2009 PATRIOTS TRAINING CAMP

Tom Brady has never been one to bail out in the pocket. There have been few better at feeling a pass rush and not panicking with the pocket collapsing around him. The Patriots quarterback has been a master at making the subtle move to buy time or avoid a sack. He was born with that innate sense of knowing which way to step to create a little more breathing room before throwing a pass. Or he'll simply stand in there until the last possible second before delivering the Football. It all begs a couple of questions: Will any of that change now that Brady has had his left knee surgically reconstructed? Will he be able to clear that mental hurdle of dealing with bodies flying at his legs? Will he be his old self right away, or will he flinch at the first sign of danger? In the coming weeks, as training camp progesses into the preseason, and then the regular season, many of these questions will finally get answered. One of the people who knows him best, Tom Martinez, believes it's going to take a little time before we see the Brady with the iron-clad pocket presence. Reached yesterday at his home in California, Martinez, the longtime passing coach of Brady who has tutored the quarterback since 1990, wouldn't be surprised if his prized pupil is a little gun-shy at first. ``Tom Brady has a special kind of mind and heart. That's what makes him what he is,'' said Martinez. ``But I still think there's a normal reaction to an injury, especially to a lower extremity, that you actually have to stride into a throw to get any kind of velocity. So you're stepping into the people that are coming after your injury. So it's going to be a mental challenge for Tom in the beginning. ``One of the things I always admired about him was how pocket-tough he was. His ability to stay in the pocket until the last second to get the ball down the field. Let the receiver get the extra two steps to get open,'' Martinez said. ``There are other NFL quarterbacks that bail out, that won't stay whenever the pocket starts to close. They bail. He's been one that's stayed in the pocket right to the end. So it'll be interesting to see if he's quick-releasing it to get rid of it to not take the hit ... but I'm sure he'll work his way through it.'' Transition period expected Martinez cited the case of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who took a while to get his bearings last year after returning from knee surgery. He wouldn't be surprised to see Brady experience a similar period of transition. ``(Manning) was underthrowing everything. He was very hesitant and not finishing his throws. It's a very normal response to being injured, especially in the lower extremities where you can't protect yourself,'' Martinez said. ``Inside, I don't care who you are, even the best of them, that first period of time, there's a hesitancy, and you could really see it in Peyton. It took three or four games. But by the end of it, it was like he never had the surgery.'' Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who returned from a similar injury suffered during the '05 playoffs, addressed the subject prior to minicamp. He essentially backed the insights provided by Brady's quarterback guru. ``You have to get over being uneasy about people being down around your feet, and get over feeling like you need to step out of the way to protect yourself,'' Palmer said. ``You've got to get over the mental obstacle of stepping into your throw when someone's coming at you. I was throwing off my back foot for a while after I came back. It took me a while before I could get over that feeling.'' Martinez says we'll know with Brady soon enough by watching his eyes. ``If you watch (a quarterback's) eyes, that'll tell you what's going on in the brain. When guys start looking down toward the pass rush to see who's coming, they've lost the pocket toughness to keep their eyes up the field,'' Martinez said. ``The ones that can do that make more big plays. They're not worried about getting hit, they're worreid about holding it so the guy can get open. At his prime, that's what Tom did. It's going to be a challlenge to get back to that point where he's comfortable, and he doesn't think about it. ``I always tell people it's not like getting a flu shot. It's not like you're going to be tough a week from now. You're not going to change in a week. Lance Armstrong had to get back into shape to do what he just did. And Michael Vick is going to have to go through growing pains to get back into Football condition, and the mental part of it that slips away if you don't stay on top of it.'' Recent past a nightmare Martinez pointed out that the two lasting memories Brady has to draw from aren't especially positive. They are the season-ending injury in the first quarter of the Kansas City game, when Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard broke in and rolled into his knee, and of getting physically pummelled by the New York Giants (five sacks) in the Super Bowl. Those are daunting images. Plus, Martinez believes it's now going to be many teams' strategy to go after Brady and attack him because of that knee, and because they won't be able to cover his arsenal of receivers. ``I do believe that's going to be a theme of teams trying to beat the Patriots ,'' Martinez said. ``Going after him. But coach (Bill) Belichick is the best to me there is at understanding what has to happen, what needs to happen, and how to make that happen. I'm sure with the combination of Tommy's toughness and Belichick's understanding of what needs to happen to get him to his finest level, it's just a question of time.'' Brady made it through minicamp, but that was a no-pads, noncontact affair. He wasn't completely fluid with his dropbacks and showed some signs of a limp. All in all, he wasn't bad for a guy just eight months removed from major knee surgery, with a staph infection on top. Others, like Palmer, Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb, and San Diego's Philip Rivers, have made it back from major knee injuries after that initial adjustment period. ``No one knows exactly how well his knee is except him. So there could still be problems. There could still be pain, so that is something that's individual to him,'' Martinez said. ``Some guys come out of it and there's no pain. Other guys, there's tremendous pain. ``The first couple times in the pocket, it's going to be natural for him to protect himself. All your life, you protect your face in a fight. That's what happens. The one thing I can say with him, because we've been doing it 19 years now, is he really understands what he does and who he is. I've seen him start games where mechanically he was making mistakes, in my opinion, and he'll come out the next series and correct those things. Then he's right where he should be. He really understands what it takes, and what it's all about. ``So I just think he really just needs to get back in the game. The rest will take care of itself.'' GRAPHIC: GUIDE TO CAMP: The Patriots open training camp tomorrow. As they prepare for their 50th season, they will open their facility and practices to the public. Parking and admission are free. Check Patriots.com for schedule changes. TENTATIVE CAMP SCHEDULE: All times and schedules are tentative and subject to change at a moment's notice. Fans should check www.Patriots.com or call the training camp hotline at 508-549-0001 to confirm practice times prior to their departure. JULY 30 - AUG. 5 MORNING AFTERNOON Patriots PRACTICE PRACTICE EXPERIENCE PRO SHOP 9:30 - 11:15 a.m. 3:45 - 5:30 p.m. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Opening: At least 45 min. before practice Closing: At least 45 min. after practice Prohibited items: To ensure that all fans have a safe and enjoyable visit to Gillette Stadium for Patriots training camp, the following items are prohibited: Video cameras Flags will be allowed, however flag poles over two feet in length will not be allowed. Any alcoholic beverages Weapons of any kind (including knives) Illegal drugs or any other illegal substance Coolers Fireworks or pyrotechnics Animals, except service animals assisting those with disabilities Noise makers Bullhorns and air horns Helium balloons Beach balls Any other item deemed inappropriate by stadium management No prohibited items will be accepted at training camp for safekeeping. Fans are reminded to please leave all such items secured in their vehicles. Individuals with possession of a prohibited item(s) may be denied admission to training camp, ejected, arrested and prosecuted. Prohibited items that are discovered at training camp will be confiscated. Patriots Experience: Patriots Experience is an interactive Football-themed playground, features interactive games allowing fans to test their kicking, passing and tackling skills on a variety of obstacle courses and similar challenges. Fans can also enjoy games, music, face painting and appearances by the Patriots cheerleaders. All fans participating in Patriots Experience must sign a waiver form, available at training camp or online at Patriots.com. Patriots Experience will be open on practice days from July 30 through Aug. 5 Inclement weather: When the Patriots are forced to practice indoors due to inclement weather or poor field conditions, practices will be closed to the public. NOTE: A map of the Patriots Training Camp and Patriots place is provided on page 61.