For the first time since injuring his knee, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady practiced with his teammates.
It was a big first step for Brady, who saw his season end quickly in Week 1 after tearing ligaments in his left knee.
The quarterback is said to be 100 percent healthy, and many observers said that he more than looked the part.
The team will need him to be ready to go in the season opener after trading backup Matt Cassell in the offseason.
The New England Patriots became the first team in the NFL to sign a lottery deal with their state for scratch-off tickets, which should bring in money and be a great promotional tool.
The NFL owners recently ruled unanimously in favor of allowing teams to make deals with their state lottery, which is bound to bring in a lot more money for the organizations.
The Patriots always tend to be ahead of the curve on virtually anything having to do with football, and the organization is considered the best and brightest by many around the league.
This will likely be a tend-setter, as many of the other NFL teams are now in negotiations with their own state lottery looking for a deal similar to that of New England’s.
The New England Patriots swung and miss on veteran defensive end Jason Taylor, who has elected to return to Miami and play for the Dolphins for the second time in his career.
It was an interesting move considering Bill Parcells and Taylor did not get along at all and the vice president eventually traded away the defensive end for a draft pick.
The Patriots thought they were the heavy favorite to land Taylor given that they are an attractive team for any veteran looking to finish out his career with a possible championship.
Taylor was terrible last year with the Washington Redskins, having almost no impact in his only season with the team. However, many scouts believe the Redskins used Taylor the wrong way and that he can still be a contributor if used correctly.
New England Patriots third-round draft pick Tyrone McKenzie is out for the season after tearing ligaments in his right knee.
The outside linebacker tore the ligament during minicamp practice, a terrible break for both McKenzie in the team. He was hurt when he made contact with a running back during a passing drill.
You never want to see someone go down and be out for the season before it’s even close to starting, especially a rookie who is trying to become acclimated to NFL life.
It any team can replace an injured player as if nothing ever happened though, it’s the Patriots. They seem to pick up guys off of the street who can play, so I’m sure they will be fine.
It was a typical draft by the New England Patriots, one in which they traded a number of selections for better one’s in next year’s draft.
The Patriots accumulated three second round picks for the 2010 draft by trading away third round picks for 2009.
It’s an interesting philosophy and one that has helped the Patriots to stay at the top of the NFL for close to a decade.
It also helps the team deal with the salary cap by pushing more expensive contracts off to the next season.
The team can then also cash those extra picks in for a higher selection if they find someone they really want.
