"Wes Welker seemed pretty pumped up after the morning walkthrough. Having Chad Ochocinco in close proximity will do that to you.

Ochocinco, who arrived courtesy of a trade with the Bengals that was finalized yesterday, took in the walkthrough as a spectator, and later, was a full participant in the afternoon session.

Mingling with him and watching him get in his first reps with the Patriots had Welker especially enthused.

"I'm excited to have him. I'm excited to get to work with him," Welker said after the morning session. "Hopefully, we can come together and make some good plays out there."

"He's a great player. I think he's showed that over the years," Welker said. "Hopefully, he can make some big plays for us and keep us moving in the right direction."

Deion Branch also looked happy to have another veteran receiver in the mix. During the walkthrough, he was giving Ochocinco instructions about the offense in prep for the afternoon session."