New England
Patriots

News: State and local police spent hours at the home of Hernandez on Tuesday night as another group of officers searched an industrial park about a mile away where a body was discovered the day before.
Impact: Police at the scene and prosecutors would not comment on the actions while Sports Illustrated, citing an unidentified source, reported that Hernandez was not believed to be a suspect in what was being treated as a possible homicide. The magazine says police have spoken with Hernandez.

News: Gronkowski has undergone back surgery.
Impact: The operation was performed on Tuesday by Dr. Robert Watkins and was successful, said Drew Rosenhaus, Gronkowski's agent. On May 20, Gronkowski had his fourth surgery on the left forearm that he broke on Nov. 18 while blocking for an extra point in a 59-24 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He broke it again in the Patriots' first playoff game, a 41-28 win over the Houston Texans. Rosenhaus said the fourth surgery was expected to be the last on his forearm.

News: Hernandez (shoulder) was reportedly questioned by police Tuesday with regards to a homicide investigation for which he is not believed to be a murder suspect, ESPN.com reports.
Impact: The report adds that police are thought to be looking into a vehicle allegedly rented in Hernandez's name that could have a connection to the body of a 27-year-old man found earlier this week in North Attleboro, Mass.

News: Gronkowski's back surgery is complete and said to have gone well, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.
Impact: Given that a 12-week recovery has been estimated for Gronkowski, his Week 1 availability is cloudy at this point, given that the Patriots' regular season opener is on September 8. A best-case scenario would result in Gronkowski not missing any games, but a cautious approach is likely here, with some speculation already having surfaced that the tight end may start the season on the PUP list.

News: Winn signed with the Patriots on Monday, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Impact: Winn, an undrafted rookie out of Cincinnati, rushed for 1,334 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior. He signed with the Texans shortly after the draft but was released after the team's rookie camp.

News: Thompkins opened some eyes during last week's minicamp practices, the Patriots' official site reports. "He showed consistent hands, a little speed and made a handful of plays that stood out during minicamp," according to Nick Underhill of MassLive.com.
Impact: The undrafted Thompkins still seems like a long shot to make any sort of fantasy splash this season, but he could conceivably mount a charge for a roster spot this summer, given that Danny Amendola is the only New England wideout whose role in the offense is currently defined.

News: ESPN's Mike Reiss views Ryan Mallett as a roster lock this season, with Tebow's chances of sticking around hinging on the Patriots keeping three quarterbacks, after keeping just two last season.
Impact: While the Patriots signed Tebow to a two-year deal worth $1.36 million, the contract does not include any guaranteed money. In any case, if the Patriots keep Tebow around, it will be as a depth QB and someone who coach Bill Belichick (who has a knack for putting his players in position to succeed) could deploy occasionally with some creative play-calling and formations.

News: The Week 1 status of Gronkowski, who will undergo back surgery Tuesday, is cloudy at this point, ESPN.com reports.
Impact: The report notes that a 12-week recovery has been estimated, with Gronkowski looking at an 83-day span from the day of Tuesday's surgery (June 18) to the day of the Patriots' season opener on September 8. There are several variables in play here that could tip the scales either way, so it's premature to map out a precise timetable at this time. Either way, those drafting now have to consider the possibility that the tight end could miss some action early on.

News: Gronkowski (forearm) has scheduled his back surgery for this coming Tuesday in Los Angeles, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.
Impact: Still recovering from the fifth procedure on his left forearm, Gronkowski's back surgery is expected to be more dangerous to his chances of starting the regular season on time. An unquestioned top-two talent among fantasy tight ends when healthy, Gronkowski's injury situation makes him a much riskier option at a position that's chock-full of other ascending talents.

News: ESPN.com's Mike Reiss notes that Jenkins has seemed to be one of the Patriots' more consistent players during the team's offseason camps.
Impact: The report notes that Jenkins has typically lined up with the team's top offense, along with Danny Amendola. It remains to be seen if that arrangement sticks, with the likes of Donald Jones, Lavelle Hawkins, Julian Edelman and rookies Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce also in the team's receiving mix. While Dobson is viewed as the fantasy upside play among the options competing for WR looks that don't go to Amendola, it's plausible that Jenkins could carve out some fantasy utility if he develops good chemistry with QB Tom Brady. He's not the fleetest of foot, but at 6-4, 214 pounds, Jenkins could, under the right circumstances, emerge as a red zone option in the New England offense.

News: The New England Patriots announced the signing of the polarizing quarterback with the poor throwing motion on Tuesday, six weeks after he was cut by the New York Jets and just in time for the start of the three-day minicamp that runs through Thursday.
Impact: Tebow, 25, is being reunited with Josh McDaniels, the Patriots offensive coordinator who was Denver's head coach when the Broncos traded into the first round to take him with the 25th draft pick in 2010. There is no guarantee that Tebow will still be with the Patriots when training camp begins next month, but if the Patriots keep him, he would have time to develop as a quarterback since Tom Brady holds that job.

News: Amendola has built up a nice rapport with quarterback Tom Brady in their first offseason together, ESPN Boston reports.
Impact: In four weeks of OTAs, Amendola, Michael Jenkins, and Kamar Aiken have been the top wideouts present for quarterback Tom Brady. Amendola has displayed the most progress thus far, which is a decent sign that he'll effectively replace Wes Welker in the slot during the upcoming season. The chemistry between Welker and Brady was clearly second nature, and Amendola will attempt to reach that level. Even if he falls short of lofty expectations, the offense could be without Rob Gronkowski (forearm/back) for some time, allowing Amendola to rack up significant targets.

News: Tebow has signed a two-year deal with the Patriots that includes no guaranteed money, ESPN reports.
Impact: This is not a surprise, after Tebow was marginalized in his sole season with the Jets in 2012. With one of the league's top signal callers, Tom Brady, under center in New England, Tebow figures to hold a similar role with his new squad. Moreover, Ryan Mallett already has received two years of teaching in the Patriot way, making him the clear No. 2 quarterback option. In a news conference Tuesday, coach Bill Belichick did not shed any light on how Tebow may be utilized, but he'll almost certainly enter training camp as the third stringer.

News: A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday that Tebow will join the Patriots' minicamp on Tuesday and sign with the team, pending the medical exam.
Impact: The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no official announcement had been made. Even when Tebow signs, there is no guarantee he will play for the Patriots.

News: The Patriots will sign Tebow, ESPN's Mike Reiss reports.
Impact: With Tebow in the fold, the Patriots cycled out third-stringer Mike Kafka on Monday. Tebow is obviously no threat to Tom Brady's job security and figures to slot behind Ryan Mallett on the Patriots' QB depth chart, but he does give coach Bill Belichick and coordinator Josh McDaniels (who drafted Tebow in the first round as Denver's coach) a player to potentially design some interesting plays around.

News: Gronkowski's (forearm) upcoming back surgery will likely force him to miss some regular season action, the Boston Herald reports.
Impact: The assumption is a logical one, as Gronkowski's surgery in the near future to repair a disk in his back has an expected recovery time of 10-to-12 weeks. Furthermore, he is recovering from the fifth surgery on his left forearm since suffering the initial break in November of 2012. At the moment, it's safe to drop Gronkowski slightly in the tight end ranks, though he'll be looking to tally double-digit scores for the fourth consecutive campaign.

News: Edds signed with the Patriots on Thursday, the Boston Globe reports.
Impact: Edds, a fourth round pick of the Dolphins in 2010, suffered a torn ACL last July that caused him to miss the entire 2012 season. He's spent time with the Dolphins, Patriots and Colts in the past. Edds' role with the Patriots going forward is unknown, but he is not likely to be a significant contributor.

News: Sudfeld has opened some eyes at the Patriots' OTAs, the Patriots' official site reports.
Impact: The 6-7 Sudfeld, described as a "smooth pass catcher," joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent, but injuries at the tight end position have given him an opportunity to see added reps in the team's OTAs. With a continued strong effort in training camp/preseason, he could make a serious bid to crack the team's final roster.

News: The Patriots have released Shavers, the team's official site reports.
Impact: The undrafted rookie, who was claimed off waivers from the Bucs on May 7, will now look to catch on elsewhere as a depth back.

News: Dennard suffered what appeared to be an upper left arm injury at Tuesday's OTAs, the Boston Globe reports.
Impact: Dennard was carted off the field as a result. The 2012 seventh-rounder recorded 35 tackles and three picks in 10 games last season and is the frontrunner to start at right cornerback for the Patriots this season.

News: Hernandez (shoulder) ran routes and caught some passes at the Patriots' OTAs on Tuesday, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports.
Impact: Hernandez continues to recover from a minor scope on his shoulder, so expect him to be limited for the time being, but his activity Tuesday suggests that he is moving in the right direction. With Rob Gronkowski's early season status now in question, Hernandez (assuming his health) could be counted on by the team heavily out of the gate.

News: Ballard (left ankle) didn't finish practice Tuesday, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports.
Impact: On the plus side, Ballard was practicing, so assuming the tight end's ankle issue isn't a major one, he'll continue to get up to speed with the Patriots' offense. Rob Gronkowski's current injury woes could potentially open the door for Ballard to contribute early on this season, assuming he can stay healthy.

News: Ridley left Tuesday's practice with a right hamstring injury, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports.
Impact: ESPN's Mike Reiss suggests that the injury didn't appear too serious, so assuming that's the case, Ridley would appear to be no worse than day-to-day.