One of the topics that I think will get a lot of attention in the coming weeks is what is now a hard roster limit of 80 players for training camp. In the past teams got by with NFL Europe roster exemptions that helped expand the number of bodies to work with. But with that league folding, teams will have to be under 80 players by the start of training camp.

Right now the Patriots list 81 guys on the roster, although the team’s seven draft picks aren’t under contract yet and technically don’t count toward the 80-man limit. But when those guys sign, at least one player will have to be removed before the start of camp. That number would grow should the team add any more players, say Junior Seau, to the mix.

Bill Belichick addressed the more strict limit and how it might affect the roster moving toward camp when he was asked if he’d be able to bring the three punters currently under contract to the summer practice work.

“I’d say it is going to be harder this year given the roster restrictions,” Belichick said of carrying three punters into camp. ”Right now without contracts being signed we can carry a little bit over the 80, but once those guys sign contracts it is a hard 80 number. We will have to make some decisions there. I’m not sure that we will be able to take everyone we want to, to camp. The numbers have been lower than they have been in previous years with the Europe guys with those type of exemptions.”

Carolina coach John Fox has already said his team will cut back on training camp practices because of the limit. It will be interesting to see if Belichick shortens his camp or adjusts the practice schedule due to the more limited number of bodies.

I sort of blew it off as a non-issue when people brought up the 80-man limit, especially with the Patriots only at 81 players right now. But maybe it’s a bigger deal than I thought. Seems like coaches think it is. We’ll see how much coaches talk about it in the coming months and how much it really affects teams as they prepare for the regular season.

One of my posts yesterday dealt with Kevin O’Connell’s inconsistent throws this spring. The same description could be used at times for second-year QB Matt Gutierrez as well.

But something Bill Belichick said while addressing the media following yesterday’s passing camp action has me easing off my critical observations of O’Connell and to a lesser degree Gutierrez. Belichick talked about the windy conditions on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium and how it was good to get the young passers work in those conditions, the type of weather that’s seemingly a constant in Foxboro.

“We have had some good opportunities with the wind and throwing in different conditions,” Belichick said. ”It’s been good for the guys to get used to handling the ball and so forth. We have gotten a lot of exposure and we are trying to get a lot of teaching done and we will resume that on Monday when we get everyone back in. From a team standpoint, we have a lot of work to do. We are just plugging along but we are getting there.”

So not only might the young O’Connell be tweaking his mechanics and throwing motion a bit, but he may also be getting used to the windy conditions in his new home. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for now, but he still has a long ways to go before he’ll be ready for even preseason game action.

Third-round pick Kevin O’Connell has been inconsistent since getting drafted. Today he’s been more down than up. His throws have been off the mark way too often. He’s stuggled both in positional work and group drills. I’m wondering if they’ve been working on tweaking his raw throwing motion and maybe that’s affecting his throws. Whatever the reason, he’s got a ways to go before he’s game-ready.

Rookie linebacker Vince Redd has found a way to stand out on the practice field, stealing a page from the book of a guy he’s trying to replace — Rosevelt Colvin. Redd wears a tight, long-sleeved shirt under his practice attire, much like Colvin used to during practice. Colvin was on the record admitting he wore the shirt simply to stand out among his teammates. I wonder if Redd is using the same theory.

Redd also stood out yesterday as the guy winning all the sprints and putting forth the greatest effort during the end-of-practice running.

I’ll say it again, his combination of size, speed, athleticism, effort — and now the red shirt — will earn Redd a spot somewhere on the roster. It also doesn’t hurt that his legs are twice the size of Shawn Crable’s.

WR/special teamer Sam Aiken has struggled in the last two days of passing camps. He’s had a hard time catching the ball. A numbe of different throws have gone right through his hands and bounced off his chest or stomach. He made his money as a special teams guy in Buffalo and it looks like he’ll have to do the same here in New England.