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FOXBORO - The Junior Seau Watch continues at Gillette Stadium, but so far, without resolution.

Persistent media reports suggest that the ageless linebacker is expected to be back in a Patriot uniform shortly, possibly as soon as today, or at least before the team heads west for Sunday's game against the 4-0 Denver Broncos at Invesco Field at Mile High (4:15 p.m.; Ch. 4, 12).

If that's the case, and Seau's 20th season begins this weekend, there must be a reason why Bill Belichick believes it's necessary.

On the surface, the need for Seau doesn't seem overly pressing. The Patriots' defense has played quite well in the first month of the season despite personnel changes and injury absences that have forced the team to alter some of its base defensive philosophies.

Middle linebacker Jerod Mayo, who suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee in the opener against the Buffalo Bills, is close to being healthy enough to play. Gary Guyton, Mayo's understudy when the Patriots are in a 4-3 alignment, has played every defensive snap since Mayo went down and has steadily improved each week. So why the rush to get Seau into a uniform well in advance of the "six good games" he claims he has left in him?

First and foremost is Seau's mere presence.

Belichick is obviously aware that a leadership gap has developed in the Patriots' locker room, particularly on defense. The departures of Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Richard Seymour and Mike Vrabel since last year's finale have gutted that core of veteran leadership that sustained the Patriots' defense emotionally (if not always physically, given the decline in play of some of those players).

Harrison, now a member of the NBC Sunday Night Football broadcast team, still calls Seau "Superman" from their many years together with both the Chargers and Patriots. He and other current and former Patriots agree that Seau's boundless enthusiasm and old-school love for the game may be just what the defense needs to hold itself together over the long run of the season.

Another reason why Seau is needed, and perhaps the most important, is depth.

The current depth in the Patriots' inside linebacker corps is very thin - Eric Alexander rarely sees the field outside of special teams - and with Mayo out, the Patriots are also prevented from lining up in a 3-4 alignment.

Part of what makes the Patriots' defense hardest to figure out by opposing coaches is its ability to switch seamlessly from the 3-4 to the 4-3 and back again, and with the numbers down at inside linebacker, the 4-3 has become the Patriots' base defense.

Bringing Seau back would actually help to keep the rapidly improving Guyton on the field when Mayo returns. With a trusted backup in place, the Patriots can restore the 3-4 to their repertoire, returning the versatility and unpredictability that Belichick and defensive coordinator Dean Pees would prefer to have in their playbook.

They would not expect a constant diet of 60 or more snaps a game from Seau. But as time passes and he becomes re-acclimated to the practice routine, Seau could probably deliver it on occasion. He had an outstanding game in last year's finale at Buffalo, leading the team in tackles with nine.

Belichick has confirmed only that Seau was given a physical. Otherwise he has been coy, mentioning Seau in Monday's press conference only by referring to a mishap that occurred during the taping of Seau's new reality show on the Versus network, "Sports Jobs with Junior Seau," in which the veteran linebacker was trampled by a bull during his stint as a rodeo clown for the Professional Bull Riders Tour in Ontario, Calif. "Well, I noticed he was doing some bull riding or bull stomping or bulls were stomping him or whatever it was," Belichick said. "We'll have to take a look at that workout and see how he was doing that."

Seau's show will debut on the cable web at 10 p.m. on Dec. 2. Spokesmen for the network said his return to the Patriots won't interfere with his hosting duties.

There will be another issue afoot if Seau returns to the roster.

At the start of the regular season, the Patriots assigned Seau's number (55) to hybrid linebacker/defensive end Derrick Burgess. The latter sounded surprised Monday that he might have to surrender the number to a 20-year veteran and future Pro Football Hall of Fame member.

"I don't even get involved with all that. I'll just deal with it when he gets here," Burgess said.

Players often engage in by-play over number changes, but it's not likely that Burgess will refuse to step aside for someone of Seau's stature.

It has also been asked why the Patriots have apparently not considered Bruschi for a similar return. But within a week after his retirement press conference, Bruschi admitted in an interview that he underwent an arthroscopic procedure on one of his knees in the offseason, and it did not respond during training camp.

Seau, however, is still in one piece and apparently eager to leave behind the California surf and renew his relationship with Belichick and owner Robert Kraft for one more pursuit of a Super Bowl ring.

MARK FARINELLA may be reached at 508-236-0315 or via e-mail at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com. Read Farinella's blog, "Blogging Fearlessly," at thesunchronicle.com/farinella.