John Tomase of the *Boston Herald *writes that with Willie McGinest gone, Troy Brown is now by far the longest-tenured player on the roster. His roots date back to 1993 when the Pats drafted him in the eighth round out of Marshall. Since then, he's morphed from special teams afterthought to primary receiver to defensive back to revitalized slot man. Brown realizes his days are dwindling. In a wide-ranging interview following a workout yesterday, he touched on a number of topics, from the frustration of his early days to the difficulty of losing McGinest to owner Robert Kraft's role in his most recent contract negotiations to accepting his impending career mortality.
Jeff Gordon of FoxSports.com offers a top 10 list of the greatest clutch players in sports. Three players from New England sports teams were included on the list; Tom Brady(1), Adam Vinatieri(8) and David Ortiz(9).
John Tomase of the Boston Herald writes that despite being the top free agent left on the market, the veteran cornerback has yet to receive an offer to his liking. Law reportedly seeks a $10 million signing bonus, but with salary cap dollars tightening as draft picks sign, his odds of cashing in appear to be shrinking by the day. Kansas City, considered a prime suitor for Law's services, has not hosted him for a visit or a physical. Law has instead stayed in touch with coach Herman Edwards, who had him with the Jets last year. The Chiefs have balked at Law's asking price. Their interest could be affected by this weekend's minicamp, which will provide a clearer answer of what they have at corner opposite Patrick Surtain. Law has visited the Pats and Titans, but hasn't discussed money with either team. He passed a physical with the Titans last week, but is not considered a priority because they only have $100,000 in cap space.
The Sun Chronicle reports that town of Foxboro officials who reviewed Wednesday the New England Patriots organization's plans for a mammoth mixed-use commercial development surrounding Gillette Stadium praised the concept as a powerful economic catalyst for the area. Building Commissioner William Casbarra said the project on 265 acres, to be called Patriot Place, will total about 1.2 million square feet. Filed Monday with the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs in Boston, the plan details a mix of hotel, retail, restaurant, theater, office, stadium-related and other development in two clusters around the stadium.
USA Today's Inside Slant" writes that in many ways Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is very different from the team's average fan. Three Super Bowl rings, two MVPs, a Hollywood actress girlfriend, visits with the Pope and endless other worldly travels tend to separate him from the average man. But for most of the off-season, Brady was very much in the same boat as the average fan as he watched veteran teammates such as Willie McGinest, Adam Vinatieri and No. 2 wideout David Givens depart through free agency. Despite his role as a team captain and franchise player, Brady, like those filling Gillette Stadium each Sunday in the fall, was resigned to watching from afar as his team went through a surprisingly extreme off-season makeover.
Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe offers his daily sports blog with Patriots notes. Reiss also offers his latest Patriots mailbag.
Tom Curran of the Providence Journal offers his daily sports blog with Patriots notes and commentary.
