FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Rookie minicamp: On a day when other first-round draft picks were already participating in rookie minicamp last week, Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez was instead visiting his high school alma mater in The Colony, Texas.
Coach Bill Belichick might be Mr. No Days Off, but his schedule allowed Gonzalez and the team’s other 11 draft picks to have plenty of them before requiring them to report to Gillette Stadium. It was all by design.
“It used to be rookie minicamp would start [right after the draft], so you’d go home for three to four days and come back that Thursday.