Déjà vu? Let's hope not.
Last season, highly-touted rookie wide receiver Chad Jackson missed much of the season with an always-tough-to-recover-from hamstring injury.
This year, first-rounder Brandon Meriweather is suffering from the same malady. The rookie safety, however, could be counted on to contribute more than Jackson might have last year (if fully healthy), given the potential loss of Asante Samuel in the Patriots' defensive backfield.
That's the subject of a Boston Globe feature today, in which Meriweather's former college coach, Larry Coker, talked about Meriweather's ability to play cornerback.
"He played that position and did well, and I think he can do well with it at the next level," Coker is quoted in the article. "He's smart and has good cover skills. He has good flexibility in his hips and some experience at corner with us."
The Boston Herald, meanwhile, features former Patriot Joe Andruzzi, who's struggling with a more serious medical condition. The former offensive lineman is battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Andruzzi and his family have moved back to Massachusetts (he'd been in Ohio the past few seasons playing for the Cleveland Browns) so he can receive treatment locally at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The Herald also continues its profiles of the 2007 finalists for induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Today, the newspaper catches up with former wide receiver Stanley Morgan, who supports the decision to let fans vote for the player who will be selected.
"The thinking by the Kraft family in getting the fans involved is a great idea," Morgan told the Herald. "I think the fans need to be involved. They're the ones that have supported us throughout the years. They have a great feel for who's deserving, and who should go in, and who, maybe not."