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Chris Long's father, Raiders Hall of Famer Howie, hails from New England.

Now, the younger Long is enjoying his initial time as a Patriot as he prepares for what he hopes will be a bounceback first season in Foxborough.

On the same day that New England's 2016 preseason schedule was anounced, Long had in introductory conference call with the New England media.

The Boston Globe says Long is “just excited to be a piece of the puzzle.”

The Boston Herald notes that Long hopes to make his first trip to the postseason with the Patriots in 2016.

The Providence Journal describes Long landing in New England as a “fresh start” for the former No. 2 overall pick. The ProJo notes the preseason schedule.

ESPNBoston.com has quotes from Bill Belichick as part of the keynote address at the 2016 Salesforce World Tour event on Thursday. In the remarks the New England sideline boss apparently said that Tom Brady is “the greatest quarterback of all time.” He also talked about being a part of the very special Boston sports landscape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mHbP7MQApQ&feature=youtu.be&t=3m30s

ESPN looks at what type of player the Patriots added with the signing of defensive lineman Markus Kuhn on Thursday. Kuhn becomes the team’s second German-born player. The site also notes that Nate Ebner joined the U.S. rugby 7s team for its play in Honk Kong, a late addition to the squad as he pursues a spot on the Olympic team for Rio this summer.

WEEI.com also highlights Belichick’s comments during the offseason speaking engagement.

CSNNE.com says it was a tough run for Long with the Rams. Fresh starts are the story of the offseason, with CSNNE.com passing along former Patriots running back Stevan Ridley looking for one with the Lions. CSNNE.com has a pre-draft positional breakdown at running back (annoying slideshow warning!).

NFL.com calls it a Big Apple Shocker that Jets left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson has decided to retire. NFL.com also says the Patriots and Steelers are the top heavyweight contenders in the AFC at this point. The site says Randy Moss was the best No. 21 pick in draft history, besting a couple Patriots selections for the honor in Vince Wilfork and Chandler Jones.

ProFootballTalk.com writes about former Patriots receiver Brian Tyms and Josh Boyce signing with the Colts.