The Facts: A Wednesday workout limited to position drills was Branch’s first practice of any kind with the team since the days leading into last season’s finale Dec. 28 against Arizona. He then elected to have a second, clean-out surgery on his reconstructed left knee. But just because Branch is back on the field doesn’t mean he’s back to normal.

Diehards Line:“You will never be back to normal once you have this type of procedure done. I actually feel stronger, but it’s not normal,” Branch, who turns 30 next month, said of his knee. ... While Branch said he'll attempt to play the same way and make the same moves that made him a star earlier this decade with the Patriots, nothing is guaranteed. ... Stay tuned. We'll be following his progress closely in coming weeks. Meanwhile, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and TE John Carlson continue to fly higher on the Fantasy radar than Branch and Nate Burleson, who could turn out to be one of this year's top value picks.