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September 28, 2006

Thursday things

Hey all --

Just in from the locker room and have a bit of time before heading out to the practice field.

There were a few light moments today as both Rodney Harrison and Bill Belichick shot back at Bengals receiver Chad Johnson, who was talking trash Wednesday in his conference call with the Pats media.

But both Belichick and Harrison knew it was all good-natured and treated it as such.

"Tell him we'd cover him one-on-one all the time but he pushes off more than any receiver in the league and he must be paying off the officials not to call it, so we'll have to cover him some, not that he can get open, but as much as he pushes off then we have to do something to protect ourselves," Belichick joked, drawing big laughs from those in the media workroom.

"He's a great guy, an entertaining kid. That's just Chad."

Belichick said he spent time with Johnson in the offseason, running into him a few times in Los Angeles.

As for Harrison -- Johnson said he'd knock the hard-hitting safety's helmet off but also said Harrison has become an advisor over the last couple of years -- he said it's a lot easier to take ribbing from Johnson than from former Eagles receiver Freddie Mitchell, who called out Harrison before Super Bowl XXXIX.

"This is similar to the Freddie Mitchell thing, but Chad's not as good a receiver," Harrison quipped, not missing the opportunity to get in a dig on Mitchell, a former first-round draft choice five years ago who is not even in football right now. "Chad is a baller, Freddie is not. Freddie is a bum."

As for Johnson's contention that he'll knock Harrison's helmet off: "That guy couldn't knock a mosquito's helmet off. I tell you what, if he takes my helmet off, I guarantee I'll retire."

Randall Gay, jettisoned to injured reserve yesterday, was walking around the locker room, as was Mel Mitchell, the safety who was placed on IR early in training camp and hasn't been seen since.

Corey Dillon was in good spirits, as he came into the locker room with a small plate of brownies tucked under his shirt. He giddily revealed them when asked what he was hiding.

We're off to practice on yet another lovely day. I wish it was like this all the time. I can't stand winter...

shalise

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 11:56 AM | Permalink