Tom Brady Speaks
Courtesy of The New England Patriots
Q: How’s it going for you so far out there?
TB: Some good, some bad. I think everybody would like us to be a little further along right now, but we’re trying to incorporate a lot of new things and trying to build an identity for this team, this offense. I think the team works hard, which is encouraging, so if we just string a bunch of good practices together, I think in a few weeks when we’re ready to play, it will turn out pretty good.
Q: How excited are you to throw to these new targets?
TB: I’m excited. I think every year there’s always excitement. I think the thing you realize is there’s a lot of work to be done. You bring in a guy like Wes [Welker] and Kelley [Washington] and Randy [Moss], obviously, and Donté [Stallworth], and they have their own type of skill set and we’ve got to just find a way to incorporate them. They’re doing well. I think the best thing is, I don’t know if you guys can see it, but in the run drills they’re blocking just as hard for the running backs as they are in those pass plays when they’re going out. There’s guys that are clearing out, running through the middle of the field and running as hard as they can so they can clear room for a teammate. It’s a very unselfish group, and I think that’s what makes a great receiver group and it’s only going to help our offense.
Q: How do you like hooking up with Randy [Moss]?
TB: I think he’s doing great. He’s in great shape. He does a lot of great things out here. He’s a very, very smart football player, one of those guys who can see things out on the field and react without you really having to tell him and he’s very much like a quarterback in that sense. It’s been good thus far, I’d like to hit him a few more times - I think I missed him a few times - but for the most part we’re making some improvements.
Q: [Randy Moss] mentioned on Friday that it was very important to connect off the field with you as well. Do you feel that way with all of your receivers right now, trying to get to know them on the field and off the field to build that connection?
TB: Of course, of course. That’s a big part of it, you have to build trust with one another. It’s just like any relationship, it takes time to build and grow. I’m most concerned with what happens on the field, but I beat him in poker yesterday so I’m happy about that.
Q: Has breaking in all the receivers last year helped you this year with another new staff, learning some things you learned last year and incorporating new targets?
TB: I think every year is a little bit different. No doubt, we had to do that last year as well. It was tough last year because a lot of the stuff happened at the very end, with a guy like Doug Gabriel and Jabar [Gaffney] coming in midway through the year, Reche [Caldwell] switching positions, but I think we have learned a lot in that sense and I think we realize that the offense changes and it evolves and the type of things we did last year are going to change to kind of what works for us this year. It’s exciting, it’s exciting for all of us to be out here, and I know everyone’s excited to be back to work and you have some structure to your day. There’s nothing more fun than coming out here and throwing the football around. It’s been good.
Q: What about Benjamin Watson, it seems like a lot of people forget about him.
TB: Not me. I don’t care what anyone else says, I’m not forgetting about him. He made some nice plays out there today, made some nice catches on the scout team. He’s doing great. Ben has a great attitude, a great work ethic and I think another year in the offense for him too is going to benefit all of us.
Q: How amazed are you, seeing some of the fans out here, going over there and getting a standing ovation?
TB: When we run out in practice and when we run laps [because] we’re getting in trouble, we get cheered for that, so I don’t know if they know why we’re running. I don’t think they’d be cheering us if they did.
Q: This isn’t your first look at these guys. You’ve had mini camp and you’ve had passing camp workouts, but can you tell things from those that you can’t tell here, or vice versa?
TB: It’s different when you put the pads on. When you go against a team in full pads and you can run some play action fakes – we hit a flea flicker yesterday on Rodney [Harrison] – it doesn’t matter until you put the pads on, because you don’t play football in your shorts and it’s just different. It’s a different game, and I think the players who are very mentally tough who can deal with the heat and the conditions and the length of the practices and how often we’re out here, I mean those are the guys who really excel.
Q: How comfortable are you throwing into double coverage with Randy Moss downfield?
TB: It continues to identify itself. I tried it on Eugene [Wilson] here late on the last throw of the day I had. There are some advantages if you can get it on the right players, but at the same time you’d rather find a one-on-one, especially when you’ve got guys like Wes [Welker], who really gets open on one-on-one, Kevin Faulk, Jabar [Gaffney], Reche [Caldwell], those guys can get open on one-on-one. My job is to send everybody out, identify the coverage and then pick the guy who’s going to be the most open, so I hope I’m not firing into double coverage a whole lot. Not a lot of good things come from that.
Q: You’ve got rookies coming through training camp. If they’re looking for advice, what do you tell them?
TB: To be seen and not heard. The best advice I think I give those guys is to be quiet and follow the veteran leaders on the team. Whatever you see a guy like Rodney Harrison doing or Tedy [Bruschi] or [Mike] Vrabel, just follow what those guys do and you’ll be just fine. You can tell them, but a lot of time with young guys, Coach [Bill] Belichick says, ‘You don’t know how little you know,’ so that about sums it up.
Q: One of Randy’s strengths is being able to go up and get the ball down the field. How much have you been working on that and is that unique when you think back to your time here, to have that weapon to go to?
TB: One of Randy’s strengths is that he tracks the ball in the air very well. You guys see it, everything looks effortless down the field and I think he judges the height of the ball a lot like a center fielder, you can see the ball and you can always judge it. He does a great job with that, he knows when to put his hands out, knows not to do it too early because that really triggers the defensive back to put his hands up, so that’s a big strength of his game. I hope I can throw it as far as he can run.
Q: How much of an adjustment is that for you, executing that particular type of throw?
TB: It’s something you’ve got to work on. We’ve had routes that I’ve run here for seven years and you’re very comfortable doing it, but there’s certain things we haven’t done in seven years so you try to get up to speed as best you can, putting the ball down the field where he can really stretch out and run after it. That’s a big part of it.
Q: Have you talked to Asante [Samuel] at all? Called him?
TB: I haven’t talked to him. If it’s any hotter in Florida, then I hope he’s getting good work in. I hope he shows up. We all know it’s really none of our control.
Q: When do you gain confidence and a comfortable level with some of these wide receivers that are brand new, that you’re not familiar with? When do you think that’s going to happen? September? Game time? Preseason?
TB: It’s a process. I think sometimes it happens sooner rather than later. It all depends on how much work you put in, how competitive the drills are, how well you do in the preseason games, what you realize, what you learn from each other. I’d like to think we’re going to pick it up pretty quick, though. Like I said, if we keep working hard, if we keep coming out here, concentrating and putting maximum effort out here, then it comes fast. I hope it doesn’t take until the first game of the year. I hope after 30 or 40 practices we have a pretty good idea of what I think we’re all capable of.
Q: Tom, you turn 30 this summer and you have a baby on the way, in any way do you feel that this is a new phase of your life or your career, or is it still the same?
TB: I still feel like I’m 22, so I don’t know if that’s good or bad. I think each year is a little different, and I think I’m at a point in my career where I know what it takes to prepare myself, and I’ve tried just about everything at this point, so you eliminate a lot of stuff you did in the past and you can really hone in and be efficient in how to prepare for games and just to maximize your time. One thing I’m doing that’s a little bit different is I’m really monitoring my throws in the preseason. Before I’d come out and I’d throw 100 balls a day, and after awhile you throw 100 balls every practice, and it’s 200 balls a day in two a days and you go, ‘Gosh, after four days why is my arm sore?’ Well, because you think about what major league baseball pitchers do, throw 100 pitches and take five days off, so we’re throwing a lot out here, and I think just try to understand how much I’m throwing and the type of throws we’re making, it’s all part of the process. Everybody has to get ready differently. The receivers have to run a lot, quarterbacks have to throw a lot, [the offensive and defensive] line has to just be mentally tough and kind of endure out here, but it’s a process for everybody.
Q: You say every year is different. Would you agree that this year is significantly different, given that you’re having a child?
TB: I don’t know. I haven’t had a child yet, so I’ll tell you when it happens.
Q: Have you thought about guys like LeBron James, Tiger Woods, and Jeff Gordon that had their kids and did really well this year?
TB: Well I hope that’s a good omen. I hope that doesn’t determine whether I’m having a good year or not. As a team, we’ve got to come out here and make it a great year. Coach [Bill] Belichick always says, ‘You’ve got to earn it.’ Part of the process of earning it is coming out here in camp and working hard, sweating a lot, and coming out the next practice and working just as hard.
Q: Tom, once you become a father, do you plan on taking any time off, will you be able to do that?
TB: I don’t know, ask Coach [Bill] Belichick on that one.
Q: The way that the season ended last year, you’re an intense competitor, how much did losing at Indianapolis really drive you right now?
TB: I think you learn from situations like that. I hope we all learned very valuable lessons in that game and at the same time, that’s what’s happened in the past. You’ve got to learn from the mistakes, but you can’t dwell on them. You have to use those as motivation, and I think you have a very motivated football team here. If we stay motivated and we continue to come out, work hard, listen to our coaches, be unselfish and do our own job it’s going to be a successful year.
