Patriots Blog: The New Guys
FOXBORO (CBS) - There are a lot of new faces on this New England Patriots team, and it's still evolving.
The Patriots said good-bye to a lot of familiar faces in camp, Brandon Meriweather, James Sanders and Gerard Warren, just to name a few. But they've also added a lot of new guys to the mix.
Here are all the new Patriots players so far for 2011.
On The Offense
QB Ryan Mallett- #15
RB Stevan Ridley- #22
RB Shane Vereen- #34
WR Chad Ochocinco- #85
TE Dan Gronkowski- #82
OL Brian Waters- #54
OL Nate Solder- #77
On The Defense
CB Antwaun Molden- #27
CB Ras-I Dowling- #21
S James Ihedigbo- #44
LB A.J. Edds- #90
LB Jeff Tarpinian- #53
DL Albert Haynesworth- #92
DE Andre Carter-#93
DE Shaun Ellis- #94
DE Mark Anderson- #95
On Special Teams
LS Danny Aiken- #48
Make sure you keep a roster handy because knowing the numbers is a huge challenge.
Expect to see guys like Haynesworth, Ellis, and Carter wreak some havoc on the defense, with a little Dowling sprinkled in if Bill Belichick thinks he is ready.
Read: Haynesworth Says It's Time To Wake "Sleeping Giant"
On offense, first round pick Nate Solder may get his first taste on Monday night, if Sebastian Vollmer can't go. The rookie may find himself in at right tackle, which would be interesting to see. The two rookie backs should also make some noise this season, but it will likely be very sporadic depending on the health and performances of BenJarvis Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead.
Read: Levan Reid's Patriots Blog
Then there is Chad Ochocinco. He has had some difficulty catching on to the system, but things should work themselves out as the season progresses.
And just to avoid any confusion, with Ocho taking #85, tight end Aaron Hernandez is now #81, not to be confused with another 81.
Tune in to the Patriots season opener at 7pm Monday night on 98.5 The Sports Hub with pregame coverage beginning at 4pm. After the game, tune in to the Postgame show on 98.5, and to Patriots Fifth Quarter on TV38.
