There's been a lot of speculation swirling around during the NFL offseason about what the immediate future holds for the New England Patriots. Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and head coach Bill Belichick have all been mentioned in rumors over the past few months concerning their relationship with the team's brass and whether they'd be back for the 2018 NFL season.
Fortunately for New England, all is well at the moment with everyone expected to be back in the fold for next season. However, as OTAs get underway for the Patriots on Monday, superstars Brady and Gronkowski won't be in attendance. Although that may be concerning considering the rumors about these two players, they will reportedly be attending mandatory minicamp next month, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.
As Rapoport mentions, Gronkowski's contract is still something that needs to be taken care of, but for the most part, New England is secure in terms of having their two best players returning and Belichick seemingly happy with his situation for the time being.
As per usual, the Patriots are at the center attention once again as the 2018 campaign inches closer. No matter what the team does or doesn't do, New England will always be the top story from day to day, especially with Gronkowski's contract needing to be addressed and Brady's appreciation by the team being put into question.
As the offseason moves forward with OTAs beginning and mandatory minicamp looming, it'll be interesting to see how things pan out in New England.