FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Patriots looking for Deion Branch-type pick: If the Patriots could pull off what they did in 2002, when they drafted receiver Deion Branch at the end of the second round, it would help answer one of their biggest questions.
Branch is one of the few rookie receivers who made an immediate impact in his first season (43 catches, 489 yards, 2 TDs), as he is No. 1 on the short list of early-round receivers the Patriots have decisively hit on in Bill Belichick's 19-year tenure as head coach.