Alfonzo Dennard, cornerback from Nebraska and seventh-round draft pick of the Patriots, has reportedly signed a four-year contract with the team. That would mean three of the Patriots' seven picks are in the fold even before the first OTA of the year, following defensive back Tavon Wilson and receiver Jeremy Ebert.

Dennard, of course, was the fellow who took a poke at a cop during a bar fight in Lincoln, Neb., five days before the draft, plummeting like a stone from his projected…

Seventh-round draft selection Jeremy Ebert, the wide receiver from Northwestern, became the latest of the Patriots’ seven choices to sign on the dotted line when he agreed to a contract on Thursday.

Terms were not announced.

Ebert joins second-round pick Tavon Wilson, defensive back from Illinois, as having signed their rookie contracts.

The 235th overall selection, Ebert started 30 of 52 games played at Northwestern, finishing his college career with 173 catches for…

Wes Welker has apparently signed his franchise-player tender, ending the possibility of a contentious holdout later this offseason.

The Patriots’ veteran slot receiver announced his intentions to sign the one-year offer of $9.5 million at midday today on his Twitter account, saying, “I signed my…

The Patriots took an unusual tack to making rookie players available to the media during this past weekend's orientation minicamp. Instead of letting us grab players as they were finishing practice or letting reporters into the locker room to interview them there, the team made only six players available on each of the two days for a total of 12.

This prevented access to those not brought into the media workroom, and there was one notable absence -- Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo…

At 5:30 a.m.

I OWN THE ROAD

aside from a few curious rabbits

it's just me and the wind

I'm streaking by houses

still in slumber

and cars

whose stone cold engine blocks sit idle

beneath dew covered hoods

the air…

The proposal for statewide football playoffs was approved by a 10-4 vote of the MIAA's Tournament Management Committee today in Franklin. The next step in the process will be consideration by the MIAA Board of Directors at its June 7 meeting. If things follow normal procedures, an affirmative vote will earmark it for implementation in 2013.

This is a very complicated proposal and a radical departure from how football is presently conducted. Here are the highlights of the…

Fenway Park public address announcer Carl Beane, 59, died of a massive heart attack while driving in Sturbridge today. An early report about the accident can be found at this link.

I've known Carl for many years. He was a radio reporter for WBZ for many years before getting the chance to take over the Fenway job in 2003, and he still did free-lance work in radio and…

Patriots' owner Robert Kraft and gaming magnate Steve Wynn have both issued statements announcing that they will suspend their plans to build a resort casino across from Gillette Stadium.

The results of Monday's town election, in which anti-casino candidates Lorraine Brue and Ginny Coppola were elected by wide margins to the Board of Selectmen, were apparently enough to convince Kraft and Wynn that there would be insurmountable obstacles to overcome if they continued the efforts to…

Here are a few notes and quotes from the particulars involved in the Matt Light retirement ceremony Monday at The Hall at Patriot Place:

Matt Light

On New England as home and its support for the Light Foundation: “This has been my…

The Patriots will have a press conference Monday inside The Hall at Patriot Place to officially mark the retirement of veteran left tackle Matt Light. Paying customers that are inside the Hall at the time will be welcome to watch, according to a press release by the Patriots.

Since Light's press…

The Los Angeles Times reports today that the family of Junior Seau has agreed to allow his brain to be studied by scientists to see if repeated contact over 20 years of pro football played a role in putting Seau in a depressive state and precipitating his suicide.

Although the researchers have not been chosen yet, it could be done at Boston University, where similar studies were done on the brain of former Chicago Bears' safety Dave Duerson, who also committed suicide.

Here's a…

Patriots' owner Robert Kraft has had more than his share of emotional strain in the past year, and the apparent suicide of former Patriots' linebacker Junior Seau brought those feeling of loss back to the surface on Thursday.

The team's patriarch spoke to reporters for three minutes inside the Gillette…

The Patriots have released a statement from owner Robert Kraft, containing his recollections of linebacker Junior Seau, who died Tuesday of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in Oceanside, Calif.

I will also have an appreciation column in Thursday's print and online editions of The Sun Chronicle.

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Reflections on Junior Seau from Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft

“Every day, Junior Seau greeted…

The Patriots issued this statement following announcement of the death of Junior Seau, 43, who played for them from 2006-09:

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PATRIOTS SADDENED TO LEARN OF DEATH OF FORMER LB JUNIOR SEAU

FOXBORO – The New England Patriots are terribly saddened to learn of the loss of Junior Seau, who early today was confirmed dead in Oceanside, Calif. Seau, who was 43 years old, played…

The reports are coming in rapidly, and a clearer picture is starting to form. Sadly, it appears that former NFL linebacker Junior Seau has committed suicide at his Oceanside, Calif., home. The mayor of Oceanside issued a statement, quoted by USA Today, that he had been informed by the police chief of Seau's death -- a…

Sean McInnis, who coached the King Philip Regional High boys' basketball team to the highest level of achievement in its history, has taken over the school's girls' basketball program, KP Athletic Director Steve Schairer confirmed this morning.

McInnis spent several years as the Weston High girls' basketball coach before taking over the boys' job at KP. He spent four seasons as the Warriors' coach and posted a 42-46 record, 18-4 last year and 17-9 in 2010-11, when the Warriors played…

According to the Boston Herald, Nick Schwieger of Dartmouth, via Bishop Feehan High, has signed as an undrafted free agent with the St. Louis Rams.

The 5-foot-10, 210-pound senior running back rushed for 1,310 yards and 10 touchdowns on 241 carries this past season. He also caught 23 passes for 119 yards. His career totals of 3,150 rushing yards and 4,115 all-purpose yards are tops in school history, while the 26 rushing touchdowns is second.

Schwieger flew under the radar…

Jeremy Ebert

POSITION: Wide receiver

COLLEGE: Northwestern

CHOSEN: Seventh round, 235th overall.

VITALS: 5-10, 194; 4.41 in the 40.

STRENGTHS: Solidly built and durable. Led Wildcats in receiving two straight years with 137 catches, 2,013 yards and 19 TD total. Catches the ones he should. Good field awareness. Special teams-capable. Solid character.

WEAKNESSES: Short arms. Needs to get stronger. Struggles to separate in man coverage. Average…