All is calm on the football front in Foxborough, as the New England Patriots will take a break until reconvening on July 17 for the start of training camp.
Players and coaches will remain in the area for a couple of weeks to finish the offseason-conditioning program. Head Coach Bill Belichick said veterans would finish up conditioning work in the next week, while rookies will stay around for two more weeks.
The conditioning will be completed on an individual basis, as the close of mini camp on July 3 marked the final team gathering until the full training camp kicks off. After players complete the conditioning program, they will be responsible for staying in shape on their own.
Belichick said all players would be subject to a physical and a conditioning test upon return. He made it clear that all players must pass the tests in order to participate in camp.
While the players and coaches take a well-earned break, senior vice president and chief operating officer Andy Wasynczuk remains hard at work negotiating with the agents of the team's 10 draft choices. None of the 10 has signed contracts yet. Since Wasynczuk began handling player contracts in 1994, every draft pick has signed and reported to camp on time.
In addition to signing all of the draft picks, the Patriots front office will continue scouring the market looking to fine-tune the roster via available free agents. Belichick said Monday that the only set position on the roster was quarterback, where Drew Bledsoe, John Friesz, Michael Bishop and Tom Brady will be competing.
