The New England Patriots were thrilled to have a five-time champion with them at practice this week.

Not Tom Brady Rasmus Dahlin Sabres Jersey , Kobe Bryant.

With their quarterback skipping organized team activities along with tight end Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots returned to Gillette Stadium for offseason workouts this week. After Bryant visited the team on Wednesday, several New England players noted the similarities between him and Brady.

”They’re both highly competitive guys,” defensive back Devin McCourty said Thursday. ”I think everybody sees that.”

Although the Patriots wouldn’t elaborate on what Bryant said to them, McCourty came away impressed with his attention to detail with everything involved in basketball – not just shooting, but practice and working out and his relationship with his teammates.

Several Patriots posted pictures of themselves with Bryant on social media on Wednesday. Belichick said he has a lot of respect for the 2008 NBA MVP and thought his team could learn from meeting him.

”It was a cool experience,” running back James White said. ”It’s an honor to meet a guy who’s one of the greatest athletes of all time.”

Of course, White knows another guy like that.

But Brady has reportedly been working out with his personal trainer instead of with his teammates. A three-time NFL MVP who will turn 41 in August Authentic Russell Bodine Jersey , Brady is said to be upset with coach Bill Belichick over his attempts to speed up the succession plan at quarterback and move Jimmy Garoppolo into the starting job before Brady was ready to give it up.

Garoppolo was traded to the San Francisco 49ers midseason, reportedly on a mandate from owner Robert Kraft.

”(No.) 12 is a big part of this team, and he means a lot to us in the locker room. But as far as the culture goes, it’s always been `next man up,”’ linebacker Dont’a Hightower said. ”We’re not going to work harder just because 12’s not here or because Gronk’s not here. … Whenever he gets back, we’ll be glad to have them both, but it’s not going to stop us from working.”

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When Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold changed general managers this spring, he was adamant about the strength of a roster he believed only needed some tweaking and not a total overhaul.

New GM Paul Fenton took the Wild into the first day of free agency by making several of those minor adjustments M.J. Stewart Jersey Elite , highlighted by an enhanced third pairing of defensemen and more lower-line depth for a team that has made the playoffs six straight times but has not advanced past the second round in 15 years.

As the market opened on Sunday, the Wild announced agreements with former Dallas defenseman Greg Pateryn (three years, $6.75 million), restricted free agent defenseman Nick Seeler (three years, $2.175 million) and forwards J.T. Brown (two years, $1.375 million), Eric Fehr ($1 million) and Matt Hendricks ($700,000).

The 6-foot-3 Authentic Kareem Martin Jersey , 225-pound Pateryn had 12 assists in 73 games for Dallas last season, also setting career highs in ice time, shots on goal, blocked shots and hits. The 28-year-old is a right-handed shot and a solid penalty-killer who played previously for Montreal. Pateryn will likely playing alongside Seeler, who had four assists and a plus-10 rating in 22 games last season in a productive NHL debut with the Wild. He played in all five playoff games, too.

Fehr and Hendricks both previously played for Wild coach Bruce Boudreau with Washington, with the 32-year-old Fehr finishing last season with San Jose and the 37-year-old Hendricks playing for Winnipeg. Fehr has 106 goals and 100 assists in 580 career NHL games. Hendricks has 54 goals, 59 assists and 1 Quenton Nelson Jersey Elite ,358 hits in 581 career NHL games and has appeared in 39 playoff games.

With Matt Cullen departing as a free agent to return to Pittsburgh, Fehr is the likely anchor of the fourth line with Brown and Hendricks each candidates to skate next to him. The son of former Minnesota Vikings running back Ted Brown and a 2011 NCAA champion with Minnesota Duluth, Brown split last season with Tampa Bay and Anaheim. He has 20 goals and 44 assists in 309 career games.

Brown (Rosemount), Hendricks (Blaine) and Seeler (Eden Prairie) are all Minnesota natives.

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