Seau decision will wait

Primary factors are health, depth

FOXBOROUGH - If linebacker Junior Seau returns to the Patriots for his 19th NFL season, the decision will be made closer to the start of training camp in late July, coach Bill Belichick said yesterday.

"We are just not there yet, but we are closer to being there," Belichick said after yesterday's passing camp practice.

The 39-year-old Seau, whose fiery pregame speeches contributed to his status as a team leader in 2007, is recovering from offseason surgery on his left rotator cuff. He recently underwent a physical for the Patriots, and the sides have maintained an open dialogue about his possible return. The No. 55 Seau donned has not been issued to another player.

Yet health might not be the only factor in the decision, as the Patriots have added some inside linebackers to the mix, most notably first-round draft choice Jerod Mayo and free agent signee Victor Hobson.

With Tedy Bruschi returning and the possibility of Adalius Thomas lining up inside, the depth chart at the position is a bit deeper than in 2007, when Seau inked a one-year, $1 million deal to come back to New England for a second season.

Hobson has seemingly made a favorable first impression. He is making the switch from on-the-line outside linebacker in the Jets' 3-4 alignment to off-the-line inside linebacker in the Patriots' 3-4 scheme.

The change puts Hobson in a position similar to what he played in his first three NFL seasons. In those years, under former Jets coach Herm Edwards, Hobson was playing off the line in a 4-3 scheme.

"He is a smart guy, runs well, and he has some experience in the system," Belichick said of the 6-foot, 252-pound Hobson. "I think he has a good combination of experience, toughness, and athleticism to the position."

Andrews owns up to it

Safety Willie Andrews said his marijuana possession case is "a dead issue," but was contrite about running afoul of the law two days after the Patriots lost Super Bowl XLII to the Giants.

Andrews was pulled over in Lowell Feb. 5 and was found with a half-pound of marijuana and $6,808, according to police. He was not found with means to smoke the drug and was charged with possession with intent to distribute. The case was continued without a finding for one year on May 9, after Andrews admitted to sufficient facts for a guilty finding.

"It's a dead issue. It's over," Andrews said yesterday. "It's not brought up out here, and I know it won't be brought up out here. It's just back to work now."

Andrews said he explained his side of the story to Belichick the day after the incident.

"Once I told him the story, he was behind me and supported me fully," said Andrews. "That's all I really needed because Bill is the most critical person on this team."

However, Andrews did own up to making a mistake.

"Of course. It was a situation I shouldn't have been in in the first place, but we all make mistakes and you've got to learn from those," said Andrews. "I just hated that it had to be that type of situation for me to learn from, but that's the hand I was dealt, so you've got to play the cards."

Under conditions of the continuance, Andrews must complete 100 hours of community service, pay a $1,000 fine, and take part in the NFL's substance abuse program. If he is out of the league, he must report to probation and submit to random drug tests.

Andrews, who scored his first NFL touchdown last season on a 77-yard kickoff return against Miami, said he's looking to become a reliable backup on defense, but also wants to improve on special teams, where he's carved out a niche.

"That's how I made the team the last couple of years, and I'll look for that again and probably [to play] even better," said Andrews.

Opportunity to shine

Belichick said this latest passing camp is an opportunity for younger players with less experience in the Patriots' system and newcomers such as Hobson and safety Tank Williams to gain valuable repetitions prior to training camp. "We are just trying to level the playing field a little bit so everyone has a chance to compete in training camp," Belichick said. Andrews said it's helpful to be able to put what he studies on film or in the playbook into practice. "He's keying it to us now," said Andrews. "It's not 'Watch what Rodney [ Harrison] is doing on this play.' It's 'Watch what you're doing on this play.' It's really a great opportunity for us to learn and get ahead going into next week [minicamp]." . . . Mayo did not speak with the media during either day of passing camp access. When asked how the rookie was doing, Belichick said, "Good. He has done fine. He has a long way to go but we are plugging along." . . . The Patriots will hold their mandatory minicamp starting a week from today at Gillette Stadium. The camp, which is not open to the public, will feature two days of on-field sessions and then meetings on Sunday.