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When he first walked out onto the practice field on Friday, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady probably had flashes of Training Camp from 2007 pop into his head. Well, he's got good reason too.
In addition to reconnecting with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Brady has also been able to work once again with receivers from his past. With both being signed by the Patriots this offseason, Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth are back and on Tom Brady's list of possible targets.
Both Gaffney and Stallworth had tremendous chemistry with Brady back in 2007, as they caught over 1,000 of Brady's 4,806 passing yards. Now that both Gaffney and Stallworth are back on the team, Brady says it's been great to reconnect and work with them once again.
"It's been a lot of fun. There is so much familiarity with what they're capable of and what they can do. It doesn't seem like it's taken long for them to kind of get re-acclimated to what we do. Both of them are making a lot of plays out there and it's exciting for a quarterback," he said.
"I think there is a certain level of trust that you have. Offensive football is about 11 guys doing their job. You can't do anyone else's job on offense. If 11 guys aren't doing the right thing, it doesn't end up being a good play.
"You have guys who you've played with, who you've won games with, that you really have a lot of trust in. You can go out there early and execute at a relatively high level."
In addition to working with old friends during training camp, Brady has also been able to work with a new face in wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. He says that it's been great to work with Lloyd, who's style has perfectly fit McDaniels' offense from his years in Denver and St. Louis.
"He knows what he's doing out there. It's not like there is a lot of studying the playbook," Brady said. "He wants to be a big part of this offense. I obviously want to help him become a big part of this offense. So there is constant communication between the two of us.