So much for the absolute undefeated season….oh well.  A few quick thoughts from preseason game number one.

- Early defensive picks: Jerod Mayo, Terrence Wheatley and Shawn Crable all looked good.  Mayo’s going to be a tackling machine and a hard hitter (ask Ray Rice).  Crable looks to have that athleticism and versatility that Belichick loves in his linebackers.  Wheatleyt didn’t do anything to stand out against Baltimore, but didn’t get ripped apart in his first action in the pros and certainly has the speed to do well at this level.

- Backup QB’s: Someone needs to step up and take this position.  Cassell looked absolutely pitiful, Gutierrez was slightly better and Kevin O’Connell is still just a rookie.  Let’s hope that offensive line can keep Brady upright.

- LaMont Jordan: Looks like he’s got something to prove after being shelved in Oakland.  I know everyone’s in love with Kevin Faulk, but Jordan’s one of the best third-down backs in the game.  Expect to see some more two back sets this year, especially out of the shotgun.

All this and more in the next podcast.

Let me be one of the first to congratulate the Jets on picking up Brett Favre.  The move certainly makes the AFC East more competitive, and will definitely improve the Jets standing…..from third to second maybe.  Enjoy a mediocre season while you battle the likes of Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Jacksonville for one of the two wild-card berths.  Because the J-E-T-S still S-U-C-K!

The Patriots signed Lamont Jordan to a contract over the weekend.  The running back makes this the second straight year the Pats have picked up a disgrunted former Oakland player (Randy Moss last year).  Jordan set a career high with over 1000 yards in 2005 and is only 29 years old.

Should be a very interesting battle between Jordan, Kevin Faulk and Sammy Morris for playing time.  Morris looked real good in the first half of last season before getting hurt.  Faulk’s place would seem secure but his off-the-field legal troubles could affect his status, plus the fact that Jordan started his career as a very effective third-down back with the Jets.

First round pick (10 overall) Jerod Mayo missed his first practice at Patriots training camp last week….only to let the ink finish drying on his 5 year, 19 million dollar deal with the team.  He first showed his stuff at the late afternoon practice last Thursday.  He’s likely to see plenty of time despite being listed as a backup on the depth chart.

The Patriots signed 2nd round draft choice Terrence Wheatley today, leaving first round choice Jerod Mayo as the only rookie holdout.  Wheatley was a first team All-Big 12 player for Colorado last year and totaled 14 INT in just 40 games in Boulder.  He should be in the mix in the defensive backfield, especially with Ellis Hobbs as the only proven player coming back in 2008.

As the Patriots get ready to start training camp at the end of this week, we want to get fans caught up on what to expect (other than extreme superiority) from 2009.  Make sure to check out Mike Reiss’ snapshots of each position heading into camp.

According to our buddy Mike Reiss over at the Boston Globe, Patriots running back Kevin Faulk has pleaded no contest to an arrest for marijuana possession at a concert in Louisana in February.  Faulk says the coat he was wearing at the time of the arrest wasn’t his, and even passed a drug test following the arrest.

Complete bull, I don’t believe for one second Faulk didn’t know what he was holding whether it was his coat or not.  The fact that he passed the test is a good sign.  That helps reduce his sentence to strictly fines, community service and probabtion.  Just another in a line of troubling offseason problems for Patriots’ players.

I know, I know….sorry we’ve been gone so long.  Chalk it up to post-college life adjustments.  I’m getting acclimated to my new job as a co-host of the Young Guns Radio Show on 1510 the Zone in Boston.  And Matt’s getting re-adjusted to…..whatever it is Matt does.  Anyway, plenty to talk about with the Pats as we get set for the opening of training camp at the end of the month.  Keep a watch for the next pair of podcasts coming this week.  Matt and I talk about the end, finish, finale, and the celebrated death of Spygate, as well as the possible beginning to the end of the Patriots dynasty.

Here’s the rest of the fresh faces fans will see in mini-camps soon enough:

1. Jonathan Wilhite, CB, Auburn
2. Matt Slater, WR, UCLA
3. Bo Ruud, OLB, Nebraska

Ben’s take: Not bad choices.  Some quick guys in Wilhite and Slater both of whom run 4.4 40s.  As expected today, like yesterday all about defensive picks.  In Slater, the Pats get a deep threat other than Moss, as well as a possible kick returner.  As far as Ruud goes, he comes from a football family, his brother Barrett plays for the Bucs.  Bo’s supposedly not as talented, and with a sixth round choice there’s not much risk for New England.

Matt’s take: All solid picks, with the Pats finding much needed assistance in special teams, linebacker and cornerback.  Although Ruud may be the only name you know, hopefully the others will provide some depth where its needed and could push the veterans during training camp.

End of the third round, the Pats add a QB to the roster, Kevin O’Connell out of San Diego State.

Ben’s take: Really? A QB? I understand Cassell’s probably on his way out but the third round is a little high to grab a backup QB.  Especially when there’s still plenty of improvements to be made on the defensive side of the ball.

Matt’s take: Uhh….all I can say is the Pats are gonna trade Cassell.