Campers to watch
KURT KITTNER
With a strong camp, Kittner could make the
decisions at quarterback difficult. While he
isn't as comfortable in the offense as Rohan
Davey or Kliff Kingsbury, among the active
quarterbacks (33-year-old Jim Miller is on
the non-football injury list rehabilitating from
shoulder surgery), Kittner, 24, has the most
NFL playing experience, starting four games
and appearing in three others for Atlanta last
year.
DAVID PATTEN
Patten was the star of camp three years ago,
and went on to establish himself as a go-to guy
for two seasons before winding up on injured
reserve in 2003 after knee surgery. David
Givens stepped up in Patten's absence and
is all but assured of a roster spot, along with
Troy Brown, Deion Branch, and Bethel Johnson.
The Patriots drafted P.K. Sam in the fifth round,
re-signed J.J. Stokes, and also have promising
Chas Gessner, who had a good spring in
Europe.
RUSS HOCHSTEIN
New England let walk its best offensive
lineman, Damien Woody, feeling it unwise to
invest more than $20 million in an interior
lineman when Hochstein, who was on the
practice squad to begin last season, had just
filled in admirably for three postseason games.
Can Hochstein hold down left guard for 16
games? First, he has to hold on to the job.
He'll be pushed by free agent Bob Hallen and
Stephen Neal.
RODNEY BAILEY
The Patriots saw
enough in the former
Steelers reserve to
give him $1.3 million
as a restricted free
agent. Maybe the
rest of us will see it
as well. Bailey, just 24
(though he's entering
his fourth season), could push Jarvis Green and
Ty Warren for playing time at end in the 3-4.
RANDALL GAY, ERIC ALEXANDER
Rookies coming from Louisiana State, even if
undrafted, have an edge over their peers. Gay,
a cornerback, should give seventh-round pick
Christian Morton a run for one of the remaining
secondary spots, while Alexander, whom the
Patriots were high on going into the draft,
could give the team needed youth at inside
linebacker.
