Patriots

PEABODY - Patriots receiver Wes Welker demonstrated a very good backpedal when he played defensive back against players at his camp Saturday morning at Bishop Fenwick High School. It got better in front of the media. Welker backtracked from comments he made two days earlier to the Boston Herald in which he voiced his frustration that talks over a new contract with the Patriots had "gotten worse. " Now? Everything is fine and dandy. "That was probably a bad choice of words saying they've gotten worse," Welker said.

The Patriots signed first-round draft pick Chandler Jones Wednesday. Jones, the 21st overall pick out of Syracuse, is a 6-foot-5-inch, 265-pound pass rusher whom the Patriots selected after moving up from 27th by trading with the Bengals. A three-year starter with the Orange, Jones played in just seven games last fall after suffering a leg injury against Wake Forest. He had four sacks and 39 tackles. Financial terms were not released, but by the rules of the new collective bargaining agreement, first-round picks receive four-year contracts with a team option for a fifth.

Repairs to the aging Sagamore Bridge during the spring have slowed traffic leaving Cape Cod to a crawl most nights and backed it up for miles on Sundays, culminating in a Mother's Day morass when the stalled line of cars stretched past multiple exits on Route 6 and triggered all-day gridlock on nearby Route 6A. "Whoever conceived of this plan should be fired," said Anne Kilguss, a Boston social worker and psychotherapist with a second home in...

By Greg A. Bedard, Globe Staff FOXBOROUGH — Here are some observations from today's practice that was open to the media. Before I begin, a few disclaimers. It is VERY, VERY early, so don't go flying off the handle about anything. Things will certainly change in time. This is the third practice the Patriots have had. We don't know what was done the other two, or whether this was a "let's try a few things" sessions. Also, the Patriots know the media is watching.

So the Patriots and Wes Welker are about on the same wavelength with a contract as Chad Ochocinco was with the playbook last season. They're not close. Welker took his frustrations over the state of negotiations - which have only regressed since the Patriots offered two years at $16 million guaranteed before last season - public in comments to the Boston Herald last week. The Patriots did not react kindly to having their affairs aired that way. Big bulletin there.

The Patriots and seventh-round draft pick Alfonzo Dennard agreed to a four-year contract, a league source said. Dennard, a cornerback out of Nebraska, fell in the draft after being arrested just days before the draft for allegedly assaulting a police officer outside a bar in Lincoln, Neb. He was considered by many to be no worse than a third-round pick before his arrest. He is the third member of the Patriots' draft class to sign, following Tavon Wilson and Jeremy Ebert.

The Patriots and sixth-round pick Nate Ebner have reached a contract agreement, the team has announced. Ebner, a defensive back out of Ohio State, is a former rugby player who walked on for the Buckeyes and didn't really have designs on a possible shot at the NFL until a standout pro day. He gained a measure of notoriety after the Patriots made him the 197th pick in this year's draft, since he played less than a handful of snaps on defense...

By Shalise Manza Young, Globe Staff As we all know by now, few things get more attention and create more discussion, particularly online, than creating a list. NFL writer Pete Prisco, who is a senior columnist for CBSsports.com, took on the difficult task of creating his own list of the top 100 players in the league, with his list posted this week . Prisco places five Patriots in his top 100, and not surprisingly, four of them are from the offensive side of the ball: 2. QB Tom Brady - There are no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

A league source confirms that the Patriots and seventh-round draft pick Jeremy Ebert have agreed to a four-year contract. Ebert, a receiver out of Northwestern, was the 235th pick in the draft; last fall, he pulled in 75 receptions for 1,060 yards and 11 touchdown receptions for the Wildcats' no-huddle offense. Aaron Wilson of scout.com reported that Ebert's deal is worth a total of $2.148 million. Ebert is the second of the Patriots' seven draft picks under contract.

Wes Welker, designated as the Patriots' franchise player, said on Tuesday he "isn't sure" if he'll report to Foxborough for the offseason training program April 16. The veteran receiver, who was in New York City for the unveiling of the new Nike-designed NFL uniforms - other than the Seattle Seahawks, the jerseys are nearly identical to the ones Reebok rolled out for the previous several years - modeled the Patriots uniform. "I don't know," Welker said about organized team activities, according to NFL.com.

By Michael Whitmer, Globe Staff FOXBOROUGH -- Center Dan Koppen is taking part in organized team activities for the Patriots this week after missing nearly all of last season with an ankle injury he suffered in the opener. Following a two-hour practice on the fields behind Gillette Stadium, Koppen met with the media, and said it wasn't easy watching as the team advanced to the Super Bowl. "You've got to be mentally strong enough to handle that and say injuries happen and move on, but it's tough to sit there and watch," Koppen said.

The Patriots signed first-round draft pick Chandler Jones Wednesday. Jones, the 21st overall pick out of Syracuse, is a 6-foot-5-inch, 265-pound pass rusher whom the Patriots selected after moving up from 27th by trading with the Bengals. A three-year starter with the Orange, Jones played in just seven games last fall after suffering a leg injury against Wake Forest. He had four sacks and 39 tackles. Financial terms were not released, but by the rules of the new collective bargaining agreement, first-round picks receive four-year contracts with a team option for a...

The sixth-biggest US coal producer has hired Blackstone Group and is working with lenders to finalize $625 million of loan and credit facilities and strengthen its finances. Debtwire reported that Patriot fielded formal pitches from restructuring advisers, including Blackstone and Centerview Partners. Patriot will retain such advisers should it be unable to satisfy its near-term financing needs, Debtwire said.

With media scheduled to watch Thursday's on-field organized team activity, the Patriots have released a current roster, which includes jersey numbers for all players currently under contract: 2 K Chris Koepplin 3 K Stephen Gostkowski 8 QB Brian Hoyer 10 WR Jabar Gaffney 11 WRJulian Edelman 12 QB Tom Brady 13 WR Matt Rooark 14 P Zoltan Mesko 15 QB Ryan Mallett 16 WR Anthony Gonzalez 17 WR Britt Davis ...

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent It's time for local youths to dust off the old pigskin and register for the Mattapan Patriots Pop Warner . The team, which has divisions for ages 7-14, will be holding registration drives in May and June for those interested in the program. The registration fee for the season is $125 until Jun. 30, when prices go up. To register online, click here . For more information contact Niya Wise at (617) 276-6446 or mattapanpatriotsregitration@yahoo.com.

Patriots punter Zoltan Mesko will be our guest at noon on Wednesday to talk about football and his upcoming charity fundraiser, ZoliOke, on June 9. For ticket info about ZoliOke, which will be held June 9 at Royale in Boston and benefits Children's Hospital Boston, go here . Chat with Patriots punter Zoltan Mesko

Patriots owner Robert Kraft is in Atlanta today for some NFL spring meetings, and spoke with NFL Network about Wes Welker and the receiver's contract status. "Well, we'd like to see him be a Patriot for life, but it takes two sides," Kraft said. "We're just happy he's back in the system. He's a wonderful young man, and a special guy. I think both sides would like to do a deal, but it requires intelligence and putting our team first. " Kraft has said on several occasions that he'd like Welker to be a "Patriot for life," and expressed his fondness for the...

FOXBOROUGH - Spencer Larsen, one of the many free agents the Patriots have signed this offseason, said on Thursday that he is focused on fullback for now - though with his history, that could change. During his days with Denver, where he was a sixth-round draft pick in 2008, Larsen played fullback and also linebacker. In a November game against the Falcons his rookie season, he started on both offense and defense, and played special teams. "It was a fun time in my career; we got into some injury trouble at linebacker, I'd been playing fullback...

By Shalise Manza Young, Globe Staff The Patriots have announced that they've signed their first overall pick, defensive end Chandler Jones. Financial terms of the contract are not yet known, but under the new CBA, rookie contract for first-round players are for four years in length, with a team option for a fifth. Jones, a 6-foot-5 pass-rusher out of Syracuse, was the 21st pick in the draft after New England traded up six spots to take him. There are now just two Patriots draft picks unsigned: Dont'a Hightower, the 27th overall pick, and third-rounder Jake Bequette.

Matt Light did the Tour de Bristol on Monday, stopping by numerous radio and television programs on the ESPN campus. And the recently retired Patriots offensive lineman said not to expect him to reconsider his decision to walk away from football. "Zero percent," Light said when asked what the chances were of a comeback. "Not in a bad way but when you close the door, it's always good to keep walking. " And while Light's enthusiasm for the game waned, he said he had no doubt that quarterback Tom Brady will play for a long time to come.