Bruschi puts out welcome splat

FOXBOROUGH -- The screen was run to the right side, the ball softly arced in the direction of rookie running back Laurence Maroney.

Making the catch and preparing to turn upfield, Maroney ended up on the receiving end of more than just a football. Boom! It was a welcome-to-the-NFL hit by linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who dropped his right shoulder to make contact and send Maroney to the ground.

The play excited the defense, with Bruschi high-fiving nearby teammates. Meanwhile, Maroney reacted just as Bruschi hoped he would.

``I see him get up, go back to the huddle, and he's ready for the next play," said Bruschi, who also delivered a fairly powerful pop on Maroney during the first practice of camp Friday. ``That's all I want to see, and that's what he did. No talking, just, `All right, it's a good hit,' and he's ready to go again."

Maroney had a feeling he'd be on the receiving end of some type of hit, although he acknowledged he wasn't expecting such a powerful one.

``I was about due for one; you hear that everyone wants to hit the first-rounder," he said. ``But that one snuck up on me."

The 21-year-old Maroney was busy on the practice field yesterday morning, breaking free with quick acceleration on one running play outside the hash marks. He also had a power run in which he initiated contact with outside linebacker Chad Brown, the force of the contact dislodging Brown's helmet.

The plays illustrated the varied running skills of the 5-foot-11-inch, 220-pound Maroney, who rushed for 3,933 yards and 32 touchdowns at the University of Minnesota. He has speed in the open field to outrun defenders, but also has power when running between the tackles.

Maroney's greatest challenge at this point, however, has little to do with running the football. It's his involvement in the passing game.

``Identifying defenses, blitz-pickup responsibilities, routes, techniques, catching the ball, all those things," explained coach Bill Belichick. ``That's something he didn't do a lot of in college, and didn't have a lot of opportunity to do. He's probably done more of it since he's been here than maybe he did the whole time he was at Minnesota."

One area that stands out to Maroney, who totaled just 21 receptions over three college seasons (17 coming in his senior season), is the preciseness in which everything in the passing game must be executed.

``It's basically learning the routes and knowing that if they want a 4-yard route, they want a 4-yard route. It's not a 3, not a 5," he said. ``There are a lot of things that tie into that. Just getting all that down has been tough, but I'm learning."

Belichick agrees, saying Maroney has made progress in the passing game, in part because of his time spent with assistant coach Ivan Fears and the team's other running backs. One of those backs, Corey Dillon, has occasionally pulled Maroney aside and offered guidance.

``He's helped me out a lot, telling me insights about things like how to read a defense a little bit better, proper footwork, small things like that," said Maroney, adding that he was simply following Dillon's advice to ``hit the defense first" when he rammed into Brown during yesterday's morning practice.

Earlier in July, though, Maroney was wondering if he would even be on the practice field with the Patriots for the start of training camp. He said he would occasionally call his representatives to check on the progress of contract talks and was surprised to learn that discussions had yet to take place.

``I was like, `Wow, do they not want me in at camp?' Then they started talking about it and everything started moving fast," he said. ``It seemed like we got the deal done right in time."

He felt it was crucial to be on the practice field with the rest of the team for the first day, which was made possible when a five-year deal was struck the night before training camp started.

``I'm starting from square one," said Maroney, a St. Louis native. ``These guys already know the game, know the business, know the plays. I felt like I had to get in on time, so I could stay up with the program."

And to keep pace with his fellow running backs, Dillon, Kevin Faulk, Patrick Pass, and Heath Evans.

``I think the whole running back group is pushing each other," he said. ``We have nice depth at running back. We all know we can bring something different to the team."

As for the hit from Bruschi, Maroney didn't appear flustered. He said ``it probably won't be the last time" so he plans to ``just get used to it."

Bruschi, for one, was impressed with Maroney's resolve.

``I think everyone's sort of looking at Laurence and how he responds, because he is young and this is his first training camp," Bruschi said. ``So far, I have no complaints about the kid."