Morning Cup of Gronk

Gino Cappelletti, known affectionately as “Mr. Patriot” for his on-field exploits during the franchise’s early years before embarking on a 32-year career as a popular color analyst, has decided to retire.

The team had previously announced that it would be hosting the New Orleans Saints in practices in Foxboro on Aug. 7-8.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick commented on the retirement of radio color analyst Gino Cappelletti today:

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com predicts an undefeated run for New England during the regular season. The Patriots accomplished the same feat in 2007 before losing to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.

Since the rookies have begun their portion of training camp, we’re placing the spotlight on them today on the blog. Scroll back to see the morning edition of this brief two-part series. Here, though, is the conclusion.

Where does he fit? Castillo thrived (when healthy) in the Chargers 3-4 defense as an end, but seems to have many of the skills needed to perform in a 4-3 as well. The Patriots have a solid rotation of defensive ends already on their roster, but Castillo could be an intriguing option to play defensive tackle, particularly in sub-defense situations. At a shade under 300 pounds, Castillo has the size to hold up inside.