If the New England Patriots were a vehicle, all passengers would be thankful to have the preseason in the rearview mirror as they head toward the regular season, and Devin McCourty would be the kid in the backseat constantly asking, "Are we there yet?"

The new season gives McCourty a chance to put a disappointing 2011 behind him. It also gives him a chance to compete against his twin brother, Jason McCourty, a cornerback for the Tennessee Titans, New England's Week 1 opponent.

Pride and bragging rights are on the line, but Devin McCourty said he won't be sharing tips with the New England wide receivers to gain a leg up on his brother.

"No, man, I can't do that," he said. "I don't have much time to watch him, but he's probably similar to me, I would guess."

But Devin's loyalties aren't entirely with his brother. He told Jason that he should lose his number until after the game, but not until a good bit of friendly trash talk took place.

 "Nothing crazy," Devin McCourty said. "It's only between us, but there was a little bit (of talk)."

Demps done for year: Patriots coach Bill Belichick confirmed that rookie RB Jeff Demps is done for the season after being placed on IR with a leg injury Friday. To be eligible for the newly instituted short-term injured reserve, Demps, who is signed through 2014, would have had to be placed and remain on the 53-man roster through Tuesday.

Practice peek: S Steve Gregory, RBs Danny Woodhead and Shane Vereen and TE Visanthe Shiancoe were not at Sunday's full-pads practice. OL Nick McDonald dressed but did not participate, and S Patrick Chung wore a red noncontact jersey.

TE Aaron Hernandez retreated to the locker room at the start of the session without a member of the training staff. He didn't return during the period that is open to media.

No Waters: G Brian Waters still has not reported for work, and Belichick was unwilling to offer an update on his status. History suggests he could report and be ready for the opener after not singing until Sept. 4 last year.

Add one to the P-Squad: The Patriots signed FB James Develin (6-foot-3, 251 pounds) to the practice squad. He served on the Bengals practice squad last season and for parts of 2010 after a stint in the United Football League.

Up next: Players are back for practice Monday and have Tuesday off.

Nick Underhill covers the Patriots for MassLive.com. Follow him on Twitter @CBSSportsNFLNE or @nick_underhill.