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(After Thursday's organized team activity, ESPNBoston's three Patriots reporters were asked to pick one player they want to see more of in the coming months, and explain why.)

FB SPENCER LARSEN (picked by Field Yates)
Intrigue around Larsen is natural given his versatility -- he once started a game on offense, defense, and special teams as a rookie -- which is a characteristic always appreciated by Bill Belichick. Larsen also has familiarity, as he thrived under new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels during their time together in Denver.

In helmets and sweats it’s difficult to make much of Larsen’s overall skill set, but he displayed more athleticism that I had anticipated, and an adept ability to catch the football. Larsen showed off body control in keeping his base and center of gravity underneath him as a receiver, and has a soft pair of hands to corral the football.

We’ll learn much more about his skill set in further OTA’s and training camp, during which we’ll also come to better understand how McDaniels envisions a fullback being utilized in his offense. Although McDaniels has previously relied on two-back sets (Larsen’s role in Denver is certain evidence of that), it’s no guarantee that the team will keep a fullback, as was the case coming out of training camp in 2011.

In evaluating the Patriots offensive skill players, it’s clear that the team has myriad of experience and talent, which further complicates the process of projecting how individuals fit into the 53-man roster plan. But in seeing Larsen on the field, and having previously seen him during his time in Denver, he projects to be a player that Patriots fans could come to further appreciate for all of his contributions. New England has thrived off of utilizing players in a number of roles in the past, and Larsen has stated his openness to doing what is asked of him. That could open up the possibility that he’s used not only all over the offensive formation, but also as a core special teams player and perhaps even at linebacker.

Re-examining the Patriots offensive skill players, it’s possible that the team could only keep one receiver (Matthew Slater) who is likely to regularly contribute on special teams. That might put a premium on the team to utilize other offensive skills players on special teams, and again Larsen’s value would be highlighted.

In building his roster, Belichick has seemed to approach the process with the mantra in mind of finding, for lack of a better term, football players. He isn’t one to fall in love with a player who can run fast and jump high unless he can make functional use of those tools. Athletes and potential aren’t what he seems to seek.

Larsen won’t earn individual accolades on a consistent basis, but he’s the type of player that appears prepared to do a number of jobs on a consistent basis. A Belichick type of player.

Count him as one to keep an eye on heading into the 2012 season.

TE BRAD HERMAN (picked by Mike Rodak)
Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are certainly the premier tight end duo in the league, but the question pops up from time to time: What would the Patriots do if one, or both of them, are injured?

Over recent seasons, the Patriots have tried to keep the tight end position well-stocked beyond their two young stars. Veteran Alge Crumpler helped eased the two into NFL life, while last season, draft choice Lee Smith and rookie free agent Will Yeatman battled in training camp before both caught on with other teams. And most recently, the Patriots brought on veteran Daniel Fells, who started 15 games for the Broncos last season.

On Thursday, however, Fells was nowhere to be seen, reportedly recovering from an injury. Gronkowski spent the duration of the practice working with the team's training and strength staffs to rehab his left ankle after surgery this offseason. The Patriots converted defensive end Alex Silvestro to tight end for at least the time being, and he saw plenty of reps on Thursday. Otherwise, they were down to Hernandez and rookie Brad Herman.

An undrafted free agent, Herman started only three games last season at Iowa, where he played under former Bill Belichick assistant Kirk Ferentz. He had only eight catches on the season. On Thursday, Herman may have matched that total in practice, taking advantage of his chance to stand out in the absence of Gronkowski and Fells.

When Gronkowski and Fells return, one storyline will be whether Herman is able to continue to earn reps in practice, come minicamp or even training camp. The Patriots always seem to keep at least one undrafted rookie on their 53-man roster each season. With only eight signed this year, could Herman be next in line?

LB BOBBY CARPENTER (picked by Mike Reiss)
Just one player? That's a tough assignment.

Based on what we saw Thursday, my list started with second-year running back Shane Vereen (what can he do if healthy?), veteran center Dan Koppen (fighting for a job after a long run as a starter), second-year offensive lineman Marcus Cannon (if pressed into full-time, is he ready?), receiver Brandon Lloyd (fun to watch a different skill set of any receiver on the roster), second-year cornerback Ras-I Dowling (how does he recover from hip surgery?) and linebacker Bobby Carpenter (where does he fit?).

Since my two ESPNBoston teammates went with offensive players -- and I just cleverly circumvented the rules to initially mention six players instead of just one -- the final choice came down to defense.

We've already had a lot of discussion about Dowling this offseason, so I went with Carpenter, the 2006 first-round draft choice who was easy to spot in warmups because of the long blonde hair coming out of the back of his No. 59 helmet.

Carpenter was later on the field during sub package work, and in an offseason where more resources have been devoted to that aspect of the defense, it made one wonder if Carpenter might be able to carve out a niche as a coverage player. Bill Belichick has noted that more of the game is being played in space, and maybe that's the type of role that brings out the best in the athletic Carpenter, who is now on his fifth NFL team (Cowboys, Dolphins, Rams, Lions, Patriots) in seven years.

If Carpenter makes the team -- he could be competing for a spot against someone like second-year linebacker Jeff Tarpinian -- he would also project to help on special teams.

When the Patriots signed Carpenter to a one-year deal earlier in the offseason, Carpenter told Sirius XM NFL Radio, "If you have a specific talent they’re going to find a way to utilize that."

I'm interested to see how Belichick and his coaching staff do that with Carpenter.

The Patriots have reached a contract agreement with free-agent center/guard Jamey Richard, a source confirms.

The 27-year old Richard played in 48 games (11 starts) in four seasons with the Colts, after being drafted in the seventh round in 2008. ESPNBoston.com's Mike Rodak reported on Wednesday that Richard was one of three offensive linemen that the Patriots had in for a tryout this week.

Richard, who played in college at Buffalo and is considered a longshot for a Patriots roster spot, had some struggles with the shotgun snap with the Colts. The shotgun is a vital part of New England's attack.

The Patriots had Dan Connolly and Dan Koppen working as their top centers in Thursday's organized team activity. At guard, with 2011 starters Logan Mankins (recovering from ACL surgery) and Brian Waters (did not attend voluntary session) not on the field, Robert Gallery (left) and Ryan Wendell (right) lined up next to Connolly with the top group.

It's only May, but of all areas on the roster, the offensive line looks like the spot that currently has the most moving parts, with Bill Belichick tweaking things to account for depth.

The agreement with Richard ties into that line of thinking.

Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe first reported the Patriots' agreement with Richard.

As we previously reported, the Patriots hosted tight end Dallas Clark on a free agent visit.

Clark ultimately passed on joining Joseph Addai among former Colts now in New England, choosing instead to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where a shot at a more substantial offensive role appears likely.

In an interview with ESPN Radio’s Doug Gottlieb (hat tip to Pro Football Talk for mentioning the link), Clark expounded upon his decision to choose the Bucs over both the Patriots and Chiefs.

Specifically, Clark was asked about his visit to the Patriots, to which he offered the following:

“It was really weird. After a few minutes of just kind of getting over that, just focusing on the opportunity and the option to play for the organization then you start really getting excited and geared up,” he said. “What a class act organization and coaches and everyone involved, and the players over there. It’s a special place, that’s for sure, but it just didn’t make sense to go there compared to Tampa.”

In regards to Clark’s closing comment, it’s possible that he’s referring to the fact that the Patriots have both Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez entrenched as primary tight ends, and Daniel Fells now in the fold as a third option.

As is evidenced by the wide receiving group, the Patriots aren’t afraid to stockpile talent and hold a positional competition. Adding Clark to the tight end mix would have brought even more skill and experience to a position where the team is already well stocked.

As Mike Reiss and Mike Rodak noted in their analysis of the deal reached between the Patriots and top draft choice Chandler Jones, the process of signing rookies has become exponentially less difficult under the new collective bargaining agreement (signed in July of 2011).

All deals signed by rookies are now for four years (although first-round picks can sign a contract with a team-option for a fifth year), and the overall value of the deal is largely fixed by the CBA. But one detail that remains up for potentially serious negotiations is the amount of guaranteed value included.

Jones’ deal (as reported by Reiss) includes fully guaranteed money for the first three seasons. In 2015, however, he is due a base salary of $1.5 million, of which only $752,284 (just north of 50 percent) is guaranteed.

Although our sample size under the new CBA is small, it’s already evident that it will be customary for picks selected in the latter third of the first round to not receive full guarantees.

Last year, the player drafted in Jones’ 21st slot, Browns nose tackle Phil Taylor, was the highest-drafted player to not receive a fully guaranteed four-year contract. In fact, he held out briefly from training camp while awaiting the consummation of his contract, as his agent and the team worked to straighten out the details.

The fact that seemingly no such quibble took place between the Patriots and Jones this year is a positive sign.

It also makes the deals yet to be signed by players drafted both ahead and behind Jones (which include Dont’a Hightower’s contract at No. 25) interesting to monitor.

Kendall Wright (No. 20) and Brandon Weeden (No. 22), who sandwiched Jones in the order, have not yet agreed to contracts.

In a story now posted on ESPNBoston.com, Mike Reiss writes on Patriots receiver Brandon Lloyd and how his presence could help fill a void that hurt the offense in its final game of the 2011 season.

The last time the New England Patriots played a game that counted, they most often lined up with receivers Wes Welker and Deion Branch alongside tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

Their opponent in Super Bowl XLVI, the New York Giants, countered with a three-safety package that effectively focused on taking the middle of the field away. The plan was sound because if there is one area that Welker, Branch, Gronkowski and Hernandez threaten most, it's between the numbers -- short to intermediate. The approach also spoke volumes about how the Giants' viewed the Patriots' passing game -- there was no true vertical threat, and there wasn't much to worry about on the outer edges of the field.

Bill Belichick, based on his offseason moves, must have seen the attack's deficiencies the same way.

Welcome, Brandon Lloyd.

As Belichick noted in a recent interview, the hope is that Lloyd helps balance out the team's attack. That balance was on display during Thursday's organized team activity.

To read the piece, CLICK HERE.

In analyzing the straightforward four-year contract (with a team option for a fifth year) signed by Patriots first-round draft choice Chandler Jones, one thought comes to the forefront: If the salary cap stays flat over the next few years, as owners project, the potential value of players in Jones' situation will be that much greater.

The reason is that Jones ' salary cap charge will be between $1.5 million and $2.5 million per year over the course of the deal.

So to land a potential top young defender, and have it count less than 2 percent against the $120 million salary cap, represents great value.

As for the nitty-gritty of Jones' pact, it has a total value of $8.17 million. He gets a $4.38 million signing bonus up front and will earn base salaries of $390,000 in 2012, $761,522 in 2013, $1.13 million in 2014 and $1.5 million in 2015.

The base salaries in the first three years are fully guaranteed. A total of $752,284 is guaranteed in the final year.

But the key aspect of these numbers is the salary-cap charge, and that's why the teams that draft and develop well over the next few years will put themselves in the best economic position to succeed.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Offering some leftover soundbites from Dan Koppen's gathering with reporters on Thursday afternoon:

New IR rule: The NFL will implement an exemption this season allowing players who were injured after the beginning of training camp to return after eight weeks on injured reserve. Koppen missed the entire season last year after suffering a broken leg in the opener, and may have been ready to play by season's end. On whether the rule came one year too late, Koppen said: "Yeah, probably, but it is what it is. Last year there were the rules that there were. Things change in this league, for better and for worse. And you just live by the rules you play by."

Dealing with Light retirement: After nine seasons playing alongside Matt Light, who recently retired, Koppen is rolling with the changes. "I've been in the league a long time and a lot of guys in that locker room have been also. We play with the guys out on the field; whether they retire, go to another team, get hurt, doesn't matter, you have to play with the guys you got and build something around that," he said.

On staying in New England: Koppen stayed on the unrestricted free-agent market for nearly a month this offseason, and took a visit to the Titans before choosing to re-sign in New England. "It's great. I didn't want to go anywhere else. Thank goodness it did work out. It would have been probably more of a pain moving the family and getting that stuff squared away. To be able to play here, hopefully for a little bit more, in my career, it's a good feeling. This is where I want to be. This is what I know. Just excited to play this year," he said. "It's just about coming in and just working hard every day and letting everything grow."

On watching his team play from home last season: "It's tough. It makes you appreciate things a lot more. Especially sitting around watching ... you put everything into the offseason. Just to sit around and watch, it makes you have greater appreciation for your job and being around the guys and going out there and playing for one another. It's good to be back," he said.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Receiver Brandon Lloyd kept his interview with reporters short following Thursday's organized team activity.

If there was one takeaway from this perspective, it was when Lloyd said he's never been a part of a team with as many weapons as the Patriots have. It was easy to see where Lloyd will fit, working the outside parts of the field to help balance out the team's attack.

A few soundbites from Lloyd:

On working with Tom Brady. "It’s good. [He’s] definitely professional; makes the throws, makes the correct reads and delivers the ball. ... He’s good. He’s good from far away and he’s good up close."

On what stands out to him about the Patriots' approach. "The coaching, the way that the message is delivered and the way that the coaches coach and the players all fall in line. It’s been a good experience so far."

On how his transition to the Patriots has been going. "Plugging away. Just getting into our OTAs and understanding the process and the way that the plays are called and run and just the execution of the workouts and the timing and the scheduling. It’s been a change and I’m excited to see how everything works out."

On the dynamics of all the pass-catchers. "It’s everybody, including Wes [Welker] and Gronk [Rob Gronkowski] and the tight ends. Everybody has been communicating and excited. However this pans out, however the lineup falls, it’s going to be a talented group of players."

On how potent the offense could be. "Only time will tell. We still have a lot of work to do. We have a lot of practices ahead of us. We still have a lot of work to do before we can start making any predictions like that."

On how close the Patriots' offense is to what he played in with the Broncos and Rams under Josh McDaniels. "It’s pretty close. Obviously the terminology is mostly the same; [it’s] pretty much the same."

Every Thursday on ESPNBoston.com, there is a Patriots chat in the early afternoon. Today's chat kicked off at 2 p.m. ET, can be recapped here, and included some of the following topics:

1. TE Rob Gronkowski and where he stands in his recovery from offseason ankle surgery.

2. Focusing on the defensive backfield and potential combinations.

3. Can the Patriots keep both Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez when their contracts expire?

4. Projecting Chandler Jones and his role.

5. Thoughts on some of the moving parts on the offensive line.

6. The receiver position and where Chad Ochocinco might fit.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New Patriots running back Joseph Addai owns unique perspective on a trademark AFC rivalry from the past decade, having played his first six seasons with the Indianapolis Colts.

But he’s not interested in drawing comparisons between the two teams’ run of success during the course of his career, or in dissecting the infamous Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning debate.

“I’m a Patriot now. That’s behind me,” Addai told reporters on Thursday afternoon after the team’s third organized team activity of the 2012 offseason.

Addai was added during free agency, and it is believed that his versatility out of the backfield was attractive to head coach Bill Belichick. He has previous experience as a primary ball carrier, pass receiver, and is a highly-regarded pass blocker, all tasks he’s willing to continue in New England.

“Whatever [the] coaches ask me to do, I’m doing. It’s always team first for me. If he wants me to run, catch, block, whatever he wants me to do, I just want to be part of it,” Addai said.

Beyond his roles on the field, Addai may be counted on to mentor the pair of young running backs that the Patriots drafted last season, Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley. That too is a role he’s ready to embrace.

“It’s a team sport, no matter what, you want to help guys, if you’re young or if you’re old. That’s never been a problem for me. At the end of the day this team is about winning,” he said.

It hasn’t taken long for Addai to see the promise in both Vereen and Ridley, who like Addai attended LSU.

“Real, real energized guys. Very motivated, eager to learn, want to do good. [When] you got guys like that, it’s easy to teach. You always want to come in there with the right mindset and help those guys," Addai said.

Part of Addai’s success in New England will likely be dictated by his ability to stay healthy, an issue that has plagued him in recent seasons. He says he feels good now, and that the Patriots medical staff has been critical to preparing him for 2012.

He’s been limited to just 20 games over the past two seasons, but Addai appears intent on looking forward and contributing to his new club rather than reflecting on seasons past. That calls for learning a new offense, but he shrugged off a question about the differences between the system he was a part of in Indianapolis and that which he is in now with New England.

“To me, it’s all about playing ball. I’ve got a great chance to be a part of this ballclub, and do what they do here, and I’m very excited about that,” he said.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When the New England Patriots held their first voluntary organized team activity open to reporters on Thursday, the top offensive line unit had just one carryover, center Dan Connolly, from the group that started Super Bowl XLVI nearly four months earlier.

Ten-year veteran Dan Koppen was relegated to the second team, beginning what will likely be a summer of battling to win back his old starting spot.

“There’s always guys coming in and trying to take your job,” Koppen said after practice. “My approach this year is not going to be any different than last year.”

Connolly, who replaced Koppen after he suffered a broken leg in the team’s opener last season, received a three-year deal this offseason with a $3.25 million signing bonus, while Koppen later re-signed with the team for two years with a $350,000 bonus.

“You just have to go out and compete and work hard, show the coaches that you can be reliable and dependable,” Koppen said. “I still have a lot of tread left on these tires, especially taking last year off.”

The Patriots were also without their two Pro Bowl guards from last season, Logan Mankins and Brian Waters. Flanking Connolly on Thursday were Ryan Wendell and offseason acquisition Robert Gallery.

Mankins is recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee, and he hopes to return in time for training camp. Waters is not in town for the voluntary workouts, and stated earlier in the offseason that he would contemplate retirement.

Tackle Sebastian Vollmer, who missed significant portions of last season with back and ankle injuries but returned for the Super Bowl, was not on the field Thursday. With 2011 first-round pick Nate Solder sliding in for a recently retired Matt Light at left tackle, 2011 fifth-round pick Marcus Cannon took over for Vollmer at right tackle.

With 12 offensive linemen able to practice in T-shirts and shorts on Thursday, the Patriots worked out three veterans at the position on Wednesday, according to a league source.

Tackles Brandon Keith and Stephon Heyer, as well as guard/center Jamey Richard, the three players who tried out, all have starting experience. The Patriots have 89 players on their roster, one shy of the 90-man limit.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Patriots held their third organized team activity of the 2012 offseason on Thursday, and the first in which the media was granted access to view.

The team worked in helmets and grey (defense) and blue (offense) apparel, opting not to wear practice jerseys for the roughly 90 minute session.

A rough overview of the practice schedule is as follows:

10:45 a.m: Stretching and warm-ups as a team.

10:55 a.m.: Continued stretching and warm-ups in individual position groups on offense, while the defense split up into four groups rotating through a variety of drills.

11:00 a.m.: Individual position drills (i.e. quarterbacks throwing, receivers working on sideline catching drills).

11:10 a.m.: The entire offense congregated to walk through a number of plays, with reserve players serving as a scout team front seven. Defensively, the defensive line and linebackers teamed up to work on a drill to simulate inside runs on a far field. The secondary focused on route concepts, with cornerbacks and safeties operating as show-team receivers.

11:25 a.m.: Special teams period, working on the punt unit.

11:32 a.m.: The offensive skill players ran routes; the offensive line worked separately on fundamentals; the defensive back seven worked on more route concepts; and the defensive line worked position-specific drills separately.

11:40 a.m.: 7 on 7. The offense worked against the defense for roughly 10 passing game repetitions, while the lines stayed separate and worked with their respective coaches.

11:48 a.m.: Special teams period, working on the punt unit again.

11:54 a.m.: The offensive skill players worked passing routes without defenders, while the defense worked on more route concepts. Each line worked separately with its coaches.

12 p.m.: More 7 on 7, for roughly 12 passing-game repetitions. Each line worked separately with its coaches.

12:10 p.m.: Team period. The offense faced off against the defense to wrap up the media access portion of the practice.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- An assortment of photos from Thursday's Patriots organized team activity:

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Offering a handful of practice observations from Thursday's organized team activity:

* Based on the alignments of the practice fields, the media was located adjacent to the field where the offense was primarily working. We were quickly reminded of the presence new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels brings. He maximizes coaching opportunities with a hands-on approach to teaching.

* The player McDaniels will likely work most closely with is quarterback Tom Brady, who demonstrated his commitment to leadership by taking a vocal role on the offensive field. No opportunity to improve and compete is lost on Brady.

* Due to the sheer volume of players, the team was able to work through a number of drills that are less achievable during the regular season, when roughly 30 less players are involved.

* The team focused sharply on the passing game (on both sides of the football) throughout the practice session. This shouldn’t be construed as a sign that the offense will favor throwing the football next season, and that the defense expects to face pass-heavy offenses in 2012 (although both of those were largely true in 2011), but rather a contextual reality. Without pads, it’s more difficult to work on the running game.

* Another factor to consider with the passing game emphasis is the importance of repetitions and rapport between quarterbacks and receivers. When the regular season rolls around, coaches are likely to be less inclined to focus in on the details of basic routes. The footwork and timing involved with those routes can be developed in part during OTAs, as well as training camp. It would come as little surprise to see the Patriots continue to focus on the passing game in the forthcoming OTA sessions that the media will be able to attend.

* We knew coming into to today that wide receiver was a position worth noting, and seeing the group work together further confirmed that. There’s talent, experience, and a number of competitive players that should make this a fun position battle to watch.

* The same could be said for the defensive front seven, where the team appears to have more versatility than in recent seasons. Players like Dont'a Hightower, Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones and others all project to play with either a hand in the dirt or standing up.

* A couple of player evaluation notes, without trying to assert too much after only seeing the players for 90 minutes: Newcomer receiver Brandon Lloyd isn’t the biggest or fastest player, but has been a potent deep threat. Two factors that might contribute to that were on display Thursday: his efficient footwork (he didn’t take many false steps) and ability to catch the front portion of the football. Fellow newcomer Spencer Larsen (more on him to come later) seems to fit the mold of an all-around player, and was impressive in keeping his base beneath himself in route-running drills.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Cleaning out another notebook from Thursday's practice:

Sub work on defense. The 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods saw a heavy dose of sub packages on defense. It's always dangerous to read too much into these groupings at this point in the offseason, but 33-year old cornerback Will Allen lined up with the 'top' group of cornerbacks in the sub packages, not 2011 second-round pick Ras-I Dowling.

At linebacker, Dane Fletcher appeared to step in for Brandon Spikes, with Bobby Carpenter also seeing a number of reps throughout the practice. First-round pick Dont'a Hightower saw extensive action, mostly playing off the line of scrimmage, although at one point in 11-on-11 work he came in on an edge blitz.

Eye on punt unit. The special teams periods of Thursday's session focused on the punt unit. Julian Edelman and Wes Welker, who have been the team's top returners in recent seasons, were back to return punts on Thursday. They were joined by Deion Branch, who last returned a punt for the Patriots in 2004.

Safeties Patrick Chung and Steve Gregory switched off as personal protectors for punter Zoltan Mesko, while newcomer Marquice Cole saw time at gunner in a unit that included returnees Malcolm Williams, Ross Ventrone, Josh Barrett, Sterling Moore, and Sergio Brown.

Looking at coaching assistants. Steve Belichick, who was hired as a coaching assistant this offseason, was on the field for the practice. Also spotted was Chris Simms, who reports have linked to the Patriots in a scouting or coaching assistant role. No title for the former NFL quarterback has been announced. Scouting assistant Steve Cargile, who also appeared to assist the coaching staff last season, was also present and assisted in drills.