The Patriots held their last public-access training camp session today, and were able to get it in before a strong thunderstorm and accompanying heavy rains settled in here in Foxboro.

John Lynch was on the field, and got his number 47, which undrafted rookie Vince Redd had been wearing; Redd is now wearing number 49. While it's easy to envision Lynch stepping into the "big nickel" hybrid safety/linebacker role Tank Williams was working in before his injury, he spent his on-field time with the secondary, not the linebackers, as Williams had been doing.

Other notes from the session:

** Missing were: QB Tom Brady, WR Kelley Washington, CB Jason Webster, CB Jonathan Wilhite, CB Lewis Sanders, RB LaMont Jordan, CB Mike Richardson, S Rodney Harrison, FB Kyle Eckel, G Stephen Neal (PUP), T Ryan O'Callaghan, G/C Russ Hochstein, T Matt Light, T Oliver Ross (PUP), TE Stephen Spach, WR Sam Aiken and DL Le Kevin Smith.

LB Adalius Thomas returned to the field after missing Wednesday and Thursday's practices.

** Today was the dreaded rookie haircut day, as any player not in dreadlocks had his hair shaved into a creative pattern. Shawn Crable's almost looked like the pattern on a Michigan Wolverines helmet (which makes sense, given that's his alma mater), and Stephen Spach's sort of resembled the absurd hairdo Will Ferrell wore in "Zoolander." Rookies who do have dreads get the Whoopi Goldberg look -- that is, their eyebrows get shaved off.

** Team owner Bob Kraft took in much of the practice, perhaps to check on the team's newest acquisition, Lynch. Kraft was in a navy Patriots' polo, not his usual button down.

** Without Brady, Matt Cassel, Matt Gutierrez and Kevin O'Connell shared the reps. It wasn't the best day for the rookie O'Connell; at one point, he and Dan Koppen had to run a penalty lap for a bad snap, and during 11-on-11 work, he held onto a pass attempt for Benjamin Watson a fraction too long and it was intercepted by Terrence Wheatley.

** Fernando Bryant suffered a left arm injury during 11-on-11 work and spent a few minutes with the training staff. It was tough to tell whether it was his elbow or shoulder that was the problem; at any rate, he didn't return to the field.