Brady leads Patriot teammates in informal workouts

Tom Brady returned to Massachusetts this week to lead 40 players in informal workouts at the Boston College practice field.

Among the players in attendance were wide receiver Deion Branch, tight end Rob Gronkowski, center Dan Koppen, and wide receiver Wes Welker, just to name a few. First-rounder Nate Solder and third-rounder Ryan Mallet were some of notable rookies.

The practice session lasted for about two hours. It consisted of players wearing t-shirt, shorts, and cleats; there were no pads and/or contact, since injuries are currently not covered by team ownership. The players mostly ran some basic drills like sprints, pass routes, and footwork drills.

Brady walked with a noticeable limp; he’s still healing from the foot surgery he had done at the end of last season. However, his passes still possessed their usual zip.

> Find New England Patriots jerseys & hats online through Pro Football Fans for all your team gear!

A lot of players commented on how they were just enjoying being around the guys. Some players were happy to get back to brush up on the terminology they need to know going into the season.

No coaches were present because of the NFL lockout restrictions. Tom Brady led the offense in practice and linebacker Jerod Mayo led the defense.

Linebacker Rob Ninkovich said, “The large turnout this week really showed great team camaraderie.” He went on to say, “We weren’t happy how things ended last year, so we want to be ready as best we can for when this season starts.”

By: Ryan K. Lee
ProFootball-fans.com New England Patriots Correspondent