BB: Welcome to training camp. I hope everybody had a good break. We're excited to get out on the field today after the spring and players off a little bit but came back, had a conditioning run and all that. We've had some guys here for as much as a week; other guys since Monday. We're excited to get back out on the field, see how things go. We have a long way to go. We'll stick to one meeting and one day at a time and see where that takes us. We have a few players that are in different stages of rehabilitation so we'll take those guys day-to-day, but most everybody is out there. We've had a little roster movement here over the last few days and I'm sure there will be a little bit more in the days to come. We don't have a full roster right now but if an opportunity comes up if we can find the right guy to finish out, to add to our roster, then we'll try to do that. We'll keep you updated on that as it occurs, but right now we're just a couple players under the limit. [We'll] get out there, get started today [and] see where we're at.
Q: What's the status of Brian Waters?
BB: He's not here.
Q: Is that an excused or unexcused absence?
BB: It's basically the same as it was in mini-camp.
Q: Do you expect him to be here before the regular season?
BB: We'll just take it day to day. There's no long-term plan, if that's what you're asking.
Q: Does that situation surprise you?
BB: No.
Q: Is retirement an option for him?
BB: You'll have to talk to him.
Q: I did. He said to ask you.
BB: I couldn't comment on anybody else's career – playing, not playing or anything like that. That's for them to talk about, not me. Nice of him to volley that back to me though.
Q: It seems like schedule-wise you're going to be doing it a little differently this year with the afternoon practice, is that right?
BB: Well we can only practice once. It's where we ended up last year.
Q: The guys that aren't on PUP, are they full-go, ready 100 percent or could we see you bring them along slowly, like Rob Gronkowski and Brandon Spikes?
BB: We have players that are in different stages of physical readiness for camp. Some guys are ready to go, some guys aren't ready to go, some guys can do some things, can't do everything. We'll just take it on an individual basis and take it day to day and that may change from day to day.
Q: Any disappointment that you weren't able to reach a deal with Wes Welker beyond this year?
BB: We go through that situation with every player. Some players we reach agreements with; some players we don't.
Q: In bringing in Visanthe Shiancoe this week, you have a pretty good stable of tight ends, bigger than last year. Is that more insurance you're looking for or a scheme change? Can you give us any deeper insight into adding Shiancoe?
BB: We'll just have to see how it all plays out. I don't know. I think that Shiancoe is a good football player. He's had a good career. He's been productive in two different organizations for several different quarterbacks. I think he's a good football player. He'll be competitive on our team. We'll see how it all turns out, I don't know.
Q: What was it with Joseph Addai that led to letting him go?
BB: It didn't work out.
Q: Are you okay with the numbers at running back for now?
BB: We have seven backs on our roster so if we add one, then we'll add one. If we don't, then we'll go with what we've got.
Q: Any chance on reaching out to Kevin Faulk?
BB: I can't really comment on any player that isn't on our roster right now. [We'll] coach the guys that are here, try to go out there and have a good practice and get them going. If we decide to add somebody then we'll let you know.
Q: In what condition did Rob Gronkowski show up for camp?
BB: I think he's alright.
Q: There was some talk about how visible he was in the offseason. Did you have any issue with all the things he was doing in the offseason?
BB: I talk to our players, individually and collectively, I talk to them about a lot of things all the time. Any conversations that I have individually with a player, I keep that between myself and the player. But I talk to the players on a daily basis. We talk about a lot of things.
Q: With social media, do you find you have to do that more and be more aware of it?
BB: No. I think we've always talked about a variety of things, but all as it relates to individual, personal development, team development and what we need to do to be better as an organization, as a team and individually. That goes for all of us.
Q: How much more in-tune to you have to be with that stuff now than before?
BB: Yeah, I mean, 20 years ago we didn't have Twitter, MyFace and all that so we didn't talk about it. But we had other things – we talk about whatever is current.
Q: What did you like about Tim Bulman?
BB: Tim had some production for the Texans. I think he was second in sacks a couple years ago. Active guy, smart; in the workout he was in good condition.
Q: What do you have planned for today?
BB: Try to get off to a good start. It's training camp so it's all about fundamentals, doing the little things right and then building a base and adding onto it as we can. I don't know exactly what rate that will be at, depending how it goes and how we do, what we're ready to handle. We have a lot of challenges ahead of us; have a lot of things that we need to cover and we'll take them on as hopefully we're ready for them.
Q: Does it feel like training camp to you?
BB: Yeah. Does it feel like it you?
Q: I was thinking more along the lines of you could always bank on full pads on the first day.
BB: Last year you couldn't.
Q: But for the last 30 years before that.
BB: It all changed last year.
Q: Do you have to pick and choose how you schedule the full padded practices?
BB: It's no different than we've ever done it. You go in with a plan and then you adjust it. It never goes exactly the way you think it will in terms of your installation. You might have injuries at a position, you may have weather you have to deal with. Whatever it is, it's always something. You take the opportunities that you have, try to make the most out of them. If you have to change and adjust, that's what you have to do.
Q: Does that put more emphasis on offseason conditioning, between the end of mini-camp and now?
BB: Everything is important, sure. We have opportunities every day to get better. However we choose to use those opportunities, then ultimately it will – the more we make of them, the more it will pay off later on. Okay, well have fun out there today. Good to be back in camp.
