f Schaubs in Houston during his highest and l

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots stocked up on top free agent cornerbacks. Now its time to make their job easier by adding a young pass rusher. They hope to find one in the NFL draft starting Thursday night. "Theres a deep group of defensive linemen that are different types of players," Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio said. Chandler Jones led the team with 11 1-2 sacks last season, but only two teammates had more than three. Outstanding pass rushers who could be available with the Patriots 29th pick are defensive ends Dee Ford of Auburn and Kony Ealy of Missouri. This weeks signing of defensive end Will Smith after 10 years with New Orleans could help fill that need, although hell be 33 in July, missed all last season with a torn ACL and averaged just six sacks in his previous three seasons. In their 26-16 loss to Denver in the AFC championship game, the Patriots allowed Peyton Manning to throw for 400 yards without a sack. In the off-season, they signed cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner while losing Aqib Talib to Denver. Browner gives the Patriots a physical presence, although he must sit out the first four games after being suspended for violating the NFLs substance abuse policy. "Those guys have played a lot of good football," Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. "Every year you have new guys that have to learn the defence. Youve got to start working together." Five other things to look for when the Patriots draft: NEEDY POSITIONS: Tight end, a strength of the team from 2010-12, was a weakness last season after Aaron Hernandez was charged with first-degree murder and Rob Gronkowski was injured and sidelined for nine games. Gronkowski may not be ready for the start of the season as he recovers from knee surgery. So the Patriots could draft Jace Amaro of Texas Tech. They need depth at running back after LeGarrette Blount signed with Pittsburgh. That left them with just Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen and Brandon Bolden. CHARACTER ISSUES: This draft is the first since Hernandez was arrested last June and pleaded not guilty to murder. Afterward, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the organization would review its procedures for evaluating players. In 2012, cornerback Alfonzo Dennard slipped to the seventh round after an outstanding career in Nebraska. He started nine of his 13 games last season with the Patriots, then spent 35 days in jail after pleading no contest to driving under the influence, a violation of his probation for punching a police officer shortly before the 2012 draft. He was released from jail April 4. "You look at the entire body of work when you create the profile on a player," Caserio said. "If we dont feel comfortable, then we move on to the next player." BACKING UP BRADY: Tom Brady says he wants to play into his 40s. Hell be 37 in August and his successor could emerge from this years draft. Brady was taken in the sixth round, so the Patriots feel they dont have to choose a quarterback early. They took current backup Ryan Mallett in the third round in 2011, but hes thrown just four passes, all in 2012. So would the Patriots focus on drafting Bradys successor? "I would say were focused on improving our football team in whatever capacity we can do. Well always consider that," Caserio said. CATCHING UP: The Patriots moved to bolster their weak wide receiving corps by drafting Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce last year and signing free agent Kenbrell Thompkins. Dobson had 37 receptions, Thompkins had 32 and Boyce had nine. Then they signed free agent Brandon LaFell, who had a career-high 49 catches for Carolina last year. But with only Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola catching more than 37 passes at wide receiver, the Patriots might draft one. "You dont want to pass on a player just because he has a position where there might be numbers or volume," Caserio said. LETS MAKE A DEAL: The Patriots have eight picks in seven rounds and could package some in trades. Last year they sent their first-round choice to Minnesota for picks they used to take linebacker Jamie Collins in the second round, cornerback Logan Ryan in the third and Boyce in the fourth. Collins and Ryan had solid rookie seasons. They also obtained a seventh-round pick in the deal, then traded it to Tampa Bay for Blount. Clark Gillies Jersey .During the week, McCoy told reporters he respected Hoyer for his intelligence, athleticism and how he conducts himself on and off the field. This wasnt an act, some attempt at psyching out Hoyer. Adam Pelech Jersey . Sixteen teams have moved on. Sixteen teams have gone home. http://www.cheapislandersjerseys.com/?ta...mayfield-jersey. At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. Nick Leddy Jersey . Starters, when they struggle, have to live with it for five days. For Sergio Santos and Steve Delabar, two of the three men who authored one of the ugliest pitched innings in Blue Jays franchise history on Thursday night, the bounce-back chance came right away. Shane Prince Jersey . -- The San Francisco 49ers have re-signed cornerback Perrish Cox to a one-year contract.NAPA, Calif. -- The anointed starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders is strengthening his hold on the position this training camp instead of losing it. Matt Schaub is showing signs that last years disastrous season in Houston might have been an aberration as he looks in complete command as Oaklands starter. The performance comes in stark contrast to what happened with Matt Flynn last summer. Acquired to be the starter in the off-season, Flynn lacked the necessary arm strength in training camp and ultimately lost his job to Terrelle Pryor before getting cut early in the season. Despite the presence of big-armed rookie Derek Carr, Schaub is showing no signs of giving up the starting position with the Raiders. "Schaubys getting his mojo back," said defensive tackle Antonio Smith, who was a teammate of Schaubs in Houston during his highest and lowest moments as a pro. "Hes getting his confidence back. Hes starting to believe in himself again. "Hes starting to throw with confidence. Those are things you need to be a successful quarterback. You would be surprised just much a mindset is important in this game. ... The moment you are doubting yourself is the moment you start throwing a lot of interceptions and stuff." Thats exactly what happened to Schaub last season with the Texans when he set an NFL record by having an interception returned for a touchdown in four straight games. Schaub threw 14 interceptions in all while losing the starting job to Case Keenum and posting a 73 passer rating that was his lowest in seven seasons as a starter. After starting the season with back-to-back wins, the Texans lost their final 14 games and traded Schaub to the Raiders for a sixth-round draft pick in March. "It was like a snowball effect," Smith said. "A lot of things went wrong early on even though you felt you were playing some good ball. But yyou had key things happen to you in key moments.dddddddddddd Lost a few games, then everybody starting to panic trying to find something wrong. And then things just get all out of whack." Schaub has put 2013 in the past and is focusing instead on reviving his career in Oakland where he is enjoying the opportunity to learn a new offence under co-ordinator Greg Olson after spending seven years running Gary Kubiaks system in Houston. While Schaub lacks the true No. 1 receiver he had in Houston all those years with Andre Johnson, he is excited to work with Oaklands group that includes James Jones, Rod Streater, Denarius Moore and Andre Holmes. "Were still trying to mould what our offence is going to be and what each guys role in it will be," Schaub said. "Well find out what guys do well. What things work, what things we like to do against certain looks and defences. ... Its an exciting chance to get going with this football team and this organization and climb that mountain." Schaub had success during his tenure in Houston, making a pair of Pro Bowls during his seven seasons as a starter. In 2009, he led the NFL in yards passing (4,770), completions (396) and attempts (583) and was fifth in touchdown passes (29). In 2012, he threw for 4,008 yards with 22 touchdowns and 12 interceptions to help Houston to its second straight AFC South title. The Raiders believe he can put up those kinds of numbers again and that he can be a top 10 quarterback in the NFL. "I think hes in a good frame of mind," coach Dennis Allen said. "I think hes very hungry. I think hes excited about the new opportunity. I think anytime you go into something new theres a little bit of, maybe its an increased focus, an increased intensity level, because it is new. You kind of force yourself out of your comfort zone a little bit. I think hes done that." ' ' '