The Sports Xchange

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady celebrated his 38th birthday Monday with the team’s first day off of training camp.

His supermodel wife, Gisele Bundchen, had the following message for her hubby on her Facebook page: “Happy birthday my love! We’re so blessed to have you in our lives. Thank you for always giving us so much love. We love you!”

Awww.

Meanwhile, here are some notes from the Patriots’ football world:

–Wide receiver Aaron Dobson may be in a make-or-break training camp in his third summer in New England. The 2013 second-round pick caught 37 passes for 519 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie.

As much as that might be deemed a promising first season, his second year was a nightmare last fall. After missing basically the entire offseason with a foot injury and surgery, Dobson played just four games before landing on injured reserve with a hamstring issue, catching a mere three passes on the season.

Two years ago, he was considered the future of the receiver position. Now, though, he is fighting for his job on an offense that returns Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Brandon LaFell and even surprise 2014 contributor Brian Tyms.

“I don’t feed into any of that,” Dobson said of the perceived pressure he is under this summer. “I’m just out here trying to have fun. I’m out here playing football. It’s a game, so I’m trying to have some fun and make some plays.”

Still, he knows he has to prove himself to his coaches.

“I’m here trying to make plays and do what I can do as a receiver,” Dobson said.

–Running back LeGarrette Blount missed the first two, unpadded days of Patriots training camp while on the non-football-injury list after failing the team’s conditioning run. However, New England’s projected lead back was on the field and in full pads for the third day of work. He looks lighter, quicker and faster this summer.

“I’m just going to continue to go out there and try to get better,” Blount said, avoiding talk of the failed conditioning test. “It doesn’t matter what time of the year it is. That’s the plan is to always get better and make sure that I’m doing everything that I can do and make sure I’m doing it to the best of my capabilities when they’re asking me to do it.”

With Stevan Ridley (New York Jets) and Shane Vereen (New York Giants) having moved on via free agency, the Patriots’ running back depth chart is wide open. Even for a team that is used a committee approach at the position for the bulk of the past decade, there are certainly roles, carries and opportunities to be earned.

“The job is open. There are a bunch of good running backs here,” Blount said of a group that also includes Jonas Gray, Brandon Bolden, James White, Dion Lewis and Tyler Gaffney. “All of our running backs are pretty good, and at some point they played really well in their career. It’s an open job. Everybody’s got to fight for that position.”

–Guard Harland Gunn was awarded to the Patriots off waivers from the Falcons. The 6-foot-2, 310-pounder is a veteran of three seasons in Atlanta. Over the past two seasons, he played in 13 games and made one start.

–Offensive lineman Kevin Hughes was waived/injured Monday, a couple of days after leaving a training camp practice early with an apparent shoulder injury. Hughes is a former rookie free agent who has spent time with the St. Louis Rams, San Diego Chargers, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers. He signed with New England on May 11.

–Defensive tackle Vince Taylor was waived/failed physical Monday. The undrafted rookie out of Vanderbilt opened training camp on the physically unable to perform list after reportedly failing the team’s conditioning run.