New England
Patriots

News: The Patriots signed Underwood to a futures contract Tuesday, Boston Herald writer Ian Rapoport reports.
Impact: Underwood will compete for a roster spot as a depth and special teams player in 2012, but he's a long shot to become a fantasy factor in New England or anywhere else.

News: Vereen was inactive for Sunday's Super Bowl loss to the Giants.
Impact: Vereen, who was the 56th pick overall in April's draft, saw his rookie season slowed by nagging injuries, carrying just 15 times for 57 yards and a TD. Fellow rookie Stevan Ridley (a third-round pick) overtook him on the Patriots' depth chart, but if Vereen can come into training camp this summer in good health, then he has a great chance to carve out a more significant role next season, in particular if BenJarvus Green-Ellis departs via free agency.

News: Ridley did not record a carry in Sunday's Super Bowl loss to the Giants.
Impact: With BenJarvus Green-Ellis not a lock to return to the Patriots, Ridley and fellow rookie Shane Vereen figure to see added responsibilities next year. If Green-Ellis walks via free agency, it's not hard to imagine the powerful Ridley, who carried 87 times for 441 yards (5.1 yards per carry) with a TD in 2011, emerging as the heavy-lifter in the 2012 edition of New England's running back committee.

News: Woodhead carried seven times for 18 yards and caught four passes for 41 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's Super Bowl loss to the Giants.
Impact: Woodhead has replaced Kevin Faulk (a healthy scratch Sunday) as the Patriots' change-of-pace back, a job that he handles capably. He'll be back with the team in 2012, though with BenJarvus Green-Ellis headed for free agency, there's a decent chance Woodhead will be working behind Stevan Ridley and perhaps Shane Vereen next season.

News: Green-Ellis carried 10 times for 44 yards and caught two passes for 15 yards in Sunday's Super Bowl loss to the Giants.
Impact: The steady but unspectacular Green-Ellis, who carried 181 times for 667 yards (3.7 yards per carry) with 11 TDs this past season, is headed for unrestricted free agency. He's never been the most dynamic back, but he runs hard and never fumbles (literally) so he could draw some solid interest from other teams. We suspect that the Patriots wouldn't mind having him back, but only at the right price, after having drafted fellow RBs Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley in April.

News: Gostkowski made his only field goal attempt (from 29 yards) en route to a five-point effort in Sunday's Super Bowl loss to the Giants.
Impact: Kicking behind the powerful New England offense, Gostkowski, who made 28-of-33 FG attempts, finished the season with 143 points overall, good for third in the league. He'll be back with New England in 2012 and assuming he stays healthy, Gostkowski figures to remain one of the more reliable fantasy kicking options around.

News: Ochocinco caught one pass for 21 yards in Sunday's Super Bowl loss to the Giants.
Impact: Ochocinco is slated to earn a $3 million base salary in 2012 and given his modest 2011 output (15 catches for 276 yards and a TD in 15 games), don't be surprised if he is sent packing by the Patriots.

News: Branch caught three passes for 45 yards in Sunday's Super Bowl loss to the Giants.
Impact: Branch, who recorded 51 catches for 702 yards with five TDs in 15 games this past season, is headed for unrestricted free agency, but he would like to stay with the Patriots. If the price is right, and there's no reason to believe that he is in line for a huge offer from another team, that's a scenario we can envision occurring, given Branch's established rapport with QB Tom Brady.

News: Welker caught seven passes for 60 yards in Sunday's Super Bowl loss to the Giants. He also rushed the ball twice for 21 yards.
Impact: Unfortunately, Welker's outstanding regular season -- a league-high 122 catches for 1,569 yards with nine TDs -- will be overshadowed by a potentially game-changing pass in the fourth quarter that he was unable to corral. Though it wouldn't have been an easy grab, it's a play that Welker usually makes. Welker is slated for free agency this offseason and while some other teams may make a run at him, it's hard to believe that the Patriots won't make retaining their "slot machine" a priority.

News: Brady completed 27-of-41 passes for 276 yards with two touchdowns and a pick in Sunday's Super Bowl loss to the Giants.
Impact: An intentional grounding penalty on Brady early in the game resulted in a safety for the Giants, but to his credit he bounced back and was a break or two away from his fourth Super Bowl ring. Brady finished the regular season with 5,235 passing yards, a figure that ranked second in the league in 2011, as well as all-time. His 39 TD passes (versus 12 picks) were fourth in league, all numbers indicative of his continued status as an elite QB, in both real and fantasy terms.

News: Hernandez caught eight passes for 67 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's Super Bowl loss to the Giants.
Impact: Hernandez, who finished the season with 79 catches for 910 yards and seven TDs in 14 games, may not be the red zone threat that fellow TE Rob Gronkowski is, but his receiving skills and run-after-the-catch ability make him a highly useful weapon in both real and fantasy terms. Among NFL tight ends this season, Gronkowski led the league with 82.9 receiving yards per game, while Hernandez was fourth, with 65 yards per contest. The Patriots figure to re-tool at wideout this offseason, but regardless of what transpires on that front, Hernandez will enter the 2012 campaign as a valuable weapon in both real and fantasy terms.

News: Gronkowski, who was dealing with a high ankle sprain, caught two passes for 26 yards in Sunday's Super Bowl loss to the Giants.
Impact: Heading into the offseason, Gronkowski acknowledged that he would continue to get treatment on his ankle, but noted that he won't need surgery. Though he was clearly hobbled in the Super Bowl -- arguably a key variable in the Patriots' loss -- Gronkowski was remarkable during the regular season, catching 90 passes for 1,327 yards, with 18 total touchdowns, 17 receiving, both NFL records for tight ends. As a result, he'll enter the 2012 season justifiably atop fantasy TE draft boards.

News: Faulk is inactive for the Super Bowl.
Impact: The running back had played in the Patriots' four previous Super Bowls under coach Bill Belichick.

News: All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski is active for the Patriots for the Super Bowl, as is wide receiver Chad Ochocinco.
Impact: Ochocinco was inactive for the conference title game because of the death of his father a week earlier. In his first season with New England, Ochocinco played in 15 regular-season games, missing a Week 11 win at Philadelphia. He started three times and had 15 catches with one touchdown in 2011.

News: All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski is active for the Patriots for the Super Bowl, as is wide receiver Chad Ochocinco.
Impact: Gronkowski has been recovering from a high left ankle sprain suffered in the AFC title game. He practiced on a limited basis this week. Receiver Ochocinco was inactive for the conference title game because of the death of his father a week earlier.

News: Ridley is active for Sunday's Super Bowl against the Giants.
Impact: The rookie, who is is back in the Patriots' lineup Sunday, presumably will be working behind BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead in the Super Bowl. The more experienced Green-Ellis' ability to avoid fumbling should garner him the bulk of the carries Sunday, but Ridley is on hand to do the power running should Green-Ellis suffer an injury.

News: Branch (knee) is active for Sunday's Super Bowl against the Giants, the Boston Globe reports.
Impact: Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez had more productive regular season than Branch, but given the veteran wideout's strong rapport with QB Tom Brady, the former Super Bowl MVP could be a big factor Sunday.

News: Welker (knee) is active for Sunday's Super Bowl against the Giants, the Boston Globe reports.
Impact: Look for Welker, as usual, to see plenty of targets from QB Tom Brady on Sunday. Welker's ability in the slot will be especially valuable, given that the Giants' ferocious pass rush is bound to force Brady into plenty of quick reads and releases in the Super Bowl.

News: Ochocinco is active for Sunday's Super Bowl against the Giants, the Boston Globe reports.
Impact: Ochocinco has one last chance (on the big stage, as a bonus) to make an impact in his otherwise nondescript season. Don't be surprised if QB Tom Brady takes a deep shot or two his way on Sunday.

News: Gronkowski (ankle) is active for Sunday's Super Bowl against the Giants, the Boston Globe reports.
Impact: It remains to be seen if Gronkowski can make it through the game without a setback, but if he can, he figures to be a focal point in the New England passing game as he was all season, in particular in the red zone.

News: Gronkowski (high ankle sprain) did not appear to be limping Saturday, the Boston Herald reports.
Impact: It's fully expected that Gronkowski will be available for Sunday's Super Bowl, but how effective he will end up being will largely hinge on his ability to avoid any setbacks with his balky ankle.

News: The Saturday release of fellow wideout Tiquan Underwood virtually assures that Ochocinco will be active for Sunday's Super Bowl, the Boston Herald reports.
Impact: Ochocinco, who was inactive for the AFC Championship, finished the regular season with just 15 catches for 276 yards and a touchdown in 15 games. Those are numbers that reflect his modest contribution to the New England offense, but with key weapon Rob Gronkowski banged up, Ochocinco could be more of a factor than usual Sunday.

News: The Patriots have released Underwood, the Boston Herald reports.
Impact: The move enabled the Patriots to promote DE Alex Silvestro from their practice squad, while also providing circumstantial evidence that fellow wideout Chad Ochocinco will be active for Sunday's Super Bowl. On the season, Underwood played in five games for New England and caught three passes for 30 yards in a reserve role.

News: Gronkowski (high ankle sprain) is listed as questionable for Sunday's Super Bowl against the Giants after a limited practice Friday, Newsday's Tom Rock reports.
Impact: Gronkowski is fully expected to be in the lineup Sunday, though it's similarly likely that he'll fall a fair distance short of 100 percent health.

News: Branch (knee) is listed as probable for Sunday's Super Bowl against the Giants, the Boston Globe reports.
Impact: Branch only has five catches in the playoffs this year, but few players in league history are as accomplished in Super Bowls as he is. He has 21 catches for 276 yards and a touchdown from the 2003 and 2004 games.

News: Welker (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's Super Bowl against the Giants, the Boston Globe reports.
Impact: Welker's knee is fine. He'll definitely be in the starting lineup Sunday and should be at or very close to 100 percent health.

News: Gronkowski is practicing again with the New England Patriots. The All-Pro tight end recovering from a high sprain in his left ankle participated on a limited basis Thursday, his first practice for the Super Bowl since being injured Jan. 22 in the third quarter of the AFC championship victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
Impact: Gronkowski wore a removable boot for a week before discarding it Monday. Teammates had expressed confidence that he would be ready for the game against the New York Giants on Sunday. Gronkowski, who set an NFL single-season record for tight ends with 17 touchdown catches, missed two practices last week and two more Monday and Wednesday. The Patriots did not practice Tuesday.

News: Gronkowski (high ankle sprain) practiced Thursday, Boston Herald writer Ian Rapoport reports.
Impact: Gronkowski was expected to play in the Super Bowl all along, but this development makes the idea especially believable. He'll be active as long as he avoids setbacks.

News: Gronkowski (high ankle sprain) could be a limited participant in practice Thursday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.
Impact: Interestingly enough, Gronkowski made a point to say that he could miss practice all week and still play against the Giants in the Super Bowl on Sunday. For those in pools where lineups are picked from unused players each week, keep an eye on his status leading into kickoff as we'll have the official inactives list Sunday afternoon.

News: Gronkowski has missed his fourth straight practice with the New England Patriots with a high left ankle sprain. With only four days to go before the Super Bowl, the All-Pro tight end still hasn't worked out with his teammates in Indianapolis. The Patriots returned to practice on Wednesday after holding meetings and film sessions on Tuesday.
Impact: Gronkowski, who set an NFL single-season record with 17 touchdown receptions, was hurt late in the third quarter of the 23-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game Jan. 22. He had worn a protective boot for a week until shedding it Monday. He said at Tuesday's media day that his ankle was improving daily. But he wouldn't say if he would play Sunday against the New York Giants.