Slater comfortable with genes

Return specialist follows dad's path

FOXBOROUGH - The father was a top offensive lineman, his work ultimately earning him induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The son took a different path, focusing on special teams while wondering if his football career even would lead to the NFL.

But UCLA's Matt Slater officially arrived yesterday, tabbed in the fifth round by the Patriots (153d overall).

The son of Rams great Jackie Slater, he has fond recollections of visiting locker rooms that included the likes of cornerback LeRoy Irvin, running back Eric Dickerson, and later, receiver Isaac Bruce.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be raised in the locker room, around those guys, and have a dad that accomplished the things he has," Slater said yesterday.

A third-round pick of the Rams in 1976, Jackie Slater played a remarkable 20 seasons and appeared in 259 games. At the time of his retirement in 1995, no lineman had played more contests.

The approach left an indelible impression on the son.

"The thing that sticks out most to me about my dad was the way he worked," Slater said. "The games were great, and everybody sees that on Sunday, but I saw things about my dad that people didn't see - the blood, sweat, and tears that he put into this game and how he prepared and the respect he gave to this game of football. I think that's something he has passed over to me."

At 6 feet and 198 pounds, Matt Slater never considered following in his father's footsteps as a lineman. He began his career at UCLA as a receiver, before switching to cornerback, and then safety.

His first four years on campus were filled with frustration and limited playing time. It was not until last season, as a senior, that Slater broke through - his main focus on special teams. Showcasing blazing speed, he returned three kickoffs for touchdowns, setting a school record for a season. On 34 total kickoff returns, he averaged 29 yards per runback, with his 986 yards setting a UCLA record for a season.

With the Bears' Devin Hester providing an electrifying presence over the last two seasons, it's possible the Patriots found their version of a special teams speedster. The team traded its fifth-round pick and seventh-rounder to Tampa Bay to move up seven spots in the fifth round to select Slater.

"I wasn't sure if the Patriots had very much interest in me," he said. "I was obviously surprised, but excited and thankful at the same time."

Crable, not Vrabel

The Patriots continued to add depth to their linebacker corps with the first pick they exercised yesterday, the second day of the draft, tabbing Michigan's Shawn Crable in the third round (No. 78 overall).

The 6-5, 243-pound Crable, who was a Wolverines captain, projects as an outside linebacker in the Patriots' 3-4 scheme. Last year at Michigan, he started all 12 games at outside linebacker, recording 90 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and setting a school record with 28.5 tackles for a loss, second in the nation.

Crable will be competing for playing time with Pierre Woods, a former teammate of Crable's at Michigan and a close friend. Coach Bill Belichick said the two are similar players.

"I think there are probably a lot of similarities between Shawn and Pierre," said Belichick. "They're both tall guys, very rangy, fast, good special teams players. That's a guy that we've been on for quite some time and followed with some interest."

Crable, who is from Massillon, Ohio, found a home in the draft with New England. However, as a child he bounced between foster homes until he was 11 and was taken in by Ella Kirkland.

"She means the world to me. She's an angel," said Crable, who entered foster care at age 5. "She got me on track. I was a little rough around the edges to start out with, and she took the time and nurtured me. [She] had me on track to where I had the thought that I could do something in college. She really got me through everything."

The Patriots, who used their second-round pick on cornerback Terrence Wheatley, also added another corner on Day 2, selecting Auburn's Jonathan Wilhite in the fourth round (No. 129 overall). The 5-11, 185-pounder started 23 of the 34 games he played in at Auburn, after spending a season at Butler County Community College in Kansas. He finished his Auburn career with 101 tackles, 14 pass deflections, 3 interceptions, and a sack.

What's the deal?

A day after trading from seventh to 10th in the first round and picking up the Saints' third-round pick, the Patriots continued to wheel and deal, setting themselves up with an extra 2009 second-round selection.

The Patriots traded the first of the three third-round picks they entered the day with (No. 69 overall), acquired from the Raiders in last year's draft for a third-rounder, to the Chargers for San Diego's second-round pick in 2009 and the Chargers' 2008 fifth-round pick (No. 160 overall), which was dealt to Tampa, along with a seventh-rounder, to move up for Slater.

New England had sent its fifth-round pick to New Orleans as part of the swap of first-rounders that also netted the Patriots the Saints' third-rounder, which ended up being Crable. Belichick said the Patriots were prepared to take Crable at No. 69 and had him on the line before the Chargers called with their offer.

Not over 'til it's over

The Patriots will try to supplement their draft class with undrafted free agents. The team has had success there, with players like cornerback Randall Gay, now with the Saints, defensive lineman Mike Wright, and Woods.

"We'll be moving on to some free agent signings to fill out our roster and get our numbers up for training camp," said Belichick.

Ruud awakening

With their final pick of the draft, which came in the sixth round (No. 197 overall), the Patriots picked linebacker Bo Ruud of Nebraska, the younger brother of Buccaneers linebacker Barrett Ruud. Bo projects to be an inside linebacker in the 3-4 . . . In the fifth round, the Patriots were keeping a close eye on Nebraska defensive back Zackary Bowman and began working the phone lines in hopes of striking a deal to select him. A tentative deal was in place with the Jaguars at No. 153 if Bowman was available. It appeared as if things would work out, but the Bears snared Bowman at No. 142 and the deal was off . . . Belichick opened his news conference by paying tribute to Bucko Kilroy, the legendary Patriots scout and general manager. This was the Patriots' first draft since Kilroy, who spent 37 years in the team's front office, passed away last July. "I always remember walking into the room with Bucko every draft, and he'd have his charts there and he'd have his values and how [the players] were going to be picked off the board," said Belichick. "It was such an exciting day for him and all of us. Even in the later years he still never lost his enthusiasm and zest for these two days. He is certainly in our memory."