Hoping to get their kicks

Patriots NOTEBOOK BOLTON - The Patriots' trade of Ellis Hobbs opened up a spot not only at right cornerback but at kickoff returner as well. Two of the candidates to replace Hobbs, who finished second in the NFL in kickoff-return average last season (28.5 yards), are second-year players Matthew Slater and Terrence Wheatley. Slater was drafted last season primarily for his kickoff-return ability, but he averaged just 14.1 yards per return and had a crucial fumble in a loss to Pittsburgh. Yesterday, at the Patriots' charity golf tournament at The International, Slater said he's put all that behind him and has gained new confidence working with new special teams coach Scott O'Brien, who has a history of producing Pro Bowl returners (Eric Metcalf, Jermaine Lewis, Michael Bates, Steve Smith). ``He's definitely told me the stories about those guys, and told me that they struggled at times as well,'' said Slater. ``That definitely makes me feel confident knowing that guys that have had that amount of success have had ups and downs. I know that is what playing in the NFL is about. You got to move on, you got to move past it, and that's what I'm trying to do. Slater also could be aided by the fact that he won't be practicing all three phases of the game this year. Last year he was a wide receiver/safety/special teamer. This year, he's working at safety and on special teams. ``I feel like being able to home in on a position this year is going to be helpful,'' said Slater. Wheatley didn't return any kickoffs for the Patriots during his rookie season, which was truncated by a broken left wrist, but he was the University of Colorado's No. 2 all-time kickoff returner. He has seen work as a kickoff returner this offseason and said he was looking forward to the opportunity. Wheatley said his approach is simple: ``Put your head down, run as fast as you can, and hope no one knocks your head off. ``As soon as you find the hole, you put your head down and run and hope it doesn't close before you get there. It will be pretty fun this year. Hopefully, I get a chance to do it. I'll definitely enjoy it.'' So far so good Patriots owner Robert Kraft said he likes what he has seen from quarterback Tom Brady in organized team activities. ``But in the end, we know it's not what happens now,'' said Kraft, ``it's what happens the Monday night after Labor Day'' in the season opener. Newcomer Fred Taylor also has been impressed by Brady. ``I will say, Tom, he's a winner for a reason,'' said Taylor. ``Sometimes you sit back when you're on the outside and say, `These guys, they're just the lucky ones.' But the intensity, the passion he shows out there in practice, wanting to be perfect on every single throw, every single drop-back. He's a winner for a reason, and he's humble. You don't get that combination quite often. He's a true leader. That might be the most surprising thing of everything.'' No snap decisions Placekicker Stephen Gostkowski said he's still getting used to working with new long snappers Nathan Hodel and Jake Ingram, who are competing to replace Lonie Paxton. ``I think it's going smooth so far,'' said Gostkowski. ``You can't expect too much in minicamps. Once training camps and games get closer, you start seeing a little more. We haven't had too many bumps in the road and they're working hard. It always takes a couple weeks to get the timing down whenever you have a new guy, no matter how good they are. I think Chris [Hanson] has done a good job holding and doing a good job of getting in tune with Nate and Jake. Only time will tell who comes out and does it more consistently.'' Gostkowski said timing is important. ``There is a timing difference, and the closer to a game, you want to work with one guy,'' he said. ``I'm just working on getting my timing down. It's a matter of tenths of seconds, but sometimes when I'm at a certain operation time, I kick better. It's all about timing and getting into a rhythm. Us kickers are weird about doing the same thing every time. That's what we're trying to do. Right now, we're just getting used to each other and feeling each other out.'' People watching Several players who have not been spotted at the OTAs open to the media were at yesterday's golf tournament: defensive ends Ty Warren and Jarvis Green, linebacker Jerod Mayo, safety Brandon Meriweather, running back Sammy Morris, and cornerback Mike Richardson . . . The team will hold its final OTA today before mandatory minicamp starts tomorrow . . . Linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who celebrates his 36th birthday today, won the team's long-drive competition with a 287-yarder. Mike Reiss of the Globe staff contributed to this report.