FOXBORO –– New England’s injury report –– already one of the longest in the NFL –– continues to get longer, as the team added right tackle Nick Kaczur on Friday with an ankle injury.

With Kaczur now on the Patriots’ report (he is listed as having been limited in practice and was not seen during Wednesday’s media-access window), they have a whopping 21 players on the list, or 40 percent of the 53-man roster.

But already facing a longer-term issue at the position, New England may have a short-term problem on its hands at the offensive tackle position. Sebastian Vollmer has missed both practice days this week with a head injury (read: concussion), and Matt Light is still limited by the knee injury he suffered in Denver on Oct. 11 and has not played since then.

Now with Kaczur hampered, Mark LeVoir is the only healthy tackle among the four the Pats have.

It is possible that Vollmer — who left last Sunday’s game against the Jets early in the second quarter but returned in the second half — could practice Saturday and be cleared to play in New Orleans.

But if he can’t go, Light would probably be back in the starting lineup at left tackle, assuming he is able to play. Indications are that it was a game-time decision that he did not play against New York.

LeVoir may be asked to spell Kaczur. If Light and LeVoir are the only tackles able to suit up, left guard Logan Mankins could play tackle in a pinch.

While there are some immediate concerns this week, New England has already been facing a decision on what to do with Light and Vollmer. Vollmer’s play in five starts has been stellar, particularly against Colts speed demon Dwight Freeney, the type of player Light has typically had trouble with in the past.

Conversely, against Indianapolis, it was Kaczur who gave up two sacks to Robert Mathis, who nearly had Tom Brady is his grasp for a third, but Brady was able to get away and fire a touchdown pass.

So if all players are healthy, and assuming Vollmer would do just as well, would Bill Belichick opt to flip Vollmer to the right for the rest of the season with Light at left tackle? Beyond this year is another story. Light enters the final year of his contract in 2010, and is slated to make around $4.7 million. While that isn’t a steep price for a two-time Pro Bowler, if Vollmer is just as good, if not better, and is due to earn a fraction of that, Light could see himself released or traded.

As for the rest of the Pats’ injury report, Julian Edelman (forearm) and Fred Taylor (ankle) joined Vollmer as those who did not practice. Sam Aiken (hip), Eric Alexander (groin), Chris Baker (shoulder), Tully Banta-Cain (groin), Ron Brace (ankle), Pat Chung (head), Jarvis Green (knee), Sammy Morris (knee), Stephen Neal (head), Rob Ninkovich (knee), Ty Warren (ankle) and Pierre Woods (groin) joined Light and Kaczur as limited.

Payton praises Belichick

Belichick and Sean Payton spent a week as faux adversaries a few years ago, when Belichick was the head coach of the AFC team and Payton the NFC at the Pro Bowl following the 2006 season.

This week, Payton was asked what the experience of being around Belichick for a week was like.

“Well, my first memory was that (the hotel) put the Payton family in (rooms) 303 and 304, and I know Bill was in 203, 204; my biggest concern was my little kids jumping off the beds in the morning at about 6:30 and bugging him below us,” Payton said via conference call. “But it was a great opportunity for us. Any time you get to spend a week and really just try to get someone else’s thoughts and opinions, someone who has been as successful as Bill has been … he’s a guy that I have a ton of respect for and I really enjoyed the time we had a chance to spend that week.”

Payton recalled that on the day of the Pro Bowl, his NFC bus broke down and the AFC bus pulled alongside and Payton and the others on his bus got onto the AFC bus. Payton found himself next to Belichick and his then 6-year-old son, Connor, found himself sitting between Drew Brees and LaDainian Tomlinson.

This is the first time Payton and Belichick will coach against one another head-to-head outside of that exhibition.

Brady record book

Not only is Brady close to passing Drew Bledsoe as New England’s all-time passing leader, but he is also close to hitting 30,000 yards for his career. Coming into Monday night’s game, Brady has 29,495 yards is 163 yards shy of Bledsoe and 505 yards shy of the 30k mark.

Thirty-one other quarterbacks in NFL history have thrown for more than 30,000 yards in their career, and two have already done it this season: Arizona’s Kurt Warner hit the milestone in Week Six, and the Eagles’ Donovan McNabb did it in Week Seven.

Brady’s quarterback counterpart this week, the Saints’ Drew Brees, has a shot at making it this season as well, though he is a shade under 1,000 yards away.

Between the lines

For the first time since suffering his ankle injury in Week Four against Baltimore and undergoing surgery, Taylor was spotted in the Pats’ locker room Friday. However, he did not chat with reporters … The Saints listed CB Tracy Porter (knee), WR Lance Moore (ankle) and G Carl Nicks (illness) as not practicing on Friday. Cornerbacks Jabari Greer (groin) and Randall Gay (hamstring) were among those limited … After passing another player on the NFL’s all-time receiving yardage list seemingly every week, Randy Moss won’t be taking his place in the top five for a couple of weeks. Moss currently has 14,126 yards, good for sixth place; he is 455 yards away from passing Marvin Harrison for fifth place (14,580). Moss began the season in 10th place, and with 925 receiving yards thus far, he should record the 10th 1,000-yard season of his career, making he and Jerry Rice (14) the only players with 10 or more such seasons … Pro Bowl fan balloting is ongoing at nfl.com — New England does not have a single player atop his respective position thus far in voting. Brady, Vince Wilfork, Stephen Gostkowski and Light are all currently second at their positions.