Fresh off one passing camp last week, with another on the horizon this week, several of the newest Patriots are starting to get comfortable in the New England system.

Take CB Fernando Bryant, for instance, who many expect will vye for a starting job come training camp.

"I'm willing to come in and be a team player. That's what this game's about — it's about 11 people on the field doing the best they can. Wherever I fit in that 11, hopefully I can be on the field enough," Bryant said recently.

"The biggest thing for me is getting on the field and helping the team. If it's the right corner, it's the right corner. If it's the left corner, it's the left corner. If it's nickel, you know, its nickel. But the biggest thing is to find my niche and fit in the scheme that we're (running)."

Seems like new LB Victor Hobson is on the same page as well.

"I feel comfortable playing football," said Hobson, who will likely contribute on the inside of the Pats' 3-4 defense. "I'll just go out and do my job, whatever that is. Whether it's inside or outside, if they want me to play defensive end or safety, whatever it is I just want to go out there and do the best job that I can."

Off the field, meanwhile, a looming battle could be brewing between the owners and the players union regarding the salary cap. The 2010 season could be one without a cap, which could affect New England's ability to retain some key free-agents-to-be.

"We have to look long term at everything we do, we can't be worried about this," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said recently after the league's owners' meeting. "We're in this business, please God, for many decades and we have to make the right strategic decisions."