enlarge The Associated Press

Laurence Maroney was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 20 last season with shoulder problems, but he was back at it on Thursday when the Patriots opened training camp.

enlarge The Associated Press

The season ended so quickly for Tom Brady last September, his knee shredded in the first quarter of the first game of 2008. But now he’s back, again throwing passes for the New England Patriots.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — With a crack of thunder, a bolt of lightning and a monsoon-like downpour, the first New England Patriots practice of 2009 came to a sudden end. Players sprinted for the locker room faster than they had in any drill Thursday morning, and fans scrambled to get off the aluminum bleachers near the field.

All in all, said linebacker Pierre Woods, it was a good start. "This is what training camp is about," he said.

Well, maybe without the storm, which cut the morning portion of Thursday's double session by about 30 minutes.

One of the most anticipated Patriots' seasons in years – the 50th in team history – opened with the usual excitement and reality check. While the thousands of fans who watched the practice ooohed and aaahed every time the recovering Tom Brady completed a pass, players and their head coach let everyone know that it's far too early to be printing playoff tickets.

"We have a long road in front of us," said Bill Belichick, starting his 10th season as the Patriots head coach. "I think we are heading in the right direction so far, but we certainly have a long way to go. It's good to see the team back out there."

For fans and teammates, it was especially good to see Brady back out there. His 2008 season lasted less than one quarter of the season opener, when Kansas City safety Bernard Pollard hit Brady's left knee, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament.

Brady had surgery and was done for the year. The Patriots, led by since-traded backup quarterback Matt Cassel, finished out of the playoffs despite an 11-5 record.

Brady is not the only one returning from injury. Linebacker Adalius Thomas, running back Laurence Maroney, defensive back Terrence Wheatley and Woods all finished the season on the injured reserve list. They were all on the practice field Thursday.

As running back Kevin Faulk said, the team gains confidence by seeing all of them back on the field.

But their return is not the only thing that has fans excited. The Patriots were very active in the offseason.

Outside linebacker Mike Vrabel, a stalwart in New England's three Super Bowl championships, was traded along with Cassel to Kansas City. Cornerback Ellis Hobbs was traded to Philadelphia. Fullback Heath Evans was released. All three – Vrabel, Hobbs and Evans – were strong voices in the locker room.

The Patriots imported several veterans to replace them. They signed running back Fred Taylor (one of the NFL's best over the last decade), tight end Chris Baker, defensive backs Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs, and wide receiver Joey Galloway. They also traded for wide receiver Greg Lewis and tight end Alex Smith.

While the newcomers may not be as vocal as those players who departed, they provide something that is vital to a winning team.

"Leadership," said Faulk, entering his 11th season with the Patriots. "(They are) a lot of guys that have been around, that have played a lot of football, that understand what it takes to win games in the National Football League."

Both Taylor, who gained 11,271 years in 11 years with Jacksonville before signing with the Patriots, and Lewis, who spent six years with the Eagles, spoke about the new veteran presence. They know that they have to be careful not to push too hard in a locker room filled with strong-willed players such as Richard Seymour, Tedy Bruschi and Matt Light.

"It's simple," said Taylor, 33. "I've been around for a while, I've seen a lot, and it's only through my experience that I speak. If I see someone slacking or not doing the right job, I'll kind of pull them aside and say, 'Hey, I don't think that will be for the better of the team.'

"I try not to overstep my boundaries. I still have to learn the playbook, learn some of my offensive linemen's names and a lot of the coaches' names. So I'm still getting used to everything...