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Colts sign Pats draft pick Hilliard

The Indianapolis Colts today signed offensive lineman Corey Hilliard to their practice squad.

Hilliard, a sixth-round pick for New England out of Oklahoma State, was cut on the Sept. 1 cutdown date. Reportedly, he was in Foxboro earlier this week for a workout with the team he spent training camp with, but today the Colts signed the tackle to their practice roster.

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Wright added to injury/participation report; R. Johnson out

The Patriots and Bengals have released their injury/participation report for Thursday, and defensive lineman Mike Wright, who was not on yesterday's list for the first time since the regular season began, is back on today.

Also, Tom Brady is listed as "limited participation"; yesterday he was "full participation."

Here's the full list for New England:

Limited Participation
QB Tom Brady - right shoulder
LB Rosevelt Colvin - ankle
CB Randall Gay - thigh
RB Laurence Maroney - groin
G Stephen Neal - shoulder
WR Donte Stallworth - knee
WR Kelley Washington - hamstring
S Eugene Wilson - ankle
NT Vince Wilfork - shoulder
DL Mike Wright - knee
G Billy Yates - shoulder

For the Bengals:

Out
RB Rudi Johnson - hamstring
LB Rashad Jeanty - shin
S Ethan Kilmer - knee
WR Tab Perry - hamstring

Did Not Participate
WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh - knee
OT Willie Anderson - foot
LB Caleb Miller - back

Limited Participation
G Stacy Andrews - shoulder
LB Ahmad Brooks - groin
DE Justin Smith - foot

Full Participation
C Eric Ghiacius - thumb
LB Anthony Schlegel - toe

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Perfect Thursday attendance

Bill Belichick is always striving for consistency with his team, and the Patriots have it in at least one area: practice attendance.

Yet again, every player was on the field for today's session, though it remains to be seen how much each player will participate; for the first three weeks of the regular season, Randy Moss and Kyle Brady have been given reduced workloads on Thursday, and several new players popped up on the list yesterday.

The players were in full pads today.

shalise

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 1:05 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

"Plugging through to Cincinnati"

Hey all --

Bill Belichick's press conference this morning was pretty light, as the coach looked for help from the crowd a couple of times for help with names of some of the Bengals' offensive linemen and said he wouldn't be the one to fire the first shot at receiver Chad Johnson.

Belichick and Johnson traded good-natured barbs last year in advance of the teams' matchup. But Belichick knows Johnson's antics are all done in good fun, which he seems to respect.

As to one of his own receivers, Donte Stallworth, Belichick expressed no disappointment at the numbers he's put up thus far (4 catches, 66 yards, no TDs): "He's working hard; he's doing fine. We're confident that when he gets his chances he'll make plays."

In the locker room, Oscar Lua was spotted, heavily favoring his injured right knee, and there was a Mike Richardson sighting as well.

Randy Moss walked through the room a couple of times, smiling and trading barbs with some of his teammates.

And Vince Wilfork said he hasn't gotten a FedEx envelope yet -- the typical way the NFL delivers notice of a fine -- for his hit on J.P. Losman, but he expressed concern that his good name is being smeared because it's believed that it was an intentional hit on the Bills' quarterback.

Wilfork has reached out to friends of his on the Buffalo squad, and intends on talking to Losman as well: "Of course. It's a player hurt and I had something to do with it."

Somehow, a clip of the play is still up on youtube.com, and it appears that Wilfork was blocked into Losman by Bills' center Melvin Fowler.

shalise

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Ronde Barber: Glad it's not me

Hey all --

Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde Barber, who co-hosts a weekly show on Sirius radio, expressed amazement at the performances being turned in by New England's Randy Moss.

From his comments, he's clearly glad the Bucs don't face the Patriots this season.

“I can’t imagine anybody that I would rather not play against than Randy Moss when he’s interested and he has a great quarterback on his side and he’s throwing him the ball. And that’s what’s happening in New England right now," Barber said. "The guy goes for another 115-yard performance. It’s almost incredible that he toiled in mediocrity in Oakland those two or three years. The guy’s a great player and we seemingly forgot about it."

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 12:07 PM to Randy Moss | Permalink | Comments 0

Kraft added to Nat'l Football Foundation Board

Robert Kraft is one of eight individuals joining the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Board of Directors, joining 36 other members of the board.

Kraft and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones are the two additions with NFL ties.

Here's some info on the NFF from the press release:

Founded in 1947 with leadership and support from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and renowned journalist Grantland Rice, the NFF serves as a leading voice in the promotion of amateur football and its ability to develop the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academic achievement in America's young people.

The NFF programs cover the entire spectrum of amateur football. The College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., one of the nation's premier sports museum, stands as the centerpiece to organization's efforts, showcasing the accomplishments of the 993 legends from all divisions of college football who are immortalized within its walls. The 120 NFF chapters in 47 states reach more than 4,800 high schools and 400,000 football players with more than 315 annual events, including coaching clinics, leadership conferences, college nights, media days, awards banquets, and comprehensive free physicals for high school student-athletes via the TOPS program (Team of Physicians for Students).

Posted by Shalise Manza Young  at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments 0