FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A few leftovers from the media-access period in the Patriots’ locker room:

Siliga and Jones make an appearance. Injured defensive linemen Sealver Siliga (left hand in a cast) and Chris Jones (left ankle) both walked through the room and shared pleasantries with reporters. Their presence is one of the bigger takeaways of the day, as it adds context to their injury situations; while both remain out of practice, they aren’t expected to be long-term situations. The Boston Herald specified that both players have sustained sprains, which was assumed with Jones, who was fortunate that his left leg lifted up when he was rolled up on by teammate Marcus Forston in the Aug. 7 preseason opener (if it didn't, his ACL might have been compromised). Meanwhile, the Boston Globe reported that offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer, who has missed the past three practices, has a foot injury that is not considered serious.

Browner on adjusting to New England. Interesting to hear cornerback Brandon Browner talk about life in New England, and how it differs from his home in the Los Angeles area. He said one difference has been seeing so many Dunkin’ Donuts as compared to Starbucks, and added, “It’s really different from the fast life in California. Quieter. You see little rabbits running around, wildlife and things like that. Turkeys running around the road; you don’t see those running around in L.A.”

Vereen and Co. looking toward regular season. With the Patriots’ third preseason game on Friday against Carolina, running back Shane Vereen admitted that this one has him a little more anxious because it is that much closer to the start of the season. We’re starting to hear more players, such as Vereen and quarterback Tom Brady, reference the opener in Miami. “I think people might just say it because the starters play more than they have played in the last two games, but at the same time you have to look at each opportunity as a chance to get better and prepare yourself for Sept. 7,” Vereen said.

Dobson on competitive group of wide receivers. Wide receiver Aaron Dobson reiterated that he has not fallen behind his teammates despite missing significant time this offseason recovering from March 10 surgery on his left foot. “Competition brings the best out of you,” Dobson said in response to watching teammates Kenbrell Thompkins and Brandon LaFell take increased repetitions. “You definitely don’t want it to be easy, anything handed to you. It’s fun out there and we are teammates just trying to push each other.” He also touched on the value of mental toughness when missing on-field work. “I feel like mentally I stayed in there. OTAs, all that training camp when I wasn’t practicing, just stayed in there mentally -- mental reps -- doing everything I can to stay ahead of them.”