FOXBOROUGH, MASS. Despite 11 trips to the playoffs, five Super Bowl appearances and three Super Bowl wins over the past 13 seasons, the New England Patriots are as hungry as ever.

It starts with Tom Brady. The quarterback from Michigan enters his 15th season with the Patriots, yet continues to seek self-improvement.

I dont think you ever have it all figured out, Brady said Thursday after the teams first practice of training camp. You try to come out here and you work hard to put yourself in a good position and to compete, and when you get a chance and you get your opportunity, youve got to go out and make it happen. Its really everybody. Theres nobody thats immune to it. Youve got to put the work in. Youve got to give it everything youve got, and like I said, hopefully on a daily basis you continue to make improvements. This game is a very humbling game. You cant ever think that youve got it all figured out. Youve got to go out there and prove it every single day.

How is Brady different now from when he entered the league?

The thing thats so impressive to me is how he comes back every year like hes a first- or second-year guy, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. Hes got that glimmer in his eye. He knows camp is ready to start. Hes excited about everything: from staying at the hotel to meeting forever, to coming out and working in 90-degree heat. Theres no dropoff and I think thats a great thing for a lot of our young players to see.

But theres been frustration too. The Patriots have lost three AFC championship games and two Super Bowls since 2006. Theyve been on the cusp of the franchises fourth title, but havent broken through.

Because of that, the veterans set the tone on the practice field.

I think thats one of the biggest things thats going to help us as a team is when we come out and you see Tom Brady competing and getting pissed off that he threw an incomplete pass and you see Jerod Mayo or Darrelle Revis mad because somebody caught a pass, thats competition, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said.

The young guys look at that and say, You know what? For me to be successful in this league, I have to practice like that. We have a bunch of guys that lead by example because they dont say much, they just go out and do it. Great group of guys but we have to put it together on the field. Thats the goal: put it together on the field. Today is the first day. We have a long way to go.

The offseason addition of Revis puts the Patriots among the top teams in the AFC, but the return of Wilfork (torn Achilles), tight end Rob Gronkowski (torn anterior cruciate ligament), defensive tackle Tommy Kelly (knee) and linebacker Jerod Mayo (torn pectoral muscle) gives the team valuable pieces it missed during last years playoff run, when it lost to the Denver Broncos in the AFC title game.

The rest is here:
Tom Brady ready to get to work in Patriots camp