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The Patriots' fate hinges on a quarterback and the NFL draft

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. All about QB: Former Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich, who still resides in Massachusetts, has been tuned in to local sports-talk radio over the last week. He's noted how the general fan and media response to the Patriots' moves in the first week of free agency have been negative.

Ninkovich, who has seldom hesitated to criticize his old team in his former role as an ESPN analyst, views it a bit differently.

"I hear people saying they're re-signing all these guys and they were 4-13 last year, so why would they do that?