Serrated Shadow

ESPN - Chadiha: Welker fills important role for Patriots - NFL

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Five observations from New England Patriots training camp, gleaned from the team's July 30 practices:

Wes Welker, left, will get plenty of chances to shine in the Patriots' offense this season.
1. Watch out for Welker

Although Randy Moss was the most noteworthy addition to the Patriots' offense, he might not end up as the favorite target of quarterback Tom Brady. That honor could go to Wes Welker, a shifty, 5-foot-9 receiver who also will serve as New England's punt returner. Why Welker? First off, he possesses the quickness to exploit mismatches out of the slot. Secondly, Brady loves hitting receivers on underneath routes, and the man who ran those routes reliably -- Troy Brown -- is now 36.

If that isn't enough to sell this point, just remember this: Somebody has to go over the middle and take the punishment that helps move the chains. Moss isn't going to do that and neither is Donte' Stallworth, another fleet-footed acquisition. Welker made his name in Miami last season by catching 67 passes for 687 yards. The odds are pretty good that he'll post similar numbers in New England.



2. Warm reception for Moss

It already looks like Patriots fans are doing their best to make Moss feel welcome in New England. He produced one circus catch during Monday's afternoon practice -- he plucked an underthrown Brady pass from the hands of 5-8 cornerback Gemara Williams on a go route -- to earn a long, loud cheer from the crowd watching along the sidelines. In fact, those same fans cheered Moss as he jogged all the way back to the huddle. It clearly was a scene they hope to see repeated when the regular season begins.


3. Maroney under the microscope

The sight of Laurence Maroney, a second-year running back, wearing a red jersey and staying out of contact drills didn't exactly convince me that he's ready to be New England's feature back. But I also understand that I have to be patient. It's training camp and Maroney had offseason shoulder surgery. It's early enough for the Patriots to be cautious about exposing him to further injury.

That said, Maroney has a lot to prove this season. I love his potential -- especially his combination of power and speed -- but the guy isn't exactly durable. Last season alone he had a knee strain and torn rib cartilage to go along with that shoulder injury. It's those kinds of issues that make me wonder if he can be a 300-carry back in this league. And now that Corey Dillon is gone (the Patriots will use Sammy Morris and scatback Kevin Faulk in the backfield as well), the pressure will be on Maroney to deliver.



4. Life without Asante Samuel

After watching the Patriots practice, I can see how Samuel thinks he has enough leverage to succeed with his current holdout. The recent announcement that cornerback Chad Scott is out for the season with a severe knee injury was a major blow to the Pats. However, head coach Bill Belichick always has found ways to compensate for the loss of key players in his system. Betting against him doing that again is like gambling on a weak-armed pitcher slipping an 80 mph fastball past Barry Bonds.
The Patriots still have a few options at cornerback. Reserve Randall Gay has spent four seasons in New England and the team also signed 12-year veteran Tory James during the offseason. Belichick also isn't afraid to shuffle his secondary. Rookie safety Brandon Meriweather, the team's first-round pick, already has taken reps at cornerback, and there's been speculation that free safety Eugene Wilson could move to cornerback if necessary.


By the way, Belichick said Wilson and Gay have impressed him. Both players have been hampered by injuries in previous offseasons but they've been able to participate in this year's training program. Wilson's status is especially important because he missed 12 games last season with a hamstring/groin injury.



5. Chemistry test

One of the biggest questions surrounding this team has been how it will function with so many new faces in key positions. In years past, the Patriots have been relatively quiet in the free-agent market. However, they made constant headlines this past offseason, both by fortifying their receiving corps and signing a big-ticket free agent in outside linebacker Adalius Thomas. With that many moves, you have to wonder if New England can maintain that same chemistry that has made it the most dominant team of this decade.

Inside linebacker Tedy Bruschi says the wave of new additions surprised him as well. But he adds that camaraderie hasn't been an issue.

"It's all about the work in the offseason," he said. "It would be one thing if people were all over the place, but all the guys who came in were here in the offseason. We saw guys like Randy [Moss], Adalius [Thomas] and Wes [Welker] in the weight room and we started to get to know them there. That's how you build chemistry."

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