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Beason gets look
The Patriots are scheduled to put University of Miami linebacker Jon Beason through a private workout today in South Florida.
Beason, a projected first-round pick, is considered one of the most athletic linebackers in the NFL Draft.
At 6-feet, 236 pounds, he is not as big as Mississippi's Patrick Willis and Michigan's David Harris, who are considered traditional "mike" linebackers for a 3-4 defense. A team captain at Miami, Beason spoke last month at the NFL Combine about the possibility of playing in a 3-4.
“I think it would be a challenge, because at UM we run a 4-3. I talked to some scouts and coaches and they see me as a 'mike', an inside backer in a 3-4," he said. "I don’t think it would be that different. It’s still a two-gap responsibility, so it’s a lot like what I do at 'will'.”
Beason is represented by Marty Magid of MRM Sports & Entertainment, LLC, which is based in Conshohocken, Pa.
WELKER DEAL IN FOCUS: The NFL Players Association is asking for a review of the trade in which the Dolphins sent Wes Welker to the Patriots for second- and seventh-round draft choices, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The article states that the Players Association has concerns that the collective bargaining agreement might have been violated.
CAP CHECK: After accounting for the salary cap space to sign draft picks, the Patriots have approximately $4 million of space at this time (this figure includes CB Asante Samuel). That should mean that the team's free-agent activity will slow down considerably, as teams generally like to leave space for emergency signings during the season. The Patriots could always restructure an existing contract to create space, if necessary, but the preference would most often be to avoid that course of action.
