FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

Bill Belichick often says he’s fortunate to have an excellent coaching staff, and as a springboard to get to know them better, I asked each of the team’s position coaches the following question: “What is your why?” Or, in other words, “Why did you get into coaching?”

A sampling of their answers:

Dante Scarnecchia (offensive line, 35th NFL season): “I knew I was going to do it a long time ago, when I was a kid. People that made as big an impact in my life, outside of my parents, were the people that coached me in whatever sport I was playing. I thought it would be a really cool thing to be a high school football coach, so I went to college [California Western University] planning for that, and I never coached a day in high school. I don’t know how to explain that one. It was always what I wanted to do. I’ve lived the dream. How do you explain all that?”

Ivan Fears (running backs, 28th NFL season): “I never really thought I would do it, but once I got into it, I knew it was what I wanted to do. I went to school for a business management degree [at William & Mary], thought I was going into banking, blew my knee out [playing football], and the doctor said, ‘You’ll never play again.’ I’m lying in the bed, and Coach said, ‘How would you like to come out in the spring and help us?’ All of a sudden, banking was out and football was in.”

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Chad O’Shea (receivers, 16th NFL season): “After I played collegiately [Marshall, then Houston], I still wanted to be part of the game. I loved the relationships as much as anything, and I wanted to maintain those by being on a team. I think the relationships within this sport are very unique.”

Brian Flores (linebackers, 15th NFL season): “There’s no reason I should even be involved in football. My parents were immigrants, nobody ever played football, and I was just kind of driving around one day with my uncle and saw some guys playing football and kind of fell into it. Coaching, and this game, pushes you to do that. It’s a blessing to be here. So my ‘why,’ I think I was put here to help guys reach their highest potential, and that’s what I try to do every day -- help them improve and be the best version of themselves.”

Josh Boyer (cornerbacks, 13th NFL season): “I wanted to coach since I was a little kid. I went with my dad to every two-a-days practice; my dad is still coaching high school football. So even as a little kid, I was running guys through the chute, doing offensive line drills. It’s kind of something that was just in the blood. I don’t even think about ‘why’ -- it’s just always been a part of my life since I could ever remember.”

Brendan Daly (defensive line, 13th NFL season): “My wife and my kids are my ‘why,’ but from a football standpoint, at a very young age, the love of the game became pretty significant for me. … When I first got in the coaching profession, I thought I was going to be high school … and it’s snowballed from there. I love being around the players, the camaraderie, the scheme element of the game.”

Steve Belichick (safeties, seventh NFL season): “I’ve always loved team sports, putting my individual goals aside for a greater cause, and I just love football, the complexity of it, the strategy. There’s nothing like it. As soon as I knew I couldn’t play, this is what I always wanted to do.”

Joe Judge (special teams, seventh NFL season): “They kind of say when you’re young, ‘Think what you’d do for free, and that should be your career.’ I knew my entire life I wanted to be part of the game. I started to develop a love for coaching as a player [Mississippi State], going through some injuries. Coaches got me involved in breaking down tape and talking to some of the younger players, and in a captain’s role, running some meetings. It’s never fun being hurt, but through that time, I realized I had a passion for teaching.”

Nick Caley (tight ends, fourth NFL season): “I was inspired by a young age, growing up in northeast Ohio. I was fortunate my dad took me to a lot of high school football games and that lit a fire underneath me. I got to see the influence that high school coaches had on their players and communities, and that’s what I always aspired to be. I caught the bug early on.”

Patriots assistant Steve Belichick, on following in his father's footsteps as a coach: "As soon as I knew I couldn't play, this is what I always wanted to do." Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire

2. It was probably the photo of the Patriots' preseason – Bill Belichick, Steve Belichick and Tom Brady standing at midfield at Bank of America Stadium with wide smiles on their faces – so I asked the younger Belichick what led to such a reaction. The answer: The three were reminiscing about past games in the stadium, specifically recalling the Jan. 6, 2002, game in which the Patriots clinched the AFC East title en route to their Super Bowl XXXVI championship. The Belichicks often do that before games, but having Brady as part of the chat added a meaningful twist.

3. After locker room renovations this offseason, Brady’s old locker was auctioned for $100,000 at the Patriots Premiere on Tuesday to benefit the team’s charitable foundation. One of the lighthearted highlights of the night: Julian Edelman, one of Brady’s best friends, upping the bidding by raising his hand at $75,000 before backing out.

4. What are the Falcons saying about their acquisition of former Patriots safety Jordan Richards, whom they acquired for a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick?

GM Thomas Dimitroff: "We've been really honed in on that No. 2 safety spot through the whole offseason and into camps. We just felt that Jordan was a guy that fit in well for us. He's a tough dude that can step up in there and be a strong safety-type for us. He's a smart guy who has good versatility to us. He is a very urgent type of football player as well. We obviously have a good working relationship with New England, and it was right and fairly easy navigation through that trade. We're happy to have him here."

Head coach Dan Quinn: "I think he'll have a big role on [special] teams, too, knowing that's been part of what he's done in his past. We actually worked him out when he was coming out from Stanford. We've known about him, followed him, and now we're excited to have him on board.''

5a. I think one of the most underrated coaching hires of the offseason was Bill O’Brien’s decision to bring in Brad Seely to oversee the Texans’ special-teams units. In recent Patriots-Texans matchups, New England has had what I viewed as a decisive special-teams edge, but Seely -- the former Patriots coach whom Bill Belichick once called one of the best coaches he’s been around -- could help even the playing field in the Sept. 9 season opener.

5b. From the TV department: The Patriots' season-opening game against the Texans on Sept. 9, in Foxborough, has drawn the top CBS broadcasting team of Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson. That trio will also follow the Patriots to their Week 2 game at Jacksonville.

6. Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey is entitled to his opinion -- which he shares in this compelling piece by ESPN’s Mina Kimes -- and it’s refreshing when athletes speak their mind to share their unfiltered thoughts without falling into clichés. At the same time, I was struck by the dismissive tone in which he spoke of receiver Danny Amendola, who has two Super Bowl rings and was one of the main reasons Ramsey’s Jaguars were sent home in last season’s AFC Championship Game. Ramsey, to me, came across as if he thought he was the one with the two Super Bowl rings. He’s still looking for his first.

The Patriots won't have Isaiah Wynn on the field this season, but are excited about his potential. Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire

7. Top Patriots draft pick Isaiah Wynn (first round, No. 23) is out for the season with a torn Achilles, which is a disappointment as he was making a charge to carve out a meaningful role. Scarnecchia, the team’s offensive line coach, said: “It was all very favorable. He was still nursing his shoulder and was on a limited play count, but the guy is tough as hell. Explosive. We still believe he has a bright future. He's going to heal up really good, and we're going to look forward to him being out there next spring in OTAs."

8. Did the Steelers trump the Patriots? That was one thought that came to mind after Pittsburgh acquired receiver Ryan Switzer and a sixth-round pick from the Raiders in a Monday trade for a fifth-round pick. The Patriots could use help at receiver, and Switzer, who entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2017, has some of the athletic traits New England generally covets in its slot receivers. I thought Switzer could have been a good fit at a modest price, although the Patriots might have some other moves in mind at the depleted position.

9. Bill Belichick often says that one can’t truly assess a team until the regular season, when opponents start attacking weaknesses, but one thing he can more accurately gauge is conditioning, and he told the crowd at the Patriots Premiere that he believes the 2018 Patriots are a well-conditioned club. Brady added that “extreme weather” in training camp compared with past years tested players. That heat carried right up into the past week, when players returned from Tuesday's humid practice and noted hopefully that practicing in those elements would help them in the Week 2 road game at Jacksonville.

10. The final word: "It's been fun. We've had a lot of focus. Things didn't end last year quite the way we wanted, but the one great thing about this team, this culture, this organization, is that we're always focused on what we have to do this year. I think the guys have put the work in. It's been a challenging camp; it really tests you. Coach Belichick said the competition is stiff, and it's tough, and year in and year out it's tough to win. I'm just proud to be a part of such a great organization; that's what we care about. We care about winning, and then we care about doing great things in the community. To be able to share that with you, it's a very special night, and also gets us ready for what's coming up [Sept. 9]. " -- Brady, at the Patriots Premiere event Tuesday.