Bill Belichick (AP)

For Patriots Monday on The Big Show, the Big O welcomed coach Bill Belichick for the first of his weekly chats during the football season. Belichick was wrapping up practice for the day, as the Patriots plans on flying to Atlanta to scrimmage against the Falcons before their preseason game on Thursday. With Belichick all ears, the guys asked him questions about the way the team gets ready for the season as well as updates on various players.

“I’m just working on the guys here, who are getting on the plane going to play at Atlanta,” Belichick said curtly about holdout Logan Mankins. When asked about the possibility of seeing Wes Welker step onto the field before the season, Belichick was a little more open.

“We’ll see how that goes. I wouldn’t rule it out, but I wouldn’t say it’s a definite either. We’ll just take it day by day, just like with everybody else.”

Below are highlights of the interview. To listen to the interview, click on The Big Show audio on demand page.

On playing another team during training camp because constantly playing teammates can get boring:

I just think it worked out, the way the schedule worked and the teams and the situation. It just worked out where we felt like it was a good thing to do. There are a lot of factors that go into it, definitely one of which is being on a Thursday game schedule all the way through the preseason. Those things are really hard to do, when you’re playing Thursday night one week and Monday night the next and stuff like that. The schedule worked out, the teams worked out and I just thought it would be a good experience. Mike Smith with Atlanta and Sean Payton with New Orleans and I thought [about it] in the past and the schedule hit this year, so it worked out.

On why he chose to do this kind of practice with this team this year:

Again, I think it was more of the way it fell. I think it went well last week with New Orleans so we’re hoping for another good week this week against Atlanta.

On what stood out to him so far in practices:

It was just great. I thought the way the two teams played together was outstanding. There was no chippiness or attitude or anything. Both teams were out there to just play football and I think that we got a lot better. We saw a lot of things in New Orleans that we don’t see from ourselves and that was a good experience. Some of the things we [did] see was against different players or maybe a little bit different schemes, so it just helps our awareness and work on things that we’re going to have to work on over the course of the season that are outside some of the things in our system, both offensively, defensively and in the kicking game. We covered a lot of kicking game situations that filled our awareness and situation football in those areas, so that was good to do them against another team instead of just the way that we do them.

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Jonathan Kraft

The Dale & Holley show aired live from Patriots training camp Friday afternoon, and the hosts talked to Pats president Jonathan Kraft about the NFL from the front office perspective. Kraft talked about the urge to increase the regular season to 18 games, any kind of change that could be made to the oft-criticized rookie pay scale and the quality of the relationship between Tom Brady and the front office.

“From where I sit, the relationship we’ve had with him and the relationship that I’ve had with him has always been the same and if anything, it’s stronger,” Kraft said. “I’ll echo what [owner] Robert [Kraft] has said a bunch of times, I really believe that Tom Brady is going to be the quarterback of this team for a long time to come.”

Below are highlights. To listen to the full interview, click on the Dale & Holley audio on demand page.

On expanding the regular season to 18 games:

At the end of the day, we’re all in a business where we want to serve the fans’ needs, and right now it’s pretty clear that the fan base is no longer enamored [with] the 16 [game regular season] and four [game preseason]. To be really frank about it, I’m not sure the players need [four preseason games].

When you look at it right now, [to cut] two of those games, they’re going to need to be more efficient in managing their time and using practice right and probably they’ll end up doing what we’re doing here with the Saints next week, where you bring a team in and you really see a lot in practice. What I think you’d see in those practices they’ll use the rookies a fair amount — the younger guys — and see how they’re doing there. At the end of the day, the players and their conditioning and what they do in the offseason has evolved to the place where we just don’t need four preseason games.

The economic model has built up over time where it’s a 20-game season. It’s not like you can go and play a 16 and two. You can’t take that out of the mix with what the NFL annual product is, but taking two of the games and making them regular-season games feels like it’s the right thing to do. The fans want it, I think our business partners do and the commissioner is working with the [players] union to make sure that the players have a say in this thing, too.

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Chris Mortensen

ESPN insider Chris Mortensen joined the Dennis & Callahan show early Tuesday morning to discuss everything football just before the start of training camp. Mort talked about Dez Bryant‘s controversy with the Cowboys, the favorites in the AFC East, the Logan Mankins contract discussions and Tom Brady‘s private ruminations about his unfavorable contract.

“Why would we expect Tom to be happy making $6.5 million? It’s not like they’re going out there and signing a bunch of free agents to truly make this team better,” Mortensen said.

When asked about the AFC East in 2010, Mortensen replied: “If I were rating this division right now, I would be rating it: 1. Jets, 2. Dolphins, 3. Patriots, with all three having a chance to go to the playoffs and filling up all the playoff spots.”

Below are highlights. To listen to the full interview, click on the Dennis & Callahan Show audio on demand page.

On Dez Bryant’s early issues with the Cowboys:

It’s an interesting story because it’s only [about] carrying [Roy Williams’] shoulder pads. We kind of classify it as hazing, but I don’t think that’s hazing. It’s a rite of passage, I’ve heard people say. On the other hand, I can tell you from [the Cowboys’] offseason, I think that there was a feeling that everyone had a good offseason workout. [They] worked their tails off, except for one player, and the problem is the one player asking him to carry his shoulder pads is Roy Williams. So, I’m not sure that there are coaches and veteran players in the locker room that are all that upset with Dez Bryant, because I think they’re more upset with Roy Williams.

On if the Cowboys are siding with Bryant because of Williams’ lack of effort:

Well there’s no question I think you’re right. … Whether it’s coaches or players or ownership, executives in terms of thoughts about Roy. Are there 53 guys all rolling in the same direction or are there 52? I’ve heard that, with Roy being the exception. There’s no question from what they’ve seen, [the Cowboys believe] that Dez will be a star. It doesn’t matter if you’re going to be a star or not, generally, if a vet says, “Go carry my shoulder pads,” the rookie does it. It was just interesting that Dez decided not to do it. The other thing, let’s not forget this, it was the only training camp open and it’s the Cowboys and it’s the media. I’ll have to throw ESPN out there because whenever we do something, it becomes bigger. So, it’s probably a little bit bigger deal than it is in actuality in the locker room or amongst the organization.

On the three QBs in the last year of their contracts — Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees:

Well, Peyton is going to make $15.7 million this year. The “Bank of Manning” didn’t have to take any stimulus packages, as I like to refer to them. My feeling is the most urgent [contract] is Tom Brady’s, but if you’re Tom, do you go ahead? Do the Patriots go ahead and get something done? I don’t think anything is imminent. I know he’s the consummate pro, he can’t be happy. He’s at most risk because his salary is so low. Read the rest of this entry »