FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Saturday, July 7 will mark the 10-year anniversary of Ben Coates being voted into the Patriots Hall of Fame, becoming the first tight end to gain entry. He currently remains the only player at the position in the team's Hall.
But Coates made one thing clear when we caught up last week: He is expecting company soon from Rob Gronkowski and he welcomes it, even as Gronkowski (474) is on the cusp of breaking Coates' franchise record for career regular-season receptions by a tight end (490).