The Patriots’ First Shot

Good morning! The First Shot provides you with a healthy helping of links to the top Patriots-related stories around the internet to get your day started. Enjoy your breakfast, your coffee, put off your work (just keep an eye out for the boss), and get your early morning football fix. The links begin after the jump…

• The Patriots’ first-round pick LT Nat Solder finally agreed to a deal with the team, and joined them for practice later that night. Returning starter Matt Light has no problems showing Solder the ropes in New England.
• How have the Patriots fared so far in free agency? I grade their performance.
• What went down last night at practice? Eric Scalavino from Patriots Football Weekly provides his insight, as does ESPN Boston’s Mike Rodak and Comcast Sports Net’s Tom Curran.
• Third-round pick RB Stevan Ridley is turning heads at training camp.
• Is there still bad blood between Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Logan Mankins? Turns out there never was, and Mankins set the record straight in an interview after his first camp practice.