Brady faces his biggest test yet in 2013

There is no doubt that Tom Brady is going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer. He has won three of the five Super Bowl appearances he's made, thrown for nearly 45 thousand yards, has been voted to eight Pro Bowls and is a two time first-team All Pro. Now entering his 14th season, he faces the biggest test of his career. In an offseason that saw him lose his best pal and go-to-receiver of the past six seasons in Wes Welker, his other worldly tight end Rob Gronkowski undergo two surgeries, and his Swiss army knife Aaron Hernandez arrested for first degree murder, Brady has just one familiar face to throw to in practice and he can't even throw to him! (I'm talking about you, Julian Edelman).

I feel better about the Pats defense than I do about their offense and that's saying something. Reports say Gronk is expected to be out until at least week six of the regular season. So, for the remainder of the offseason I fully expect Brady and the receivers to be working overtime to develop good chemistry, timing, rhythm, and knowledge of the system. Remember that these receivers are learning a very complex Patriots offense and it's not always an easy transition to make- just ask Joey Galloway and Chad Johnson. With NFL rosters currently at 90 players the Pats have 17 receivers on their roster and I would expect 9-11 of them to make the final cut. On paper this receiving corps looks to have very good potential, but that's if they develop a solid chemistry with their quarterback. One thing the offense does have going for them, though, is their running game. The Patriots led the NFL with 25 rushing touchdowns in 2012. Stevan Ridley broke out last year and is expected to carry that momentum into this season. While fan favorite Danny Woodhead signed with San Diego the Pats have a suitable replacement and possible upgrade in Shane Vereen. Without their dynamic duo at tight end- one of which will not be returning- it's possible that we see offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels change up the offense a little bit with less two tight end sets.

The only other season where Brady was throwing to a group of somewhat, "unknowns," was in 2006 when he was passing to Reche Caldwell, Doug Gabriel, Troy Brown, Chad Jackson, Jabar Gaffney, Benjamin Watson, Daniel Graham, and David Thomas. Recently, former Ravens Head Coach Brian Billick- currently an analyst for the NFL Network- had this to say about what a successful 2013 season for Brady would do for his future in Canton, "Forget five years after he retires. Just do it at the end of the season." That got a chuckle out of me, I loved the statement and agree with him entirely. It's going to be a true test to the greatness of Tom Terrific working with so many new faces but if there's one thing we should know about him, it's this: never count out #12.