FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- There was one play in the New England Patriots' mandatory minicamp this week when the offense didn't have a tight end on the field, as three wide receivers and two running backs joined quarterback Tom Brady for a passing drill. The cynic might have captured that snapshot as an ominous sign for the Patriots' plans to replace the retired Rob Gronkowski.
In reality, it was mostly a reminder that the Patriots have always liberally mixed up their personnel groupings, although it does highlight that their current tight-end personnel remains a question mark -- particularly with veteran Benjamin Watson to serve a four-game NFL suspension to open the season, and fellow veteran Austin Seferian-Jenkins released Tuesday.