Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski was in full pads again today, as he continues to push toward his on-field debut.
Don't expect it to be Sunday, but the Pats apparently haven't ruled out Week 2 against the Jets. It still seems like Week 3 or 4 would be a more likely return date, though.
Gronkowski participated in positional drills during the media portion of practice, which ended before 11-on-11 work. Gronkowski took some early reps in that phase Monday. Today, the blocking reps were barely half speed, for Gronkowski and the other tight ends, but they picked up the pace during pass-catching drills.
If Gronk returns to full speed in Week 3 or Week 4, he'll be a terrific value in the 3rd or 4th round. By all accounts, he is having a speedy recovery, which is a bit surprising considering it took him six months to recover from his first back surgery in college.
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