Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi, center, now in his 13th season, is one of the team’s veterans returning to training camp today.

The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach

With the New England Patriots beginning training camp today and thus kicking off the start of the 2008 season, we’ve taken a look at the players at each position and questions for each, as well as potential camp battles that will play out in the coming weeks. The last two positions left: linebacker and safety.

•LINEBACKER

In the mix: Tedy Bruschi (13th NFL season), Larry Izzo (13th), Mike Vrabel (12th), Adalius Thomas (9th), Victor Hobson (6th), Eric Alexander (4th), Pierre Woods (3rd), Jerod Mayo (rookie), Shawn Crable (rookie), Bo Ruud (rookie), Vince Redd (rookie)

Questions and concerns: How quickly and how well will Hobson transition to inside ’backer? Can Mayo be an impact player in his first season? Who earns time as the third outside linebacker?

Three of the four starting linebackers are proven veterans — Bruschi, Vrabel and Thomas — but the question seems to be who will be starting next to Bruschi on the inside. It could be Hobson, who has great experience for being still relatively young but is learning to play inside for the first time in his career, or Mayo, who is learning both the intricacies of playing inside ’backer in Bill Belichick’s system and the details of being a professional athlete at the same time.

Alexander has seen some time with the defense in the past, and may be ready to take on a bigger role. On the outside, Thomas and Vrabel will probably be at their natural spots, where they thrive (see Thomas’ performance in the Super Bowl), and will be spelled by Woods, Crable and/or Redd. Redd is the early favorite to become this year’s undrafted-rookie-that-makes-the-53-man-roster. Izzo, as always, will anchor the special-teams unit.

•SAFETY

In the mix: Rodney Harrison (15th), Tank Williams (7th), James Sanders (4th), Ray Ventrone (3rd), Brandon Meriweather (2nd), Mark Dillard (safety)

Questions and concerns: Will Meriweather unseat Sanders? How will Williams perform with a one-year “prove it” deal?

This is an interesting group. Harrison seems to still have plenty left in the tank, and Sanders is coming off a solid-if-not-spectacular season. But when he was last at full strength, in 2005, Williams was a talented young safety with the Titans. Now healthy and on a one-year deal, he could position himself well if he has a strong year.

There have been rumblings that Meriweather will put up a challenge to Sanders for the free safety job; the former first-round pick started putting it all together toward the end of last season. And after dropping no fewer than five sure interceptions, he reportedly spent much of the off-season working on catching the ball and almost always had a pigskin in his hands off the field.

Ventrone, a practice standout for New England, has been working on his versatility, doing almost all of his off-season reps with the receivers.

smanza@projo.com