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Gronk obviously just had surgery on his left forearm yesterday, while Edelman is also nursing an injury. Meanwhile, Brandon Spikes is not going to participate in voluntary workouts, because he feels like he is better off working out on his own (completely understandable). Spikes has been quiet heading into his contract year, but this definitely isn’t a case of Spikes trying to leverage himself against the Patriots. He will be back with the team for minicamp in mid-June, so keep your eyes peeled for Spikes next month.

Brandon Bolden’s absence is the surprise of the four, and it is interesting to hear that the second-year running back is not participating. NESN’s Luke Hughes reports that the former Ole Miss star is out today due to an injured left foot. If you click on the piece linked to NESN, you’ll see pictures that Hughes found of Bolden in a walking boot on his left foot. The photo was found on his fiancee’s Instagram, as he was in Louisiana over the weekend.

Devin McCourty, Josh Boyce, and Aaron Hernandez are three notable players recovering from minor injuries and were on the field but did not participate in drills, per ESPN Boston.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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It was initially reported that the New England Patriots signed both Rutgers Scarlet Knights rookie Duron Harmon and Steve Beauharnais to four-year deals, but they only signed the third-round safety to a contract. It was initially reported that the Patriots signed Beauharnais, and the deal was rumored to be for four years and at $2.2 million. However, that report has since been rescinded, a Beauharnais’s agent Mook Williams tweeted out that his client has not signed a deal with the Patriots and is currently focused on exams at Rutgers.

Although I can’t see the possibility of the New England Patriots cutting wide receiver Julian Edelman, both ESPN Boston and the Boston Herald have stated that they don’t view Edelman as a lock to make the roster. Anything is possible these days, and Edelman is coming off of a setback and is on a one-year deal, but I just don’t see the Patriots cutting ties with Edelman. He’s going in as the team’s No. 3 wide receiver behind Danny Amendola and Aaron Dobson, and it would take huge efforts from Josh Boyce and Donald Jones to have Edelman axed off the island. He may not be a total lock, but it’s almost impossible to envision the improving wide receiver getting cut by the Patriots. Edelman showed us a lot last season with improved speed before breaking his foot, and the only question for Edelman at this point is his health. On a cheap, one-year deal with plenty to prove, I don’t see Edelman getting his walking papers. Then again, “lock” is a strong word. What do you guys think?

Shane Vereen is the ideal replacement for Danny Woodhead in this offense, even if losing Woodhead was clearly not ideal for the Patriots. The San Diego Chargers paid him a lot and desperately needed a guy like Woodhead, whereas the Patriots could afford not to pay too much due to the presence of a rising third-year running back in Vereen. ESPN Boston wrote yesterday that Vereen is in-line for Woodhead’s role, and it would be extremely difficult to argue against that point. While Woodhead was the better player and much better pass blocker, Vereen offers plenty of upside and explosiveness. I mean, just look at how he played when Woodhead went down in the AFC Divisional game against the Houston Texans, and I would also highly recommend re-watching Vereen’s touchdown catch against the New York Jets on Thanksgiving Day.

Vereen spoke quite a bit to the media yesterday and delivered this nugget, ”I’d say that I’m approaching this season a little bit differently than I did last season. Just with a mindset of my role on the team.”

Chalk up Vereen as a player who is poised for a breakout year in a bigger role on the Patriots offense. I wonder how much he has developed as a rusher, because consistency on the ground will be the key for Vereen.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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Edelman has earned a reputation for being an injury prone player, and the foot injury is the main reason why the quality wideout received interest from only one other team (the New York Giants, who weren’t willing to offer Edelman a contract) during the free agent period. If Edelman can stay healthy next season, then he should be in-line for some nice numbers. It seems like the Patriots have finally realized how to use him effectively, which is by using him all over the field and running more deep routes. Earlier in his career, Edelman was used pretty much exclusively on short routes, but he showed some real playmaking ability and significantly improved long speed last season, especially towards the end of his 2012 campaign.

Hopefully, Edelman will be ready for minicamp in June, and Manza Young did not rule that out in her report. Edelman clearly needs to stay healthy, because that’s the reason why he has had little value around the league. I have faith in Edelman’s ability to be a good wide receiver for the Patriots, but I sadly don’t have faith in his ability to stay healthy. It seems like Edelman is the victim of bad luck, though, and I think this setback is a minor one. The real concern is that he is fully healthy next season, doesn’t suffer any further setbacks, and can build on the momentum from last season.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.