Wheatley a two-way talent

Coach lauds cornerback's intelligence

Second-round draft choice Terrence Wheatley is bringing more than just top-end speed to the Patriots' cornerback corps. He also has top-end smarts, according to his former coach.

"He's one of those guys who just gets it," said Colorado assistant Greg Brown, who spent 15 years as an assistant coach in the NFL. "He understands the defense, but at the same time, he understands the offense and how they're going to try to challenge him. He studies it and understands the stress points."

If there was one play from the 2007 season that reflects Wheatley's combination of speed and smarts, Brown said it came against Arizona State in early September.

It was a third-and-short situation and Wheatley essentially created 7 points on his own.

"We had called a defense to try to play more horizontally than vertically, and in doing so, our left corner became a free man in a trap-type defense," Brown explained. "So Terrence sees the quarterback look at him and walks back to invite the throw. The quarterback is thinking he can take three steps and rifle it in, but at the snap, Terrence stops his backpedal and is headed downhill. He intercepts it and returns it [35 yards] for a touchdown."

It was one of Wheatley's 14 career interceptions at Colorado, which ranks him third on the school's all-time list.

Coaches also came to appreciate his toughness, as Wheatley (5 feet 9 1/2 inches, 187 pounds) underwent four wrist surgeries in four seasons, according to Brown. A titanium rod was placed in his wrist before the 2006 season and Wheatley was assured it would not break, but halfway through the year it did just that.

"He played in pain and didn't tell anyone," Brown said. "The day after the season was over, against Nebraska, he went in immediately and had it taken care of."

Shortly after he was selected with the 62d overall pick Saturday, Wheatley told New England reporters the wrist was no longer an issue, as he had played the entire '07 season without incident.

Given the recent NFL trend of playing with three and four corners, Brown thinks Wheatley could help the Patriots quickly.

He compared him to a player he used to coach with the New Orleans Saints: cornerback Jason Craft.

"You can never have enough corners, especially if someone is smart and they don't need a lot of reps to get in and function well," Brown said, noting that Wheatley was also a top special teams performer. "With all the multiple-receiver sets that are in vogue, you need more guys who can cover, and he is one of those guys."

Long and short of it

The Patriots added youth and speed to their defense, but when it comes to their cornerback crop, they didn't add size. Both Wheatley and fourth-round pick Jonathan Wilhite are 5-9.

Yet vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli pointed out yesterday that size isn't everything at the position, as shorter corners often have the skill set the team is seeking.

"Part of it is that the bigger a player gets - the taller or longer sometimes a player is - the less fluid they are in changing direction," Pioli said in an interview on Comcast's "Patriots Draft Report '08" show.

"When you're looking for a corner, they have to be reactive athletes - to see changes, know what's going on, plant their foot, and drive toward the football. The longer, taller bodies have more difficulty being reactive type athletes."

Other new faces

After drafting seven players over the weekend, the Patriots are in the process of finalizing their 80-man roster.

Among the rookie free agents the team has struck contract agreements with are East Carolina offensive lineman Josh Coffman, Illinois defensive lineman Chris Norwell, and Georgia Tech inside linebacker Gary Guyton. Also signing on were Liberty outside linebacker Vince Redd, Alabama outside linebacker Keith Saunders, Virginia tight end Jonathan Stupar, and Portland State defensive lineman Casey Tyler.

North Dakota State punter Michael Dragosavich and Troy running back Kenny Cattouse are scheduled to attend the Patriots' rookie minicamp this weekend on a tryout basis, according to their agents.

Punter Patrick dies

Former Patriots punter Mike Patrick died Sunday at age 55. Patrick spent his entire career with the Patriots (1975-78) and ranks fifth on the team's all-time punting list with 8,481 yards on 225 attempts, in 43 games. "I think what people would remember most about him is that he was probably the most gregarious, happy-go-lucky guy you would ever meet," said former Patriots teammate John Smith, a longtime friend. "He was the most generous man I've ever met and would give you the shirt off his back. He had that great Southern drawl and people were just drawn him."

Contract details

Veteran tight end Marcus Pollard, who signed with the Patriots last week, inked a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum of $830,000. There is no signing bonus, so Pollard's salary cap charge is $452,000. Veteran punter Scott Player also signed a one-year, $830,000 deal with no signing bonus. Veteran defensive lineman Kenny Smith also signed for one year, for $520,000 with no signing bonus. His salary cap charge will be $452,000 . . . Former Patriots scout Lionel Vital, who worked for the club from 2000-04 and has been serving as a national scout for the Ravens, is scheduled to interview with the Falcons for an upper-level position in the personnel department.

Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com