FOXBOROUGH --- The Patriots opened their locker room to the media today and the subjects were quite varied, from the depth at running back and wide receiver, to the upcoming trip to London. Here's some excerpted comments from various players.

SS BRANDON MERIWEATHER:: (Did Bill Belichick tell the team to stay away from certain areas in London?) Yeah and no. He didn't say what the area was, but he did say there were certain parts that we would like to stay away from. (How many stamps do you have on your passport?) I've got one from Antigua, Bahamas, Jamaica and Barbados. (So you hit all the hot spots?) Yeah, I try to hit all the islands. (So this will be the first time you collect a stamp from cold-weather European country?) Yes it is. I try to stay away from them, because I'm up here all the time [in frigid Foxborough].

WR TERRENCE NUNN: (Seems like there will be an opportunity for a practice squad guy to move up?) I just know that I've just got to go out there and keep working hard. I just got to go out there every day and just know what to do when the opportunity comes upon me. Just know the plays and just know, whenever I get the chance to get out there, to know what I'm doing. (What kind of feedback did you get from the preseason?) Just that I've progressed and that if I go out there and keep working hard and they gave me an opportunity to be on the practice squad and one day come up big for the team. (Have you been told you'll be traveling to London?) I don't know about that yet. It's a question you have to ask Bill about. (Given the situation at wide receiver, with the release of Joey Galloway and now the injury to Julian Edelman, did that make you take note of your situation and say, `This could be a big week for me?' ) Well, it could be. It could be. I've just got to keep preparing like I have been every week and when the opportunity presents itself to be ready to go. (How do you feel about your game?) It's progressed. There's a lot I still need to work on, but I feel like it's progressed. I just got to keep learning from Randy [Moss], Wes [Welker], and Sam [Aiken] and different people like that. (When you landed on the practice squad, what emotions did you have?) I was actually very excited from not being anywhere a year ago to just having the opportunity and felt like it was a blessing that Coach Belichick gave me to still be on the team. ( Do you feel as ready to play, or more ready to play now than you were in Week 1?) I think I feel like I'm a little more ready, because I've been studying harder and me and Tom [Brady] have been talking and me and Randy have talked about different things and I've got to be prepared and ready to go. (How much do you feel your game has been elevated being around guys like Brady and Moss?) Oh, I'd have to say a lot because they help me with so many different things. It's probably elevated a little more since my college days. (How many stamps in your passport?) ) I think I've got two of them; Mexico is one, but I don't remember the other. (Have you ever been to England?) No, it' going to be new to me; I've never been that far.

RB KEVIN FAULK: (With receiving depth down? Is it on the tight ends or running backs to pick up the slack?) It's on everybody. At the same time, you can say that those guys are gone, but it is _ it's on everybody, because you never know who's going to be in that position, who's going to be in that role.

(Thoughts on trip to London?) Well coaches tried to make it as normal as possible by leaving on Thursday, but at the same time we're going to get some distractions when we get there, so we're tyring to get a lot of our stuff done before we get there. At the same time, it's a business trip for us. We've got to go out there and win a football game.

(Looking at the loss of Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor, was it better in hindsight that the team carried five instead of four running backs?) Well, if you look at it the previous years, it's been the same thing every year. Running backs get hit every play. It's about us taking care of our bodies, but at the same time it's a brutal sport so you can never know what can happen. Sammy went down. Fred went down. Now it's up to me, Laurence [Maroney] and Benny [Green-Ellis] to carry the load until one of those guys can get back.

(Tough to lose a guy like Edelman? Is he still a weapon?) Of course, he's still a weapon and you know when he comes back he'll still be a weapon. But at the same time, no disrespect to Julian, but there's an opportunity for another guy to come in and step up and make plays for us.

(Since the British are not known for their cuisine, are you concerned about the food there?) I don't think that's a problem that we're worried about right now. I think the most important thing for us is to win the football game and not to worry about the food. Right now we're letting our nutrionist guy handle everything; our job is football.

LB ERIC ALEXANDER: (On what it's meant to get cut and then re-sign a guaranteed one-year, $650,000 contract with the Patriots Tuesday?) I don't know, it's no different than how it was yesterday. I guess it's good because it's a guaranteed contract _ guaranteed for one year _ and a little raise. (What does that signify to you? That the team will want to keep you on for more than just a year?) You never know. I mean they do some weird and unorthodox things around here, so I mean, I could say yeah that's their intention, but you never know. (Belichick said you were never released on Monday, but they did release you Tuesday so that they could sign you, correct?) Yes. (Did the team inform you of this procedural matter?) I had a general idea of what was going on.