FOXBOROUGH, Mass.—After losing two key veterans at cornerback, the New England Patriots face big questions about who will step up to replace them among the crowded field of veterans and rookies in training camp.
New England's biggest loss was All-Pro Asante Samuel, who signed as a free agent with Philadelphia, but the Patriots also lost Randall Gay, who signed with New Orleans.
Starter Ellis Hobbs is back and third-year player Antwain Spann appears to be a lock to make the roster. But the spots behind them are wide-open for the other six cornerbacks in camp.
Among the most intriguing players is Mike Richardson, a 6th-round 2007 draft choice out of Notre Dame. He's healthy after spending all of last season on injured reserve after breaking his thumb during the preseason last summer.
Coach Bill Belichick said Saturday that Richardson is "smart, tough and fast" and was impressive on both special teams and defense last year before getting hurt.
Richardson had a good offseason, Belichick said, and did "everything he could do to make the team last year and we're glad to have him back."
During Saturday morning's practice, Richardson was frequently matched up against Patriot All-Pro receiver Randy Moss. During a one-on-one drill, Moss deked one way, then another, before finally catching a pass from back-up quarterback Matt Cassel.
"He's tough," chuckled Richardson. "But it really helps going against him every day in practice."
Also competing for a cornerback job are free-agent acquisitions Jason Webster, Fernando Bryant, and Lewis Sanders and rookies Terrence Wheatley from Colorado and Jonathan White from Auburn.
The intense competition among the cornerbacks doesn't mean players aren't trying to help each other, Richardson said.
"We give each other tips so we can get better as a team," he said.
Also Saturday, the Patriots announced that fifth-year offensive lineman Gene Mruczkowski has retired and been replaced on the roster by defensive lineman Lav Vauta, who was recently waived and then re-signed Friday.
