And now, it looks like the only familiar face he knows will be absent for a while. (photo: Beth Hart, Flickr)
Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe reported Tuesday that the team's only returning wideout, 26-year-old Julian Edelman, will be sidelined for at least a month with a right foot injury. Edelman originally injured the foot last December and was placed on injured reserve.
Edelman's injury further complicates the team's depth chart at the moment, as he's not the only one who's currently a bit banged up. Josh Boyce, the team's newly acquired receiver out of TCU, is battling a foot injury of his own at the moment and is currently day-to-day.
And while Danny Amendola is healthy now, his status is up in the air in the minds of the fans until he can prove that he can stay on the field for more than 12 games over two years.
Young noted that there's a shot that Edelman could make minicamp, which starts June 11. If not, the rookies — namely Boyce and Marshall standout Aaron Dobson — could get some extra looks in the battle for a starting spot. Belichick and the Pats currently have more than enough bodies to get by, however, with seven other players vying for a spot on the roster, including former Bills' receiver Donald Jones and veteran Michael Jenkins.
At least things are looking up in the tight end department, sort of. While Jake Ballard's rehab in ongoing, Rob Gronkowski's progress has taken at least a tiny step forward, according to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. Aaron Hernandez had his shoulder surgery earlier this offseason, but he's also a question mark for minicamp in June.
