New England
Patriots

News: Addai has seen a decent amount of snaps during the Patriots' OTA's, but he's not necessarily a lock to make the team's final roster, the Boston Herald reports.
Impact: We suspect that the Patriots would like to keep a veteran like Addai on hand, though he'd probably need to dazzle the team's coaching staff to leapfrog both Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen, the second-year duo who represent the fantasy upside plays in the team's backfield.

News: Vereen has seen some first-team reps during the Patriots' OTA's, the Boston Herald reports.
Impact: We wouldn't read too much into this, but it is a reminder that Vereen is a player to keep an eye on as the offseason progresses, as he has a chance to carve out an expanded role in the wake of BenJarvus Green-Ellis' departure. The report adds that the Patriots are likely to give their running backs (their backfield also includes Stevan Ridley, Joseph Addai, Danny Woodhead and Brock Bolden) role-specific duties this season, suggesting a fantasy-value draining committee approach could be on tap.

News: McCourty has been playing exclusively at cornerback during Patriots OTAs, ESPNBoston.com reports.
Impact: There was some debate about where McCourty would play in the secondary this season, but that debate seems to have been put to rest. Expect to see him starting at corner along with Kyle Arrington.

News: Jones signed a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth year, the Carroll County Times' Aaron Wilson reports
Impact: Jones has intriguing upside and is a likely starter for the Patriots. He will probably play some sort of an outside linebacker/defensive end hybrid role, and could be an interesting IDP sleeper, especially if he has defensive line eligibility as expected.

News: Welker backtracked from recent comments that he made to the effect that his contract talks with the Patriots had "gotten worse," the Boston Globe reports. "That was probably a bad choice of words saying they've gotten worse," Welker said. "They've stayed the same."
Impact: "I'm franchised for the year and I'm completely happy with that and completely OK with it. I look forward to contributing to the team in 2012," Welker added. "I'm not frustrated whatsoever. I know the words that came out probably seemed that way but I'm not frustrated at all. I'm making five times what I did last year, so there's no frustration here." Moreover, when Welker, who recently signed his $9.5 million with the team ,was asked if he thought that 2012 could be his last season with the Patriots, he said, "No, I don't foresee that happening and I just take it a day at a time." In any case, Welker is currently under contract and his continued health (versus his financial situation) is a far more pertinent issue for his prospective fantasy owners at this time.

News: Dowling has had no setbacks in his recovery from hip surgery, ESPN Boston reports.
Impact: The Pats' upcoming OTAs will be a good gauge to see how far Dowling is in his rehab. If he can stay healthy, the former second-round pick figures to be in the mix at corner for a young Patriots secondary.

News: Welker's recent comments about his negotiations with the Patriots have reportedly not gone over well with the team, the Boston Globe reports.
Impact: Among other things, Welker noted that "there have been talks, but nothing that's brightened anything at all. It's actually gotten worse." In the meantime, Welker recently signed his franchise tag, which will pay him a guaranteed $9.515 million this season. The report suggests that the Patriots' current offer to the wideout is now less than the two-year, $16 million deal the team had proposed last year and goes on to speculate that this could be Welker's last season with the team. We'll take that last bit with a grain of salt, and though he is not the sort of player who needs extra motivation to produce, Welker in playing-for-his-next-contract mode can't hurt fantasy owners.

News: Ebert agreed to a four-year, $2.148 million contract with the Patriots, scout.com reports.
Impact: The Patriots have a slew of wideouts that will be auditioning for a roster spot, ensuring that Ebert will face an uphill battle to break camp with the team.

News: Welker signed his franchise tender with the Patriots on Tuesday, NFL.com reports.
Impact: Signing the tender fully guaranteed Welker's $9.5 million base salary for 2012. Team OTAs begin next week, though Welker isn't required to report to the Patriots facility until the team's first full-squad minicamp in June. Either way, though we assume that Welker is still interested in signing a long-term deal with the Patriots, his contract situation is no longer in danger of impacting his preparations for the 2012 season. The Patriots bolstered their options at wideout this past offseason -- the most notable addition being Brandon Lloyd -- but given his outstanding chemistry with QB Tom Brady, Welker will still be targeted plenty this season.

News: New England has released Hartline.
Impact: Hartline has yet to see the field in the NFL.

News: Welker, who has yet to sign his franchise tender with the Patriots, noted Monday that he won't miss any regular season games, ESPN Boston reports.
Impact: "There are 9.5 million reasons why I wouldn't miss any regular-season games," Welker said Monday, referring to the $9.5 million value of his franchise tag with the Patriots. That said, Welker, who would prefer to work under a long-term deal, still has a bit of leverage in the form of his mandatory minicamp (June 12-14) participation. "I'm thinking I'm probably not going to (attend the camp), but things could change."

News: On Thursday, the Patriots confirmed the signing of Addai.
Impact: Addai is a former first-round draft pick who played six seasons for the Indianapolis Colts. He has gained 4,453 yards on 1,095 carries with 39 rushing touchdowns in his career.

News: The New England Patriots have re-signed receiver Jabar Gaffney.
Impact: Gaffney has played 10 NFL seasons, three of them with the Patriots from 2006-08. In New England, he caught 84 passes for 1,059 yards and eight touchdowns.

News: Light has retired after 11 years in which he played in five Super Bowls, winning three.
Impact: Light is one of five players to have started five Super Bowls. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is one of the others. Brady called Light one of the best teammates he's ever had.