FOXBOROUGH, Mass. [url=https://www.cheap76ers.com/]Philadelphia 76ers Store[/url] . - The New England Patriots stocked up on top free agent cornerbacks. Now its time to make their job easier by adding a young pass rusher. They hope to find one in the NFL draft starting Thursday night. "Theres a

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. Philadelphia 76ers Store . - The New England Patriots stocked up on top free agent cornerbacks. Now its time to make their job easier by adding a young pass rusher. They hope to find one in the NFL draft starting Thursday night. "Theres a deep group of defensive linemen that are different types of players," Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio said. Chandler Jones led the team with 11 1-2 sacks last season, but only two teammates had more than three. Outstanding pass rushers who could be available with the Patriots 29th pick are defensive ends Dee Ford of Auburn and Kony Ealy of Missouri. This weeks signing of defensive end Will Smith after 10 years with New Orleans could help fill that need, although hell be 33 in July, missed all last season with a torn ACL and averaged just six sacks in his previous three seasons. In their 26-16 loss to Denver in the AFC championship game, the Patriots allowed Peyton Manning to throw for 400 yards without a sack. In the off-season, they signed cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner while losing Aqib Talib to Denver. Browner gives the Patriots a physical presence, although he must sit out the first four games after being suspended for violating the NFLs substance abuse policy. "Those guys have played a lot of good football," Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. "Every year you have new guys that have to learn the defence. Youve got to start working together." Five other things to look for when the Patriots draft: NEEDY POSITIONS: Tight end, a strength of the team from 2010-12, was a weakness last season after Aaron Hernandez was charged with first-degree murder and Rob Gronkowski was injured and sidelined for nine games. Gronkowski may not be ready for the start of the season as he recovers from knee surgery. So the Patriots could draft Jace Amaro of Texas Tech. They need depth at running back after LeGarrette Blount signed with Pittsburgh. That left them with just Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen and Brandon Bolden. CHARACTER ISSUES: This draft is the first since Hernandez was arrested last June and pleaded not guilty to murder. Afterward, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the organization would review its procedures for evaluating players. In 2012, cornerback Alfonzo Dennard slipped to the seventh round after an outstanding career in Nebraska. He started nine of his 13 games last season with the Patriots, then spent 35 days in jail after pleading no contest to driving under the influence, a violation of his probation for punching a police officer shortly before the 2012 draft. He was released from jail April 4. "You look at the entire body of work when you create the profile on a player," Caserio said. "If we dont feel comfortable, then we move on to the next player." BACKING UP BRADY: Tom Brady says he wants to play into his 40s. Hell be 37 in August and his successor could emerge from this years draft. Brady was taken in the sixth round, so the Patriots feel they dont have to choose a quarterback early. They took current backup Ryan Mallett in the third round in 2011, but hes thrown just four passes, all in 2012. So would the Patriots focus on drafting Bradys successor? "I would say were focused on improving our football team in whatever capacity we can do. Well always consider that," Caserio said. CATCHING UP: The Patriots moved to bolster their weak wide receiving corps by drafting Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce last year and signing free agent Kenbrell Thompkins. Dobson had 37 receptions, Thompkins had 32 and Boyce had nine. Then they signed free agent Brandon LaFell, who had a career-high 49 catches for Carolina last year. But with only Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola catching more than 37 passes at wide receiver, the Patriots might draft one. "You dont want to pass on a player just because he has a position where there might be numbers or volume," Caserio said. LETS MAKE A DEAL: The Patriots have eight picks in seven rounds and could package some in trades. Last year they sent their first-round choice to Minnesota for picks they used to take linebacker Jamie Collins in the second round, cornerback Logan Ryan in the third and Boyce in the fourth. Collins and Ryan had solid rookie seasons. They also obtained a seventh-round pick in the deal, then traded it to Tampa Bay for Blount. Philadelphia 76ers Pro Shop . Marie rink got back in the win column at the Olympic mens curling tournament with a 7-4 win over the host Russian squad on Wednesday. 76ers Jerseys China . Perhaps their first trip to the city of Winnipeg in 16 years can serve as the shakeup they need. https://www.cheap76ers.com/ . With the suspension, Nigeria is unable to take part in any kind of international fixtures. FIFA had issued a warning to the NFF last week after the federation was served with court proceedings from the government that prevented the NFFs president from running the NFFs day-to-day affairs. GLENDALE, Ariz. -- A dominating two-week road trip for the Chicago Blackhawks gave warning to the rest of the NHL: Its going to be difficult to dethrone the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Blackhawks seven-game, 13-day trip ended with a sixth straight victory Saturday night, as Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist in a dominant first period and Antti Raanta made 32 saves in a 5-2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. "We loved the trip," said coach Joel Quenneville, whose team improved to an NHL-best 20-4-4. "We loved the consistency. We loved the contribution were getting across the board." After watching a 3-0 lead become 3-2 after a sloppy second period, Brandon Bolligs goal with 9:11 left put it away for Chicago. Andrew Shaw and Niklas Hjalmarsson also scored for the Blackhawks, and Marian Hossa added an empty-net goal. Rob Klinkhammer and Martin Hanzal scored for the Coyotes, whose fourth loss in five games left coach Dave Tippett fuming. "Thats the top team in the league and we come out and start like that?" Tippett said. "Thats just unacceptable." On their annual, lengthy trip while the United Center hosts the circus, Chicago played in Colorado, toured western Canada and stopped in Dallas on Friday night, where the Blackhawks prevailed in the 11th round of a shootout. After stopping 10 of 11 shots in the shootout less than 24 hours earlier, Quenneville gave Corey Crawford the night off. Raanta, who secured his first NHL victory Wednesday in Calgary, showed poise in his second start after the Coyotes got within a goal late in the second period. "It was much easier to play today than in Calgary," Raanta said. "It was a pretty good game and I felt really good," The Blackhawks showed no fatigue early, while getting some help from the bumbling Coyotes, who have made a habit of falling behind early. Phoenix was called for too many men on the ice after the first shift 49 seconds into the game, and 25 seconds later Derek Morris was sent to the box for holding. Chicago took advantage of the 5 on 3 against the leagues 27th-ranked penalty killing unit as Kane deflected Hossas shot from the point, beating goaltender Mike Smith high for Kanes 16th goal of the season. The Blackhawks went up 2-0 when Shaw picked up the puck in a scramble in front of the net and sent a soft, bounncing backhand that squirted past Smith by the left post at 9:18. Philadelphia 76ers Gear. Less than two minutes later, Hjalmarssons took Kanes pass off the boards and beat Smith from the corner and Chicago had three goals on 12 shots. "Great start. It could have been our best period to start a period all year," Quenneville said. It marked the second time this week Phoenix, which has been outscored 28-16 in the first period this season, had fallen behind 3-0 in the opening 20 minutes. "I dont know what it is. We obviously arent ready for the first period," Hanzal said. "We have to start making sure we are ready because this is unacceptable." Phoenix got within 3-1 early in the second period when Michael Stone intentionally shot wide. The puck bounced off the boards directly to Klinkhammer, who poked it in the net by the near post for his fifth goal, while Stone got an assist. Chicagos parade to the penalty box allowed the Coyotes to make it a game. With Hjalmarsson serving four minutes for slashing and then complaining about it, Hanzal redirected Radim Vrbatas pass in front of the net to make it 3-2 with 4:04 left in the second. But Chicago later killed off a 5-on-3 power play. Smith stopped 31 shots in what Tippett called a "very average" performance in a sour ending to a record-breaking night off the ice for the Coyotes. Despite competition in the area from the Arizona-Arizona State football game and the Jazz-Suns game, the Coyotes announced they broke a franchise record for single-game revenue, in part because all luxury suites were sold and the team has cut down on ticket giveaways. The sellout crowd of 17,321 was a high point for the once-troubled franchise, which was under NHL control until a group led by George Gosbee took over this summer and committed to keep the team in Arizona. But the Coyotes fell to 0-2 against the Blackhawks. "The consistency is what were appreciating," Quenneville said. "The energy and enthusiasm in the locker room and on the bench is as good as weve seen it here." NOTES: Coyotes D Rusty Klesla, who was waived Tuesday, sent to the minors Wednesday and then recalled Friday so he could attend to a personal matter, was a healthy scratch. ... The Blackhawks host Dallas on Tuesday in their first home game since Nov. 17. ... The Coyotes begin a four-game road trip Tuesday at Edmonton. ' ' '