Some notes from Patriots camp:
- Quarterback Tom Brady briefly stepped off the field to work with head trainer Jim Whalen, who appeared to apply some padding to the underside of his right foot. Brady returned to action shortly thereafter, and showed no ill affects.
- Tight end Aaron Hernandez, who has lined up all over the formation for the Patriots’ offense in his first two seasons as a pro, may have added a new role to his game. Hernandez fielded punts during the special teams period (which were focused on the punt team, not the punt return team), appearing fairly comfortable. After practice, when addressing reporters, Hernandez expressed that he has previously worked as a punt and kick returner (he believed the last time he did so was in high school) and a willingness to have the football in his hands – no matter the role.
- Naturally, much attention has been paid to TE Rob Gronkowski’s surgically repaired ankle in recent days. From this angle, Gronk looked to be nearly at full go, displaying quite a bit of suddenness in his routes. That’s a positive sign for the 23-year old, who hopes to build off his record-setting 2011 season.
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