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5 storylines developing during Patriots OTAs

By Connor Fulton

May 26, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) throws during OTA
May 26, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) throws during OTA /
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Malcolm Butler Patriots OTAs
Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Storyline #1 – Absences of key players

The Patriots normally enjoy near-perfect OTA attendance, but that has not been the case this spring. Yes, these are voluntary practices, but some absences are worth noting, especially the non-injury related ones. Rob Gronkowski, Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan head the group of healthy players not spotted at Patriots OTAs.

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It’s known that Gronk isn’t super thrilled about his contract, so maybe not participating in OTAs is his way of publicly vocalizing his intent for restructuring.

Yesterday, my co-editor Cyrus Geller detailed Butler’s intent to receive a new contract. You can hardly blame the guy, as the Patriots are paying him just $600,000 to be their No. 1 cornerback; after Butler’s outstanding sophomore season that ended in a Pro Bowl nod, the guy deserves more.

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As for Ryan, well, he’s been one of the lesser-talked about 2017 free agents so maybe he’s not participating in Patriots OTAs to draw some attention to his situation.

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It’s all very early, though, so don’t overreact to this storyline. Keep an eye on it, however.  

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