Patriot News and Moves (from 8/4/09)

Tom Brady believes receiving substantial playing time in preseason games is a must. Thanks to a foot injury, the Patriots quarterback missed all four preseason games in 2008. He wonders if an increased level of preparation would have helped him avoid torn ligaments in his left knee that forced him to sit out virtually all of last season. "It was unfortunate that I wasn't out there last year because hopefully that really could've helped me out in terms of my timing for the first game," Brady said yesterday in an interview on Sirius Satellite Radio's Mad Dog Channel. "You never know if I could've avoided the hit that I took had I been out there to understand the presence in the pocket. So I want to be out there to participate." -- Boston Herald

The Patriots are scheduled to host free agent defensive end Kevin Carter on a visit to Gillette Stadium, according to an NFL source. Carter, 35, has been one of the NFL's most durable players over his 14-year career, never missing a regular-season game. ... Carter could add depth and production on the defensive line, although he has turned down other overtures earlier this year. The Lions had visited with Carter and were interested in signing him. -- Boston Globe

Jeff Zillgitt, of USA Today, reports New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said the team feels like they have a good competition at running back this year. RBs Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk are all in the mix. The Patriots have not had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2004, and so far there it appears they will have a committee approach again in 2009. Belichick said he plans to put the running backs out on the field and let them compete. 'I think we would be able to get production from all of them because that's what they have done in the past,' Belichick said. -- USA Today

Christopher Gasper, from the Boston Globe, reports Kevin O'Connell acknowledged that in his second camp he expects more out of himself and so does the team, but he has been a little inconsistent during the first four days of camp. Belichick said Friday that O'Connell progressed during the offseason. "I think he certainly understands the offense better than he did last year," said Belichick. "He's got to continue to work on the execution. The offense demands a lot of different things and has a lot of different elements to it. Multiple receivers, multiple tight ends, play actions, spread offense - all those kinds of things. I think Kevin's come a long way in terms of being under center, which is something he did very little of in college at San Diego State. Most of the time he was in the shotgun, so some of the things under center are mechanically a lot better than they were last year." -- Boston Globe