Patriots rookie breaks silence on controversy that's growing before training camp

The biggest story surrounding the Patriots over the past month has, fortunately, not been about Mike Vrabel but rather about their blockbuster trade for wide receiver A.J. Brown. The excitement over his arrival dominated headlines for all the right reasons, but it wasn't long until a more negative story began to make the rounds.

It was hard to miss that second-rounder Gabe Jacas was absent from OTAs and mandatory minicamp, prompting a lot of questions from reporters (and even fans) about what was going on with the rookie.

He was drafted to be a focal point of the defensive line, specifically as a pass rusher, yet he remains the only second-round pick in the league unsigned, and he has been missing in action over the past several weeks.

Reports have suggested he is dealing with some sort of injury, and the contract dispute is taking longer because of alleged injuries. Whether that's entirely true is difficult to say, but Jacas seemed to have made it clear that might not be the case in his first sighting since rookie minicamp earlier this year.

He might not have spoken or issued a statement, but the videos posted to Instagram tell a long story.

Gabe Jacas seemingly responds to ongoing rumors about his current status amid Patriots hiatus

As speculation about Jacas heated up this past week, former Colts linebacker Marcus Howard posted videos on social media showing he was working out with the rookie, putting to rest that he was dealing with an injury that had sidelined him.

It's possible that at one point this offseason, he was, in fact, recovering from an injury and maybe even surgery, but he doesn't appear to be having any difficulties working out with Howard, as seen in the videos.

This is certainly a great thing to see, but at the same time, it prompts even more questions about his status.

Is he recovering from an injury?

If he is, why is he not practicing with the Patriots? If he's not, why is he away from the team?

What is preventing him from signing his rookie contract? And is that something that can be solved sooner rather than later?

There are far too many lingering concerns that leave anyone feeling uncomfortable about what the result might be, but the hope is that Jacas is healthy, or at least on the way to being ready to go, and will be in Foxboro when he's supposed to be.

The Patriots need all the help they can get on the defensive line, specifically on the edge, so missing a player with a lot of potential like Jacas could be devastating. They need to figure out how to resolve the issue and maybe release more information to the public so analysts and fans can stop worrying unnecessarily.

They likely won't do that until they return for training camp next month, but it sure would be nice if they could say something in the meantime so this doesn't remain a worrisome story for the next month.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow