Wilhite Returns
Second-year cornerback Jonathan Wilhite returned to practice Sunday after missing last Thursday's preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Wilhite had a great showing in training camp, aside from the week he missed with a shoulder injury, and he is probably third on the depth chart behind Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden. Still, it was surprising to see Wilhite held out of last week's game, especially since he was a regular attendee at practice prior to the game. Wilhite declined to disclose if it was his lingering shoulder injury that kept him out of the Bengals game.
"It's tough watching your team compete, but the best objective is to try to get healthy and get back out there as soon as possible," Wilhite said. "I'm just trying to see things the way guys out there are seeing it and just try to learn. If you can't learn physically, you've got to learn mentally."
DeVree Released
The Patriots cut tight end Tyson DeVree prior to their afternoon practice. DeVree finished last season on the Patriots' active roster but figured to be fifth on the depth chart this preseason and was an extreme long shot to make the team.
"We just felt like, given what all the circumstances are and his particular situation, this was probably the right thing to do for him and for us, for the team," head coach Bill Belichick said.
After the release, the Patriots had 78 players on the active roster and four tight ends — Chris Baker, Ben Watson, Alex Smith and David Thomas — all of whom look like they'll make the team.
Wilfork-Haynesworth Comparison
With the Patriots set to visit the Washington Redskins on Friday night, Belichick was asked about the similarities and differences between New England's Vince Wilfork and Washington's Albert Haynesworth, two of the best defensive tackles in the league.
Haynesworth signed a $100 million, seven-year contract during the offseason after earning his second trip to the Pro Bowl with the Tennessee Titans in as many seasons. He has always thrived in a 4-3 base while Wilfork has played primarily in the Patriots' 3-4 system.
"They're both outstanding players," Belichick said. "They've played in different systems. When one guy is asked to do something and another one isn't, it's hard to say what it would be like if they were both asked to do the same thing in the same system, so that's really a comparison that I can't make. But they're both big. They both move well. They have good quickness, explosive guys. They're both real good players."
