The New England Patriots are entering the summer of 2013 with more questions than anyone in the organization anticipated after losing to the Ravens in the playoffs, as they have a new backup quarterback in Tim Tebow and huge hole at tight end after Aaron Hernandez's arrest for murder.
The Patriots will open training camp in Foxborough at Gillette Stadium on July 26 and this time around they will be without Hernandez, although his former Florida teammate Tim Tebow will be in attendance. Hernandez will be the big question hanging over the team as camp starts, as Rob Gronkowski is coming back from multiple surgeries and former Giants star Jake Ballard may end up taking most of the snaps at the position.
Ballard was picked up after the Super Bowl loss to the Giants and while he missed all of last year with an injury, he appears to be healthy and is the logical replacement for Hernandez after he was arrested. The team has had to deal with numerous questions and issues since Hernandez was arrested and coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft felt it was the right thing to do to release Hernandez after he was taken into custody despite signing him to a $40 million contract.
Hernandez was looked at as one of the top young tight ends in the game with Gronkowski and the two helped give an extra element to the offense in the NFL that many other teams did not have. Tom Brady did an excellent job working with both players and now he may be without either one for the start of camp, as Gronkowski is coming back from an injury, leaving Ballard as the logical option.
Belichick likely will figure out how to adapt without Hernandez, but with the salary cap hit along with the other issues involved, it could be a distraction filled camp for a team that isn't fond of them. The team ranked fourth in the league in passing yards per game and seventh in rushing and despite having a top 10 rushing defense, the team lost to the Ravens in the playoffs and now they will be looking to win the division yet again.
