Do the New England Patriots Need a Veteran Back-up for Tom Brady?

The New England Patriots have once again improved themselves during the off-season. They've added valuable veterans, Fred Taylor and Joey Galloway. Over the years, the Patriots have created a blueprint of how to build a successful NFL team. Kraft & Company have brought in veterans that fit the Patriots system perfectly, players that make an immediate impact. The Patriots once again have assembled a team poised to make a Super Bowl run, as long as the unthinkable doesn't happen. If, Tom Brady goes down again, are the Patriots as confident in Kevin O'Connell and Matt Guiterrez, as they were in Matt Cassel?

Unlike many NFL teams, the Patriots have few holes to fill. They've already added valuable back ups to already stacked positions, like wide receiver. With so many good veteran QB's available, Jeff Garcia, Byron Leftwich, Rex Grossman, to name a few, I wonder if the Patriots are even entertaining bringing in a veteran QB to back up Tom Brady.

All the news is good on the Tom Brady recovery front. His knee rehab is reportedly on schedule, according to Brady, who spoke about his knee injury at a Boys and Girls club charity event, as reported by (sportsticker) . While Brady was optimistic about his progress, he wouldn't offer a timetable for his return. If Brady's knee is fully rehabbed and he remains healthy, the Patriots will once again be the team to beat in the AFC. If he doesn't stay healthy, then the season becomes a question mark, as with most teams who loose their starting quarterback.

I expect the Patriots organization to have all the pieces in place when the season starts. While, there are reasons the veteran QB's available haven't found teams, playing for the Patriots can improve most players numbers. Who wouldn't want to throw to Randy Moss, Wes Welker and the newly acquired, Joey Galloway?

Bringing in someone like a Jeff Garcia, a veteran guy with proven ability, would be a good insurance policy for the Patriots. Garcia is a team guy and has never created waves. His NFL days are dwindling and Garcia could do worse then finishing his career with the Patriots.

Of course Jeff Garcia wants to start, but as the Rolling Stones once put it, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might find, you get what you need."

Sources:
http://www.kffl.com/article.php/100019/512