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Shortly after the Elvis Dumervil fax fiasco, the Denver Broncos reached out to veteran pass-rushers Dwight Freeney and John Abraham.

It seemed like Denver would replace Dumervil, the Broncos’ second pass-rushing option behind star Von Miller, with one of the two veterans.

However, because of financial reasons, Denver pulled away from both players. Instead it added former San Diego pass-rusher Shaun Phillips and drafted rookie Quanterus Smith in the fifth round to help Miller.

However, the USA Today thinks a Denver-Abraham pairing could still be achieved. It looks at its top 10 remaining free agents. Abraham is No. 1 on the list. It think his best fit is Denver.

Could it still happen? I think if the price is right, sure. Denver is in win-now mode and if it thinks the veteran Abraham is a missing piece, it will pursue him.

I wouldn’t count on Abraham signing in Denver, but I can certainly see it as well.

Major overhauls at quarterback, running back and in the defensive secondary jump out when analyzing the Arizona Cardinals' roster heading toward the 2013 season.

The chart at right shows which players have left the roster this offseason after playing offensive or defensive snaps for the team in 2012.

Most striking: The Cardinals didn't really "lose" any of the players listed. They decided to move on from most of them for reasons relating to performance, health, salary, age, scheme fit or some combination of those factors.

Teams usually keep the players they really want to keep. That was the case with Arizona this offseason.

So, while the Cardinals' current players account for a division-low 60.9 percent of offensive and defensive snaps played last season, Arizona isn't complaining. The team lost 11 of its 12 final games and the roster had crept up in age. A few of the players logging considerable snaps in 2012 did so only through injuries to others.

The Cardinals have 10 players age 30 or older, down from 14 at this point last year. That includes specialists Jay Feely, Mike Leach and Dave Zastudil. Arizona has seven offensive or defensive players age 30 or older, matching the NFL average, according to my records.

Paris Lenon, Todd Heap, Adrian Wilson, Adam Snyder, Clark Haggans, Jeremy Bridges, D'Anthony Batiste and Vonnie Holliday no longer remain from the 30-plus group on the roster in June 2012. That group averaged about 33 years old at this time last year.

Quarterback Carson Palmer, safety Yeremiah Bell, linebacker Karlos Dansby and linebacker Lorenzo Alexander are 2013 newcomers in their 30s. They average 32.6 years old and there are only four of them. Palmer in particular represents a clear upgrade at his position. That could also be the case for Dansby, although Lenon annually outperformed expectations at inside linebacker.

There's a little-known rule in NFL blogging that says you're allowed to link to your own work during the final two weeks of June or the first three weeks of July. Things get slow this time of year; you do what you've got to do.

In this morning's Breakfast Links, I wrote something about Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo, who's entering the final year of his contract and whose past two seasons have ended with pectoral muscle injuries. I had been convinced that the Redskins would work on a contract extension with Orakpo this offseason, but after talking to Redskins people last week at minicamp, I came away believing their plan was instead to let him play out the season and try and sign him next offseason if he has a good year.

Gregg Rosenthal doesn't miss anything, so this showed up on his blog not long after:

Coach Mike Shanahan must have some concern about Orakpo's ability to stay healthy because there's little doubt he's a difference-making pass rusher. The Redskins also know they can use the franchise tag next offseason if necessary, and that the team rarely loses out on a free agent bidding war.

I think Shanahan's (justifiable) concerns about Orakpo staying healthy are part of the issue here. But I think it's also worth noting that the Redskins currently project to have about $25 million-$30 million worth of cap room next year -- which, considering they lost $18 million each of the past two seasons to league-imposed penalties, is going to feel like an ocean of cap room. If Orakpo has a monster year, they'll be both willing and able to sign him for whatever the market demands.

It's also worth considering that Orakpo might be hard to draw into a contract discussion right now. After two straight years ended by injury, Orakpo isn't exactly Victor Cruz trying to cash in at the peak of his productive value. The Redskins might be able to get a bargain deal from Orakpo at this point, but he's a proud, confident guy who knows he can play at a high level in the NFL, and he's probably just as eager for the chance to go out and have a big pass-rushing year as the Redskins are to see him do it. Negotiating now likely isn't in Orakpo's best interest, and I don't think the Redskins are in a position where they have to risk a difficult future relationship with the player by dragging him into such a negotiation.

So that's where I think things stand. Now, having said all of that, watch the Redskins announce an Orakpo extension while I'm at lunch.

It turns out former New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins wide receiver Chad Johnson only spent one week in a Florida jail. He had his month-long sentence reduced Monday after issuing an apology to the judge, who felt Johnson’s pat on the butt to his lawyer was a sign he wasn’t taking his court appearance seriously.

Johnson stayed out of legal trouble most of his career but has suddenly fallen on hard times in the past year. He got into a domestic dispute with his former wife, Evelyn Lozada, which led to a divorce and probation. Johnson also violated that probation, which led to a police warrant for his arrest, his infamous court appearance and a subsequent jail sentence.

There's a very good chance that Johnson may never see an NFL field again. He’s a 35-year-old wide receiver past his prime, and many NFL executives view him as immature and a potential headache. Johnson did nothing to dispel those labels during his recent court appearance.

But this is about more than football for Johnson. Hopefully, he learned a life lesson that playtime is over. It's time for Johnson to grow up and be more responsible.

There were major sewage problems Sunday at the Oakland Coliseum that forced the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners to use the same locker room after Sunday's game. The Oakland Raiders also use the stadium. It is the last stadium in the country that is used by both an NFL team and an MLB team.

The pipes backed up on the lower level and caused some leakage in both clubhouses. After the game, the two teams both had to use the Raiders’ locker room, which is located on a higher floor.

It was caused because of high usage during a six-game homestand. This incident will do nothing to end the talk that both teams need a new stadium. The Raiders have been trying to drum up some steam for a new stadium in the Bay Area, but they have no real traction. The team remains a potential candidate to relocate to Los Angeles.

 

Interesting take here from Zach Berman on last week's arrest of Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Jason Peters on charges of drag racing and resisting an officer by flight. Everything is new with the Eagles in the Chip Kelly era, and Zach wonders how the new coach will respond to off-field issues like the one he now faces with Peters:

Kelly's four years as coach at Oregon included high-profile legal and disciplinary issues, and he was notably heavy-handed in his response.

In 2010, Kelly suspended starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli for the season after Masoli pleaded guilty to a second-degree burglary charge for stealing two laptops and a guitar from a fraternity house. One year later, he suspended all-American cornerback Cliff Harris indefinitely after Harris drove 118 m.p.h. on a suspended license in a rental car.

...

College football has no collective bargaining agreement or players' union, so an NFL coach does not have the kind of authority over players that a college coach does. But Kelly will determine who's on the team and who's starting, and it's reasonable to wonder what his approach will be with Peters or any other player who finds headlines for the wrong reasons.

Peters' first issue, once he's dealt with the legal aspects of his situation, will be the NFL itself, since this is his second arrest and it's entirely possible the commissioner could suspend him under the personal conduct policy. If that doesn't happen, it's unlikely Kelly or the Eagles could take action without a fight from the union. But the larger point here is about ongoing evaluations of players and people, and how tolerant Kelly is going to be long-term with players who find themselves in trouble off the field.

Kelly is preparing the Eagles for 2013, but he's also thinking about building a program for the long-term, and surely part of his process right now is identifying the people around whom he wants to build. Peters is a freakish talent, and when healthy he could be the best offensive lineman in the NFL. If he's that and also a guy Kelly can't trust to stay out of trouble away from the team facility, that will create an interesting situation for the new coach to address going forward. Zach's point about this possibly being a test case for Kelly and player discipline at the NFL level is well taken.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Even in a world of rules and schemes and responsibilities, most players have small idiosyncrasies.

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back Denard Robinson's is odder than most: He doesn’t tie his shoelaces.

Thus his nickname of “Shoelace.”

“I wasn’t tied, but coach told me to knot it up, so I knotted it up, but loose,” he said. “It’s something I always did my whole life.”

Thursday following the team’s final minicamp practice, he let me snap a photo to share with you.

“My first year playing football I ran out of them a couple times, and I ran out of one last year,” he said. “As long as they stay on my feet. Coach told me if they come off he’s going to tell me to tie them up.”

Coach Gus Bradley said he saw a shoe come off Robinson this week when Robinson got kicked.

“If it doesn’t have an impact on the game and it’s within the rules, whatever allows you to play the best,” Bradley said. “It’s comfort level. Do you get your ankles taped or not? Players have a rhythm or a routine they like to follow. As long as it’s within the rules, I’m fine with it.”

The Michigan quarterback was a fifth-round pick of a team in dire need of playmakers. The Jags had the NFL announce "running back" from the podium, making their intentions for a guy changing positions immediately clear.

While Robinson can line up in a lot of different spots, he is in the running back meeting room and works with the group in practice.

Much has been reported about the Jaguars' desire to use him in inventive ways that can cause dilemmas for defenses.

In the first walkthrough snap of Thursday’s public practice, quarterback Blaine Gabbert lined up wide left, with Robinson at quarterback. He gave the ball to Ace Sanders on an end-around and Sanders then gave it to Gabbert who was moving back toward him. Gabbert threw it to the Robinson on the right.

"I think there is always a place for it in a game, no doubt,” Bradley said of such trickery. “Any time you have an opportunity to get an explosive play, the chances of scoring go up. Those types of plays allow for an opportunity to get an explosive play.”

I believe Robinson and Sanders, a fourth-round receiver, will do a lot to give the Jaguars a much-needed rocket charge. They've often ranked as a plodding team during their recent struggles.

But not everyone is sold on Robinson as a running back.

“I am not big on it, especially if they truly plan on making him 'just a running back,’” said Matt Williamson, ESPN.com’s resident scout. “If they have other plans, such as a specialty package at quarterback, some wide receiver routes and as a returner, then I am OK with it. But running as a quarterback versus running as a running back is just so different.

“He doesn't really run low or with power to take handoffs repeatedly out of the backfield and get downhill against defenses that are not unsuspecting.”

I do expect specialty packages and snaps lined up wide, and if Robinson picks up on stuff, those roles should grow. He could easily be the kick returner, unless the team really loves undrafted receiver Tobais Palmer in the role.

Robinson has not been completely himself in recent weeks.

He sliced a big cut on his right hand between his thumb and forefinger while working in his kitchen.

“A little cooking deal, cutting potatoes,” he explained. "I thought I was a chef, like I am. I got some new knives and I was cutting potatoes and it got me pretty good, I got 10 stiches. I didn’t think it was that bad. I was just like, whatever. But my brother and my girlfriend were there, and she was like, 'You need to go to the hospital.' It wouldn’t stop bleeding.

For a good stretch, because the stitched up hand was wrapped up and tender, he was carrying the ball only in his left hand and couldn’t really throw, but he appeared to be back to normal by the time minicamp came to a close. We saw him switch the ball to his right hand on a run toward the right sideline.

Ball security is an issue for him coming in. He put it on the ground a lot for the Wolverines.

Bradley said the Jaguars need him regularly holding the ball high and tight rather than low and loose.

“There is a lot of newness for him,” Bradley said. “He’s going on that learning curve. But he’s progressing, even with the mindset of taking care of the ball. That’s going to be a constant work in progress with him. But he’s buying into it, and he’s demonstrating it.”

On a team lacking star power, Robinson has a chance to quickly become a fan favorite. He’s saying all the right things about the chance in front of him.

“I’m a fifth-round draft pick and I’ve got an opportunity to play a lot,” he said. “Anybody that got drafted this year wants to play a lot. I’ve got the opportunity, and I want to make the most of it.

“I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Retired Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver made some headlines over the weekend by telling reporters that he would be in shape and ready to resume his career should the team reach out to him this season. The sentiment is admirable, but I think we can all agree that only a catastrophic series of events would put the Packers in position to need Driver back.

Don't forget that last season, Driver was active for 13 games and got on the field for only 150 snaps -- about 14 percent of the Packers' total plays. Those figures would have been lower were it not for a number of injuries suffered by other receivers. Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb combined to miss a total of 13 regular-season games.

Jennings departed via free agency, but the Packers are set to move forward with Nelson, Cobb and James Jones as their top three receivers. They have two promising reserves from last season in Jarrett Boykin and Jeremy Ross, and they also drafted a pair of receivers in Charles Johnson and Kevin Dorsey. It's nice that Driver will be ready, but it's difficult to see a non-emergency path for him to return to the field with the Packers.

It was on July 16 of last year that Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge involving his mother. I bring this up not to call attention to a negative but rather to point out the extent to which perception of Bryant has changed in the past 11 months. In the wake of that arrest (still the only one of Bryant's life, by the way), there were people calling for the Cowboys to rid themselves of their talented young star. Didn't matter that he was the 23-year-old product of a family situation so inadequate as to defy his critics' comprehension. He was a headache, the story went, and the Cowboys would be better off without him.

Oh, but now... now it's all different, isn't it? Now, Bryant is a guy who put up 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns on 92 catches and played the final few games of the season with a broken finger. Now, you don't hear anything about headaches. The discussion about Bryant now is whether he can break records. And his teammates, who like the Cowboys' organization itself, were unfailingly supportive throughout last summer, are talking up big possibilities. This is cornerback Morris Claiborne, per the Dallas Morning News:

"You notice a difference in Dez going against him every day,” said Claiborne, speaking at Brandon Carr’s celebrity softball game on Saturday. “He’s getting better."

Better than 92 for 1,382 and 12? Oh, it's possible. Bryant's talent, his quarterback, the offense in which he plays, the quality of the receiver on the other side of the field... all of these things line up to create an ideal situation in which he can be as great as he decides to be. Health is tricky, as it is for almost everyone in this league, but at 24 Bryant is still learning all aspects of the game, including how to take care of himself on the field. It's possible that improves along with his numbers as he enters his prime.

It's the off-the-field stuff that has always been the concern with Bryant, which is why the five weeks between now and the start of Cowboys training camp are his most important five weeks of the year. What you as a Cowboys fan want from Bryant for these next five weeks is complete radio silence. You don't want to hear his name in any other context than "In which round of your fantasy draft should you pick him?"

People in the Cowboys' building will tell you Bryant's never caused them a problem on the field or in the locker room and that their concern with him has always been what happens when he's away from the team and on his own. This was the impetus, post-arrest, for the "Dez rules" that established a round-the-clock security setup for Bryant during the season last year and established parameters for where he could and could not go in his free time. These were an object of ridicule when they were discovered and reported, but in retrospect they serve as evidence that Bryant wants to set and keep the proper priorities and isn't content with a life in which his off-field issues keep him from becoming the player he wants to be on the field.

A reputation is a mustard stain. It won't come out, no matter how much you scrub it. Bryant can behave himself flawlessly for the next five years but if he gets in trouble again in 2019 everyone will say, "See? Same old Dez." The only way for Bryant to keep his old reputation from being thrown back in his face is for him to avoid all off-field issues completely, or to control them so they don't flare up in a public way, for the rest of his career. That's not fair, and it's a tall task, and it's impossible to say with confidence whether it's something he can or will do.

I'll say this, though: Last July, I wrote that people who were calling for Bryant to be released were off-base and that the Cowboys' responsibility was to help Bryant manage his issues. It was also Bryant's responsibility to identify those issues and find ways to keep them from affecting him negatively. It appears that, over the past 11 months, those things have happened and that Bryant is in a better place in his life. He himself has indicated as much in interviews, and obviously with his on-field performance. The next five weeks are the next big test of whether Bryant has turned a corner in his off-field life and can continue to look with optimism at a blindingly bright football future. The key is to make sure his name stays out of the news. And while no one can predict whether he can pull it off, at this point it wouldn't be fair to be surprised if he did.

Exchanges involving San Francisco 49ers safety Craig Dahl and his former St. Louis Rams teammates became the main event in NFC West smack talk over the past week.

Brandon Browner vs. Jim Harbaugh deserves a spot on the undercard. I offered initial thoughts during the NFC West chat Thursday in response to a question about whether Browner, the Seattle Seahawks' right cornerback, had "stepped over the line" by suggesting he'd put his hands around the neck of the 49ers' head coach if the two lined up against one another as players. The video atop this entry features additional thoughts via my conversation with ESPN's Michele Steele.

Dave Mahler of Sports Radio 950 KJR in Seattle has the audio for those interested in taking a listen. Harbaugh had previously commented on multiple Seattle suspensions for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Harbaugh cautioned against accepting at face value reports that the prescription drug Adderall was the reason for suspensions.

Browner served a suspension for PEDs late last season. Weeks earlier, Harbaugh had publicly questioned the tactics Browner and Seattle's other cornerbacks used against the 49ers. That is the context for the comments Browner made. In this case, as in the one involving Dahl and the Rams, none of the people making comments were making them directly to each other. Each was responding to what had been relayed to him.

Mark Schlereth discusses which AFC teams will make the playoffs.

DAVIE, Fla. -- NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino showed up to Miami Dolphins' minicamp on Wednesday. There was no major announcement or holding court with the media. Marino simply arrived, kept close tabs on second-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the offense, then quietly left about two hours into practice.

Marino's mere presence was symbolic of the pressure Tannehill faces in Miami. No Dolphins quarterback has come close to filling the large shoes of Marino after he retired after the 1999 season. Miami’s quarterbacks in this millennium have either been awful (Cleo Lemon, Joey Harrington), former draft busts (Chad Henne, John Beck) or caretakers who couldn’t consistently take over games (Chad Pennington, Jay Fiedler).

But something appears different about Tannehill. He is more Marino than Harrington in arm strength and physical ability. The 2012 first-round pick was also taken higher than Henne, but you don’t get that same feeling of bust potential. Unlike Fiedler, Tannehill has already demonstrated that he can take over a game and explode for 400 yards, as he did in September in an overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

But what are realistic expectations for Tannehill in Year 2? Fellow rookies Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson each led their teams to the playoffs last season. Tannehill showed promise but was a couple of notches behind his peers. He threw for 3,294 yards but had more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (12). Tannehill also had a losing record (7-9) and was left on the outside looking in during the postseason.

However, the Dolphins are showing the same confidence in Tannehill that the Indianapolis Colts are showing with Luck or the Washington Redskins are with RG III. More than anything, Miami’s coaching staff said, they love Tannehill’s work ethic and mental approach. Combine that with Tannehill’s athleticism and ability to make all the throws, and the Dolphins believe the sky is the limit for their young quarterback.

“One thing about Ryan is he never gets too high and he never gets too low,” Miami quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor told the AFC East blog this week. “Last year things never got too big for him. It’s not that he never made mistakes -- there were drives and stretches here and there. But I don’t think it ever got too big where he totally broke down, and that’s encouraging for a rookie quarterback. With all the looks that he saw, I thought he handled it pretty well.”

Taylor was a former assistant coach at Texas A&M and has been around Tannehill since he was 19. Taylor watched Tannehill, 24, grow from a redshirt freshman who played receiver his first two years in college to an NFL quarterback with high expectations. According to Taylor, Tannehill is much more comfortable in his position as a building block in Miami.

It was noticeable in organized team activities and minicamp that Tannehill is in control of the offense. He’s more vocal with teammates and has a quiet confidence that this is his team.

Miami is in search of leaders after several veterans like Reggie Bush, Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett were released or didn’t return in free agency. Tannehill is one of the young, inexperienced players who must fill that void.

“It’s night and day compared to last year,” Tannehill said of his standing on the team. “Just the confidence and the knowledge of the game and what is going on. I still have a lot of work to do, but I am comfortable with where I am at and where this team is at. Anything we can do to get better, myself included, it’s easier to build this year compared to last year.”

Tannehill has all the tools to succeed this year. The Dolphins have put together as nurturing an environment as possible to ensure Tannehill takes the next step in his development. Miami spent $60 million to land free-agent receiver Mike Wallace and an additional $15 million total to land starting tight end Dustin Keller and slot receiver Brandon Gibson. Tannehill now has deep speed at receiver and a safety valve at tight end that he lacked last season. The Dolphins were 26th in passing in 2012 and scored only 18 points per game.

If minicamp is any indication, the Dolphins will not be afraid to air it out this year. Tannehill is taking his shots deep and throwing the football all over the field in practices. Tannehill is also routinely making more checks and changes at the line of scrimmage to get out of bad plays, an area where he struggled in 2012.

“He can see a safety start to creep up or lean a certain way, or a linebacker's depth from the line of scrimmage from the heels of his defensive lineman,” Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Sherman said. “Determining whether we turn and protect there or do we go the other way because that guy is in coverage, which I think [is] more recognition of defenses. ... We threw the book at him last year in the hopes that he would get to a point where we are at right now, where now he is just focused and not so much on the offense but on the defense.”

It also doesn’t hurt that Sherman and Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin know what a talented quarterback looks like. They have coached future Hall of Famers Brett Favre (Sherman) and Aaron Rodgers (Philbin) during their stints with the Green Bay Packers and know how to make it easy for quarterbacks. The fact that they both view Tannehill as a franchise starter carries a lot of weight.

“They’re able to relate those experiences with Ryan and the struggles [Favre and Rodgers] had and the success they were eventually able to achieve,” Taylor said. “So they’ve kind of seen the step-by-step process those guys took and [are] able to use that to relate it to Ryan.”

The Dolphins are going all-in with Tannehill, and much is expected this season. On paper, Miami looks like a team ready to make a playoff push in 2013, and much of that will come down to Tannehill’s development and improvement.

Tannehill may not get the same press and national attention as other quarterbacks in his draft class, but his goals are the same.

“Ryan wants to win Super Bowls at the end of the day,” Taylor said. “I do think he has a long ways to go right now. He knows that. So every day he’s just trying to become a better player, and be better than the day before and don’t make the same mistake twice.

“What that ceiling is, it’s hard to predict. Time will tell.”

Mark Schlereth discusses which NFC teams will make the playoffs.

First-year Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians noted in March his plans to diversify Larry Fitzgerald's alignments in 2013.

He speaks with some credibility on the subject after taking a similar approach with Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne last season, when Arians was offensive coordinator and interim head coach.

Those 2012 Colts, like the 2013 Cardinals, had recently gone through a brutal season at the quarterback position.

"Both times, when you come off a year where you had quarterback flux, it is tough on a great wide receiver," Arians said from the NFL owners meeting in March. "The problem with great wide receivers is you can't hand them the ball. You gotta get it to them.

"The thing with Reggie, he had been on the left side for 10 years. To be able to be a flanker and put him in motion, be a slot receiver and develop his skills is something that we'll look to see if that is good for Fitz."

Fitzgerald offered related thoughts recently, noting he's going through an adjustment period.

So, what might the changes mean for Fitzgerald? The chart could give us some idea. It shows a percentage of routes run from the slot for Wayne and Fitzgerald for the 2008 through 2012 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Note that we're talking about routes, not targets or receptions.

Wayne ran nearly 62 percent of his routes from the slot under Arians in 2012, a roughly fivefold increase from 2011. He still made most of his receptions from elsewhere, 59 to 47. The yardage gained was about the same.

As Arians noted, Wayne had lined up largely on the outside left side of the formation before 2012. The same was true to a lesser extent for Fitzgerald until 2010, when the left-right route distribution began evening out for those plays when he lined up outside.

We should expect a significant increase in routes from the slot for Fitzgerald in 2013. Like Wayne, he's good enough to produce from anywhere on the field, particularly with a competent quarterback throwing the ball to him.

Wayne had Andrew Luck last season. Fitzgerald has Carson Palmer this season. Luck ranked 11th in Total QBR last season at 65.0. Palmer was 29th at 44.7. Palmer had the higher NFL passer rating, 85.3 to 76.5. Luck attempted longer passes on average, completing a lower percentage of them for a higher number of yards.

Injury-plagued Rob Gronkowski is back in the news again. The New England Patriots’ Pro Bowl tight end is scheduled to have back surgery Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. This provides Gronkowski and New England with a firm timeline to begin the recovery phase.

If the Patriots are smart, the game plan for Gronkowski’s rehab is simple: Keep him away from all live action until Week 1 of the regular season.

Gronkowski needs rest more than he needs training camp. He’s been a human pin cushion this offseason. Next week will mark his fifth surgery since November. Gronkowski will simultaneously rehab his back and his surgically repaired arm this summer. Putting Gronkowski’s beat-up body through the grind of training camp is pointless. Playing him in the preseason also is an unnecessary injury risk. A player as talented as Gronkowski doesn’t need either to have a successful season.

Keeping Gronkowski sidelined this summer also provides more reps for fellow Patriots tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Jake Ballard. Those two will get a chance to grow and work together for the first time. Ballard, in particular, missed the entire 2012 season with a knee injury and could use the extra playing time and attention. Considering Hernandez's and Gronkowski's lengthy injury histories, there’s a good chance Ballard will be asked to fill in this season.

As Reiss mentioned in his analysis, there will be 83 days between Gronkowski’s surgery and New England’s Week 1 AFC East showdown with the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots should be all about getting Gronkowski ready for Sept. 8 from this point forward. Anything before that date is unimportant.