I took a trip down to Foxborough to see this year's New England Patriots Training Camp.
They held both a morning and afternoon session. It was a warm, humid day weather-wise, and a lot of fun.
A few observations:
- Tom Brady looked fine coming off of his knee injury - no limp, no problems throwing. Other than the black brace on his left knee, he looks just like the Tom Brady of the 2007 season.
- Fred Taylor looks terrific. He was faster than I expected, and was making some terrific cuts in one-on-one drills versus the linebackers. He' going to be a great addition to an already good running game.
- Jerod Mayo is a beast. Perhaps because of the year of experience, or just some fantastic offseason conditioning, but he looks even faster and stronger than last year.
- Adalius Thomas is amazing. In drills versus the running backs he was able to either run around them or just run through them. He couldn't be stopped.
- Randy Moss was just being Randy Moss. When he catches a football, it seems to touch only his fingertips and hands - never his body. He is so smooth to watch.
- The offense looks really solid. With the exception of the tight ends, virtually every position is covered with both high-end talent, and depth. They could be quite special again this year.
- The defense, and particularly the defensive backfield, will look very different this year with all the acquisitions and draftees. If these two practices were any indication, it will be much better.
