-- The New England Patriots signed free agent offensive lineman Pete McMahon
on Sunday. Terms of the deal were not available. McMahon was assigned No. 64.
The 6-foot-8, 330-pound Iowa roduct was originally selected by the Oakland Raiders
in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL. He has not appeared in any NFL games.
-- Offensive lineman Lavdrim Bauta was released by the team, again on Sunday.
The Patriots needed to clear space to sign offensive lineman Pete McMahon.
--Running back LaMont Jordan signed with the Patriots Saturday, one day after
getting released by Oakland. The former Jet and Raider averaged 3.8 yards a
carry over 12 games last season in the Bay Area and became expendable in a backfield
that added first-round pick Darren McFadden. Jordan adds depth to a New England
backfield that already includes returning veteran backs Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk and Heath Evans.
To make room for Jordan on the roster, the team released first-year receiver
Robert Ortiz.
--Running back Laurence Maroney has gotten plenty of reps running and catching
the ball through the first couple days of training camp. The work for the healthy
potential workhorse back comes on the heels of a very strong close to the 2007
season that included four 100-yard efforts and a total of seven touchdowns over
his final six regular-season and playoff games.
Is Maroney -- who set a two-year career high with 835 yards in 14 games last
fall -- expecting a breakout 2008 season?
"Are you?" the confidence ball carrier fired back quickly when posed
that very question. When a reported responded in the affirmative, the former
first-round pick agreed.
"Me too," he said with his usual coy smile.
--Quarterback Tom Brady took exception to Adalius Thomas knocking down one
of his passes during a team, hurry-up drill on the second day of camp. After
the ball fell to the turf, Brady charged at Thomas and head-butted the outside
linebacker.
Thomas walked away from the reigning NFL MVP without further incident, but jokingly
offered after the workout that there was more to come when both players got
to the Gillette Stadium locker room.
"Yeah, he gave me a little head butt," Thomas said. "We are
going to wrestle when we get in the locker room. We're going to lock up. And
whoever loses, must leave tomorrow, must go home. So the loser, if Tom's not
here tomorrow then you know that he lost.
"Old-fashioned retirement match. He'll have a press conference tomorrow
at 12. All you guys are welcome to come. And if I have a press conference, you'll
know that I lost."
And how did Thomas plan on finishing off his opponent in this battle for it
all?
"I may do the Macho Man Randy Savage, the elbow," Thomas said, clearly
enjoying the topic. "I'll drop him down one time. Get him down. If both
of us come out tomorrow, then Bill stepped in between us. That's the predicament
of it."
--Wide receiver Chad Jackson is being given the opportunity to win the job
on the outside opposite Randy Moss, the one vacated by Donte' Stallworth's free
agent departure to Cleveland. So far in camp, the third-year former second-round
pick has been up-and-down in practice action. But Bill Belichick still sees
the things he liked when he drafted Jackson, prior to hamstring and knee injuries
limiting his first two seasons in the league.
"Chad is a terrific athlete," Belichick said. "He has worked
very hard even though he has had a few tough setbacks. Particularly, coming
back after the knee injury that he had at the end of his first season so he
didn't have a good offseason to come into his second year. He has had a great
offseason this year. He has worked very hard. His receiving skills have improved.
He understands the offense obviously a lot better and he is still a very talented
physical athlete who's continued to work hard in that area too. I think that
he is off to a good start based on the spring and in training camp. I am excited
to see him out there."
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