick also broke out the hose at the end of the session wetting down the ball for the field goal drill.

Tomorrow’s training session will be at 10 am and will be open to the public.  The walk through will be conducted inside Gillette Stadium as the team prepares for the Thursday night game against Jacksonville.

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