Chad Jackson may return to the football field sooner than expected.
It seems the ACL he tore in his knee during the AFC Championship Game may not be as severe as it sounds. An orthopedic surgeon quoted in today's Boston Herald says the Patriots wide receiver could....strong emphasis on could...be ready to go by the beginning of training camp in July.
If that prediction proves true, Jackson's presence would only strengthen New England's already improved corps of wideouts.
Another Patriot who hurt a knee against Indy was Kevin Faulk. His injury, not nearly as damaging as Jackson's, appears competely healed. And Faulk tells The Boston Globe today that he's using the loss to the Colts as motivation for 2007.
"Of course, it's in the back of your mind...Maybe that extra rep in the weight room that you don't want to do, you're firing it up."
Faulk also shares his thoughts on the recent changes to New England's running back roster.
On the other side of the ball, the Pats linebackers have seen one new face arrive via free agency (Adalius Thomas) and could see at least one rookie join the squad during April's NFL Draft.
New England has worked out several top prospects recently, as The Providence Journal notes today, and is even scheduling visits to Foxboro with a few of them.
Off the field, some Patriots players are getting pay raises, as detailed in the *Globe. *And where do the Patriots rank among every major sports franchise in terms of fan satisfaction? The results of ESPN.com's survey may surprise you.
