10 Storylines For Patriots Training Camp

We%20may%20never%20again%20see%20Tom%20Brady%20connect%20with%20a%20receiver%20the%20way%20he%20did%20with%20Randy%20Moss%20in%202007%2C%20but%20his%20new%20connection%20with%20Brandon%20Lloyd%20might%20be%20as%20close%20as%20it%20gets.%20Lloyd%20is%20about%20the%20same%20age%20that%20Moss%20was%20when%20he%20came%20to%20New%20England%2C%20and%20he%26%238217%3Bs%20averaged%20eight%20touchdowns%20and%20more%20than%201%2C200%20yards%20in%20the%20past%20two%20seasons.%20We%20know%20that%20Lloyd%20has%20worked%20well%20with%20offensive%20coordinator%20Josh%20McDaniels%20in%20the%20past%2C%20but%20in%20camp%20we%26%238217%3Bll%20all%20get%20to%20see%20how%20he%20looks%20working%20with%20his%20new%20quarterback.%20As%20evidenced%20by%20veterans%20like%20Joey%20Galloway%20and%20Chad%20Johnson%2C%20sometimes%20that%20connection%20isn%26%238217%3Bt%20so%20easy%20to%20get%20started.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%28Photo%20by%20Otto%20Greule%20Jr%2FGetty%20Images%29

He%20was%20arguably%20the%20most%20dominant%20player%20in%20the%20entire%20NFL%20last%20year%2C%20but%20an%20ankle%20injury%20suffered%20in%20the%20AFC%20Championship%20Game%20made%20him%20little%20more%20than%20a%20decoy%20in%20the%20Super%20Bowl.%20After%20offseason%20surgery%2C%20all%20eyes%20will%20be%20on%20Gronk%26%238217%3Bs%20ankle%20throughout%20training%20camp%20and%20the%20preseason%20games.%20If%20the%2023-year-old%20hopes%20to%20improve%20upon%20his%20record-setting%201%2C327%20yards%20and%2018%20total%20touchdowns%2C%20he%26%238217%3Bll%20need%20to%20come%20out%20of%20the%20gates%20at%20full%20speed%20and%20full%20strength.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%28Photo%20by%20Ezra%20Shaw%2FGetty%20Images%29

How%20Devin%20McCourty%20transformed%20from%20a%20rookie%20with%20seven%20interceptions%20to%20a%20second-year%20player%20who%20lost%20all%20sense%20of%20finding%20the%20football%20is%20a%20mystery%20that%20nobody%20on%20the%20Patriots%26%238217%3B%20coaching%20staff%20could%20solve%20last%20season.%20McCourty%20better%20have%20figured%20it%20out%20himself%2C%20both%20for%20his%20own%20career%20hopes%20and%20for%20the%20strength%20of%20the%20entire%20defense.%20For%20him%20and%20the%20defense%20to%20be%20successful%20in%202012%2C%20McCourty%20doesn%26%238217%3Bt%20need%20to%20become%20Deion%20Sanders%2C%20but%20he%20needs%20to%20be%20reliable%20enough%20to%20actually%20keep%20his%20position%20at%20corner.%20If%20he%26%238217%3Bs%20improved%20enough%2C%20it%20might%20not%20be%20immediately%20evident%20at%20camp.%20If%20he%20still%20has%20trouble%20making%20plays%20on%20the%20football%2C%20though%2C%20it%26%238217%3Bll%20be%20hard%20to%20hide.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%28Photo%20by%20Jared%20Wickerham%2FGetty%20Images

The%20Patriots%20actually%20used%20their%20first-round%20picks%20in%20this%20year%26%238217%3Bs%20NFL%20draft%20%26%238212%3B%20both%20of%20them.%20They%20selected%20defensive%20lineman%20Chandler%20Jones%20out%20of%20Syracuse%20and%20linebacker%20Dont%26%238217%3Ba%20Hightower%20of%20Alabama.%20Both%20could%20have%20immediate%20impacts%20this%20season%2C%20and%20that%20will%20all%20start%20in%20camp.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%28Photo%20by%20Jim%20Rogash%2FGetty%20Images%29

There%26%238217%3Bs%20no%20way%20around%20it%20%26%238212%3B%20somebody%26%238217%3Bs%20getting%20cut.%20Now%2C%20whether%20that%26%238217%3Bs%20veteran%20Brady%20bud%20Deion%20Branch%2C%20or%20Donte%20Stallworth%2C%20or%20Julian%20Edelman%20or%20anyone%20else%20is%20not%20known%20right%20now.%20But%20those%20players%20and%20a%20few%20more%20will%20all%20have%20to%20practice%20as%20if%20their%20jobs%20are%20at%20stake.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%28Photo%20by%20Jim%20Rogash%2FGetty%20Images%29

Bill%20Belichick%20isn%26%238217%3Bt%20afraid%20to%20send%20any%20player%20packing%20if%20they%20don%26%238217%3Bt%20impress%20in%20camp%2C%20as%20Brandon%20Meriweather%20learned%20last%20season.%20Could%20there%20be%20another%20big%20name%20on%20the%20cutting%20block%20come%20late%20August%3F%20We%20shall%20see%26%238230%3B.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%28Photo%20by%20Elsa%2FGetty%20Images%29

The%20Patriots%20had%20just%20one%20kick%20return%20for%20a%20touchdown%20last%20season%2C%20on%20a%20punt%20against%20Kansas%20City%20by%20Julian%20Edelman.%20It%20will%20be%20interesting%20to%20see%20if%20anyone%20emerges%20as%20the%20Pats%26%238217%3B%20kick%20returner%20in%20camp%2C%20and%20if%20they%20can%20actually%20find%20the%20end%20zone%20as%20well.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%28Photo%20by%20Jim%20Rogash%2FGetty%20Images%29

The%20Brady-McDaniels%20relationship%20worked%20out%20pretty%20well%20in%202007%2C%20and%20with%20Josh%20back%20at%20offensive%20coordinator%20he%E2%80%99ll%20have%20plenty%20of%20tricks%20up%20his%20sleeveless%20sweatshirt.%20He%E2%80%99ll%20now%20have%20two%20tight%20end%20threats%20in%20Rob%20Gronkowski%20and%20the%20versatile%20Aaron%20Hernandez%20at%20his%20disposal%2C%20and%20Brandon%20Lloyd%20has%20enjoyed%20success%20in%20both%20stops%20with%20McDaniels%20%28in%20Denver%20and%20St.%20Louis%29.%20It%E2%80%99s%20hard%20to%20believe%20anything%20will%20be%20different%20in%20New%20England.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%28Photo%20by%20Donald%20Miralle%2FGetty%20Images%29

It%20will%20be%20a%20lot%20of%20fun%20to%20see%20what%20sixth%20round%20Nate%20Ebner%20can%20do%20on%20a%20football%20field.%20%3Ca%20href%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5P94LZzurYM%27%20target%3D%22_blank%22%3EJust%20check%20out%20his%20Rugby%20highlights%3C%2Fa%3E.%20He%20was%20a%20special%20teams%20standout%20at%20Ohio%20State%2C%20and%20if%20his%20rugby%20talent%20can%20translate%20over%20to%20football%2C%20Ebner%20could%20be%20an%20exciting%20player%20to%20watch%20during%20camp%26%238230%3B.%20and%20beyond.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%28Photo%20by%20Warren%20Little%2FGetty%20Images%29