WR Brandon Tate has spent the last year rehabbing a knee injury, and for six months he has done nothing else but rehab and study the Patriots' playbook. Until this week. Tate has begun to practice with the Patriots, who are woefully short of receivers and tight ends with the release of WR Joey Galloway and TE Michael Matthews and the injury to WR Julian Edelman (broken arm). Tate has not yet been added to the roster off the physically unable to perform list, but there are two open roster spots, one of which he is expected to fill. Tate can play outside, but he also is expected to work in the slot, where Wes Welker and Edelman have played the most this season. If he can contribute, it will be a huge boon for a team that is getting painfully thin at wideout, with only Randy Moss, Sam Aiken and Welker healthy right now.

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