When training camp opens to the fans and media Thursday morning in Foxborough, they’ll be plenty of stuff to keep an eye on. Here are five body parts I think will demand some extra attention.
The left knee … of Tom Brady. Brady’s left knee is the undeniable focus of not only the Patriots’ training camp, but the NFL as a whole. If he’s healthy, the Patriots are an undeniable Super Bowl favorite. Throughout the spring practices, Brady appeared to move without trouble. There was the usual Brady zip on the ball, and he ram through the same drills as the rest of the quarterbacks.
It’s important to remember that no matter how well he’s looked in the spring and how well he looks this summer -- he won’t play much, if at all, in the preseason -- there’s no real way to gauge where he’s at until the start of the regular season. But the steps he takes over the next few days on that surgically repaired left knee will be some of the most scrutinized of his career.
The right shoulder … of Laurence Maroney. Maroney struggled with an injury last season, appearing to shy away from contact on a few occasions, most notably on Oct. 5 against the 49ers in San Francisco. It was later discovered he was suffering from a broken bone in his right shoulder and as a result, Maroney was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 20.
He told reporters this spring that “the legs are feeling fresher than ever.” But it’s the state of the shoulder that will create a domino effect on the rest of the roster -- if Maroney is OK, they won’t be inclined to keep so many running backs around (which means bad news for BenJarvus Green-Ellis and reduced reps for Sammy Morris and Fred Taylor) and maybe adding an extra tight end. If his shoulder is still giving him trouble, New England might think twice about keeping that extra tight end at the expense of an extra set of legs in the backfield.
The legs … of Joey Galloway. Galloway remains a burner of the highest order, and that speed could be the biggest difference for him in this camp. The 37-year-old is a step ahead of Greg Lewis literally and figuratively in the race for the No. 3 receiver spot, and could benefit from a year with Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker in the same way that other veteran pass-catchers have done who have lined up in the New England offense.
The face of … whoever is at outside linebacker. Pierre Woods? Stryker Sulak? Derrick Burgess? Andre Tippett? Who will be lined up opposite Adalius Thomas at the outside linebacker spot when the Patriots take the field against the Bills in the season-opener on Sept. 14 at Gillette Stadium?
That spot, inhabited for eight seasons by the durable Mike Vrabel, is now vacant after Vrabel was dealt to the Chiefs in the offseason. In his place? At this moment, it’s likely going to be Woods, but that could change if New England decides to try and pry the disgruntled Burgess from the Raiders or Sulak decides to sign as a free agent with the Patriots. (Burgess wasn’t at the first day of Oakland’s training camp Wednesday, leading some to speculate that possible trade talks with New England are back on, while Sulak worked out for the Patriots Tuesday in Foxborough.)
The hands of … Brandon Meriweather. By his own admission, he had some bad mitts as a rookie. Really bad. But after spending the time between his rookie and second season working to get better, the results paid off handsomely. He led the team in interceptions last season, an incomprehensible thought after watching him bat around footballs his rookie year. If he can make the same strides in 2009, the Patriots might have a playmaking defensive back on their hands … no pun intended.
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