Tom Brady Returns, Raises Expectations for the 2009 New England Patriots

(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

With a few simple throws on Monday, Tom Brady put rumors of a delayed recovery to rest, as ESPN cameras caught the Patriots quarterback throwing some passes at Gillette Stadium. 

After undergoing season-ending knee surgery last season, some wondered if Brady would ever be the same. Some talk show callers even called for keeping Matt Cassel on the roster, just in case Brady went down with another knee injury.

However, after taking a look at the ESPN footage, it seems pretty clear that Brady has no discomfort in his injured knee. He will be taking part in the Patriots' offseason workouts this week, with reporters viewing the session on Thursday.

Brady's return also brings with it a sense of excitement to Patriot Nation. Last year was a fun ride, but it just wasn't the same without No. 12 under center. Seeing Brady on the field for the Patriots' full squad practices this week has to energize the players, the coaches, and the fans.

After an 11-5 season that saw the Patriots just miss a playoff spot, Brady's return brings up a few questions.

1. How big of an impact can one player have on an organization? 

While Matt Cassel performed better than most had anticipated last season, he had some giant shoes to fill. Tom Brady is a world-class athlete and one of the most successful quarterbacks of all time, and with his return comes a sense of vindication, another chance for him to lead his team to the playoffs. 

However, it was only a few seasons ago when Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Palmer went down with a knee injury, and upon his return he saw his team go 8-8 one year after their first playoff run in decades. The Bengals haven't reached the playoffs since then.

Playing with the same weapons, plus guys like Joey Galloway and Fred Taylor, Brady will have another chance to reenact his amazing 2007 season and will probably have much better results than Palmer and the Bengals. 

2. Will Brady play this preseason?

The preseason always poses some interesting questions when it comes to personnel decisions and playing time. Preseason contests are a good chance for the coaching staff to weed out the players that can't hack it in the NFL, as well as settle any possible positional battles.

However, when a player that is guaranteed a starting spot comes back after an injury, there is always a debate about how many snaps he should get, if any.

Last season, we saw Colts QB Peyton Manning undergo two knee surgeries, causing him to miss training camp and all five of the Colts' preseason contests. Missing all this time caused Manning to be less than stellar in his first few games, as he stressed the importance of being available in the preseason.

"I guess in some ways, this really is like the first week of the season for me," Manning said. "All I've ever known is taking every rep at every practice and playing in all the preseason games, so I did miss some time there, and I've been working through that."

With Brady missing the entire 2008 season, it is absolutely imperative that he participate in the Patriots' preseason games to get used to the speed of the game, making adjustments, and making good throws under pressure. 

3. Can Tom Brady shake the Hollywood image?

In recent years, we have seen our working-class quarterback morph into this Joe DiMaggio-like figure, being seen on the town with his supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen. Brady has reached a level of superstardom that transcends football. Everything he does is newsworthy, whether it's on the field or not.

Some doubters have said that Brady may not be focused anymore. I strongly disagree. 

This season is the perfect opportunity for Brady to prove that he is a football player first and foremost, and a damn good one at that. 

This isn't Dallas, where a certain quarterback's girlfriend can disrupt an entire franchise from her box seat. No, this is New England, where the Patriots organization is second to none in dealing with the media machine. 

In his time off, newspapers have covered Brady doing everything but playing football, but this year, there will be more pictures of Brady throwing touchdown passes than walking the red carpet.

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