Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
The fast tempo of practice jumped out right away in watching the Patriots open their minicamp this morning in Foxborough, Mass. This is a veteran team that knows how to work. They started out with kickoff-return drills. Players went full speed until the point where there would normally be contact. At that point, they eased off, avoiding collisions and generally staying off the ground (these sessions are conducted wearing helmets, shorts and no pads).
Players are serious without being uptight. Tom Brady yelled out in disgust after throwing a wobbly pass while rolling out during individual drills. A few moments later, linebacker Mike Vrabel appeared to be razzing Brady about it, all in good fun. Later, teammates gave Tedy Bruschi a loud ovation when he returned to the field, a la Paul Pierce, after being shaken up. Bruschi responded by nearly picking off a pass from Matt Cassel on the next play.
I spotted Nick Kaczur right away during warmups. He was stretching in the back row, with other offensive linemen. He chatted with guard Logan Mankins, who was immediately to his left, and there was no indication that this probably isn't a fun time for Kaczur. Football could be a welcome diversion for a guy who suddenly finds himself tied to a high-profile case.
Once practice began, Kaczur got some work at right guard, with Ryan O'Callaghan over at right tackle, where Kaczur has been the starter. Teams often juggle line combinations this time of year, so we shouldn't read much into that necessarily. New England is also light on offensive linemen at this camp with right guard Stephen Neal and newly signed backup right tackle Oliver Ross rehabbing from injuries.
With an eye toward line depth, the Patriots re-signed center Gene Mruczkowski. Unlike some teams, the Patriots have the roster flexibility to add players without releasing anyone. I've got New England with 82 players, counting unsigned exclusive-rights free agent Eric Alexander and seven unsigned draft choices. That means the team would have to release only two players to sign Alexander and the draft choices.
