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More Seau

ON HIS ROLE
"Only time can tell. I can hypothetically give answers but I believe it will be win-win. I will play in the preseason.

WILL HE PLAY INSIDE OR OUTSIDE

I don’t have those answers. What we have is a playbook. And I have a learning curve to figure out.

ON THE SHOCK TO CHARGERS FANS
"We’re all shocked. We can soothe it. The call (from the Patriots) was made Tuesday morning after the (retirement press conference) on a great day. Interest was expressed by the Patriots and we discussed it for two days. (Monday) was my graduation party. I'm going after my Master's now."

Posted by   at 7:19 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Seau speaks

Junior Seau aims to play in next week's preseason game at Gillette Stadium.

Seau, who signed with the Pats today after retiring from the game in a ceremony in San Diego on Monday (he called it a "graduation"), spoke with reporters on a conference call just minutes ago.

Some highlights:

(ON WEARING WILLIE McGINEST'S No. 55 WHICH SEAU'S WORN HIS ENTIRE CAREER AND BEFORE McGINEST AT USC)

"I’ll defintely respect Willie and the franchise's wishes here but I will lob a call to him and ask if we can wear that number. That's something needs to be done and something that will be done."

HIS ROLE

"My role is a player on the field at a linebacker position and they do a lot of things. There are two positions I can play and I play them (meaning inside or outside linebacker)."

CAN HIS BODY STAND UP TO THE RIGORS OF PLAYING INSIDE AT 37
"We’ll just have to see. Only time can tell. I won’t promote something that is an unknown."

DID FORMER SAN DIEGO TEAMMATE AND CURRENT PAT RODNEY HARRISON CONTACT HIM
"Rodney put in a couple of calls. He’ll probably get a finder’s fee."

WHY DID HE COME OUT OF "GRADUATION"
"Being the franchise (the Patriots) are forced him to reconsider. Their focus is to win championships and its something we need to seize the opportunity on. It was definitely a thought process in which I talked to family members and (the Patriots) to see where they thought I fit and how they were going to utilize me. When a championship team calls you have to answer it."

"There are a lot of things that come to play when I decide to come into the NFL after two days of retirement. One is that this is a championship team and that they have a role I can contribute in."

WHY DID HE RETIRE
"There wasn’t a team I felt needed me."

Posted by   at 6:56 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

Limited TV viewing for Pats' game tomorrow

FOXBORO, Mass. -- The New England Patriots' exhibiition game tomorrow night will not be shown on local TV. Instead, the game against the Arizona Cardinals will be carried nationally on the NFL Network.

The 8 p.m. home game will be carried by Boston's Channel 5 in Massachusetts, which the NFL considers the extent of the team's home market.

"This is an NFL decision. We don't like it. But they are pretty much going to do what they are going to do.'' said Jay Howell, president and general manager of WPRI-TV and Fox Providence, Channel 64.

Viewers in Rhode Island may be able to get Channel 5 with an antenna. NFL Network is available on at least one of the satellite services and on Cox Digital Cable, channel 137.

"The Patriots tried to get us this game,'' said Howell, adding that the team's last two exhibition games will be carried on Channel 64.

Posted by Andrea Panciera  at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments 0

Seau in town

Veteran linebacker Junior Seau, who retired from the Dolphins last week, is in Foxboro today working out for and meeting with the Pats.

A yea or nay decision is expected by the end of the day.

Seau's services are needed because of training camp injuries to Tedy Bruschi and Chad Brown. The current Pats linebacker rotation in the 3-4 is Mike Vrabel and Rosey Colvin at OLB with Tully Banta-Cain as the first man in off the bench and Barry Gardner, Monty Beisel and Don Davis fighting for the ILB jobs with minimal effectiveness so far.

Seau can play anywhere in the linebacker corps but he's mostly played outside linebacker during his career.

The 36-year-old played seven games for Miami last season and eight for the Dolphins the year before.

Tom

Posted by   at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments 1