2013 will be a year of big change for the New England Patriots offense, as longtime quarterback Tom Brady will likely be without his top three targets from a year ago when New England opens the season.
Wes Welker, long Brady's safety blanket as a slot receiver is gone to the Denver Broncos, tight end Aaron Hernandez is sitting in a Massachusetts prison on murder charges, and Rob Gronkowski, while still a Patriot, is unlikely to play in Week 1 after multiple offseason surgeries.
Gronkowski broke his forearm twice last season, then battled an infection that stunted the healing process and essentially restarted his rehabilitation as it was supposed to be ending. In addition, Gronkowski also underwent back surgery which is limiting him as well.
A source with knowledge of the situation told ESPN.com, It's a huge stretch to think he could play against the Bills."
New England's offense was built around the twin tight end powers of Gronkowski and Hernandez, but circumstances now point to a more ground-based attack than is typical of a Tom Brady offense. New England has a plethora or capable backs, led by Stevan Ridley, and they also signed Danny Amendola to fill Welker's place.
One of Welker's strongest attributes was his durability, however, a quality that Amendola has yet to prove he possesses at the NFL level. All this turnover could come up roses for one man in Patriots camp-Tim Tebow.
In two preseason games Tebow, the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart whom New England coaches are insisting is only a quarterback, has been wretched. In Week 1 Tebow was 4-for-12 and got sacked three times. In Week 2 he was even more abysmal, completing just 1-of-7 passes for negative one yard. The lefty, run-first signal caller hasn't done himself any favors.
The organization has been adamant he won't be working out of the backfield, or as a potential replacement at tight end, so he would be best served by Gronkowski landing on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. That would allow the team to absorb having three quarterbacks on the roster more easily.
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