Just a quick note before sharing some football thoughts... I was very saddened to hear about the death of Bernie Mac. I was a big fan of his comedy and acting and felt a closeness as a fellow Chicago native. What a tragedy for him to have died so young. Now some football ... I'm really excited about the upcoming season. Personally, I feel great and I know that some of our veteran leaders have returned to health. Coach Reid's "Over 30 Club," where he lets those players who are 30+ have every third day off at training camp, has helped me and I'm pretty sure that you'd get the same response if you ask Brian Dawkins, Tra Thomas, Jon Runyan and a few other guys. Also, having two under-30 performers - L.J. Smith and Lito Sheppard - return to the field this season after battling injuries last year will help us tremendously. Add to that the improvement shown by young players such as Stewart Bradley, Chris Gocong, and Brent Celek, and the depth of the team becomes a strength. I have no idea how the final roster will shake out but our offensive line is strong and the combination of Brian Westbrook, Correll Buckhalter and Lorenzo Booker will help us balance the offense. Our wide receiving corps has taken a lot of criticism but Reggie Brown has had a strong camp and Kevin Curtis has a full season in this offense - with 75 catches and 1,000 yards - under his belt. What we need to do is figure out a way to keep everyone involved and exploit their specific strengths by creating mismatches. This week in New England will be a final tuneup for many of the starters. In years past we didn't play much if at all in the final preseason game. We need to start the season strong and carry that through the rest of the season. I'm looking forward to Sunday, September 7 vs. the St. Louis Rams!