FOXBORO - You hear the words "pistol" and "University of Miami" and "cleat-stomping" and you just don't think New England Patriots.

Until today.

Brandon Meriweather never really accepted the blame for his actions face-to-face, but Bill Belichick is apparently satisfied.

Meriweather's act of contrition for his part in the ugly University of Miami-Florida International "foot-brawl" came via a prepared letter.

Nobody has heard the words "I'm sorry" for his disgusting cleat-stomping of the opposition, at least until yesterday.

And today, Meriweather is a New England Patriot, selected 24th overall in the first round of the NFL Draft.

"We're comfortable with the player that we drafted," Belichick announced, shortly after dealing away the team's second pick of the first-round (No. 28) for a 2008 first-rounder from the San Francisco 49ers. "I really don't have anything else to add."

It was at that point that Belichick went biblical to defend the choice, adding:

"I think all of us have made mistakes. At least I have. I'm sure others of us have in this room."

Belichick personally put plenty of time into Meriweather, approaching the hard-hitting free safety from all angles.

As defensive coordinator Dean Pees stated yesterday, Meriweather was the only defensive player that Belichick worked out personally.

And Meriweather apparently sold himself successfully, noting "when we talked, it was like clockwork."

In Meriweather, the Patriots fill a void, but not exactly the most important void in the secondary.

At only 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, he doesn't actually fill the suit of a run-supporting, aggressive ballhawk, a la a young Rodney Harrison.

This is not a replacement for the aging, somewhat brittle Harrison. It's more competition for a suddenly vulnerable Eugene Wilson.

What he can do well is cover, meaning he should see plenty of time in sub defenses, covering slot receivers in a nickel or dime-back role.

"I think he has a physical element to his play," said Belichick. "He's not 225 pounds. But for his size, he's certainly not afraid to get up in there and tackle and support the run on the line of scrimmage."

As expected, defensive backs on the whole were a hot commodity, with six other DBs - LSU's LaRon Landry, Pitt's Darrelle Revis, Michigan's Leon Hall, Texas' Mike Griffin, Florida's Reggie Nelson and Texas' Aaron Ross gone before the Pats ever went on the clock.

Contacted at home yesterday in central Florida, Meriweather seemed relieved and anxious to put the Miami experience and "character issues" behind him.

"I'm just a guy that loves to win," said Meriweather. "A lot of time with the University of Miami, it's all about perceptions. But once you get to meet us, that all changes."

Huge Meriweather fan

"When I finally got to him, I gave Brandon a hug and told him (New England) was the perfect place for him," said Apopka (Fla.) High School coach Rick Darlington. "I firmly believe that. Coach Belichick is one of the greatest defensive minds in the history of the game. To have the opportunity to learn from him is just incredible for Brandon. What a way to learn about pro football."

Darlington, who had just returned to his Umatilla, Fla., home after spending the afternoon with Meriweather, sounded like a proud papa as he boasted about his 2001 defensive captain.

Darlington dismissed the 23-year-old's "character issues" as simply bad judgments brought on by youth.

Apprehensive Patriots fans will be at ease when it comes to Meriweather, according to the coach.

"We all know he shouldn't have done it," said Darlington of Meriweather's stomping the opposition in an all-out brawl against Florida International. "He knows he shouldn't have. As for the gun incident (last July), he never shot at anyone. It was after his friend (Willie Cooper) was shot in the butt. He just shot in the air."

Asked for a scouting report on his former Central Florida Player of the Year, Meriweather noted two things stand out: His football acumen and his ability to lay the hurt on the opposition.

"We put out a highlight tape on him as a junior and you should have seen some of the hits. He was laying people out," said Darlington. "He had his pick of colleges, just from that tape.

"Football wise, he's very intelligent kid. And he's a great leader. He's the kind of kid that will pick things up quickly. I hope that he'll earn and down the road. He's the type of kid that will be out there passing things on to the younger guys when he gets it."

Deals make winners

Those who sat still were not rewarded in yesterday's NFL Draft.

It was the dealers, who cashed in.

Take three teams: Cleveland, Kansas City and Dallas. All three were in perfect position to cash in on Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn's tumble down through the first round.

Cleveland and Dallas got busy.

The Browns, who expended the third pick in the draft on franchise left tackle Joe Thomas, traded away their top pick on 2008 plus this year's second-rounder, No. 36 overall, for the 22nd pick. Romeo Crennel then took Quinn, who many projected as a top two pick, there.

Kansas, picking 23rd, saw their potential franchise QB (Quinn) swiped away in seconds and settled for LSU receiver Dwayne Bowe.

What good is Bowe without a QB to get him the ball?

And how about Crennel, getting a franchise left tackle and QB, all in one draft?

Dallas wasn't done either.

The Cowboys dealt No. 36, No. 87 and No. 159 all away to move back into the first round, grabbing Purdue defensive end Anthony Spencer at No. 26.

All in all, it was a good day for Dallas, too.

Count the Pats among those skilled in the art of the deal.

Swapping the No. 28 pick this year, and a chance for stud left tackle Joe Staley of Central Michigan, with for San Francisco's top pick in 2008, plus a fourth-rounder tomorrow was brilliant.

San Francisco remains in that fragile rebuilding stage, meaning the 2008 pick has top-10 potential if the Niners regress.

Consider San Fran swindled.