Sports Illustrated’s mock draft is posted, and they have the Patriots taking Wake Forest cornerback Alphonso Smith with the 23rd pick in the 1st round. Smith lacks size at 5′9″ and 190 pounds, but he does have a lot of speed. The question remains whether that speed can make up for the size disadvantage. One thing he does have going for him is that he’s not afraid of contact. He’ll pick up the interceptions when they’re there, but if a wide receiver gets the ball he’s not hesitant to pop him. The Patriots selected 2 cornerbacks in last year’s draft, but they’ll probably be shopping for more.

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Despite several setbacks, including multiple infections, Pats quarterback Tom Brady still believes he will return for the 2009 season. I think the greater question needs to be how well will Brady play after he does return. There are no known examples of quarterbacks with knee injuries as severe as Brady’s coming back to any success. Perhaps it’s time to consider franchising Matt Cassel and preparing him to lead the Patriots offense for a second season.

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Tags: football, knee injury, matt cassel, new england patriots, nfl, patriots, quarterback, tom brady