All anyone wants to talk about today, it seems, is this coming weekend's NFL Draft.
Who can blame them, of course. It's one of the most exciting times in the pro football calendar. And with 10 selections, the Patriots will be major players, as always.
What they do with those picks is the topic of lots of speculation in the local media as we approach the Draft. Many beat writers think the defensive backfield is an area where the Pats will pick early.
Their offensive opposites, the wide receivers, are also fairly strong at the top this year. Some say a player like Ohio State's Anthony Gonzalez would be a perfect pick for the Patriots.
Defensive line is one of the strongest spots on New England's roster, but that may not stop the team from taking a big guy with lots of potential, as you'll read in several local articles.
Last week, we heard how thrilled Arizona Wildcat running back Chris Henry was with his recent visit to Foxboro. He and a few other ball carriers might fit into the Patriots system very nicely, according to some observers.
Two other positions to keep an eye on are punter, offensive line, and quarterback, where New England could add some depth in later rounds.
Other writers, meantime, are taking a more general look at the Draft. One article goes into great detail about the value of drafting low in the first round.
Other pieces go position-by-position on the Pats roster and predict which college players are most likely to be picked by New England this Saturday and Sunday.
And in an interesting retrospective, there's a ranking of the Pats' all-time Draft classes and Draft picks.
And for those of you craving some Tom Brady news, here you go. Number 12 is now the official pitchman for a big-name brand of men's cologne. For starters, Brady will shoot TV and print ads which will start appearing this fall.
