New England Patriots: Recapping the Latest Buzz Heading into Training Camp

With roughly three weeks to go until the New England Patriots kick off the start of training camp, any news had better be good news.

That's especially true since most of the news coming out of Patriots camp these days pertains to the injury/recovery status/Week 1 availability of several key players on their roster. The big names under the microscope are aplenty: from linebackers Dont'a Hightower and Jerod Mayo to offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer and, of course, quarterback Tom Brady. 

Injuries and availability are just about the only thing worth updating at this point in the year. We already know where the major positional battles will take place—cornerback, offensive guard and running back, for starters—but we can't possibly come any closer to knowing who will take control of those battles until the players actually begin to, well, battle.

So here's a look around the Patriots locker room at the biggest stories that are developing headed into training camp.

Sebastian Vollmer Could Open Training Camp on Active/PUP List

Ben Margot/Associated Press

One of the most common updates you'll see around this time of year involves the possibility of certain players beginning training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list. It's so common, in fact, that there's more than one player in this very slideshow who could end up on that list. 

The first in our order is right tackle Sebastian Vollmer, according to ESPN.com's Mike Reiss. Vollmer was held out of organized team activities (OTAs) and is just five months removed from labrum surgery. 

If he is not ready to go for the start of camp, it would mean an increased practice workload for backup right tackle Marcus Cannon. Vollmer is expected to be fully healthy for the start of the regular season, and it's a good thing, because Cannon has struggled throughout his NFL career, particularly at tackle. 

Vollmer, on the other hand, graded out as the best right tackle in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. Needless to say, his absence would not bode well for an offensive line that is already in flux. 

Dan Connolly Mulling Retirement

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

At this point, most Patriots fans have given up hope that the team will re-sign guard Dan Connolly. The veteran and five-year starter has experience at multiple positions and could instantly provide an answer to one of the guard spots that are currently in question.

After taking a visit with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a few months ago, Connolly's prospects of signing with another team seemed slim, and that appeared to point toward Connolly's return to New England. So why hasn't he come back yet?

Here's what ESPN.com's Mike Reiss had to say on the matter:

"

The Buccaneers made a strong pitch to him, enticing him about the possibility of again playing alongside Logan Mankins, but Connolly's reluctance to uproot/be away from his family was the primary factor that led him to decline that option. Meanwhile, Connolly could have been enticed to play a 10th NFL season with the Patriots, although my sense is that the club hasn't aggressively pursued that option at this time. That could always change should an injury hit, or some of the club's young guards don’t develop as quickly as desired, but right now I wouldn't be surprised if Connolly ultimately decided that winning a Super Bowl in 2014 isn’t a bad way to end a career.

"

The Patriots will be holding a competition between the likes of Ryan Wendell, Tre' Jackson, Shaq Mason, Caylin Hauptmann, Marcus Cannon, Jordan Devey and Josh Kline to determine who will be starting at the two guard spots this season. 

Connolly's presence would instantly provide a much more experienced, stabilizing option to the competition, and while there's still the possibility of a reunion, the window appears to be closing—and of the Patriots' own accord. 

Decision on Tom Brady's Suspension Not Expected Until Mid-July

Stephan Savoia/Associated Press

With two months to go until the start of the regular season, we still have no idea whether quarterback Tom Brady will be available to the Patriots in Week 1, or Weeks 2, 3 or 4 for that matter, as he faces a four-game suspension for the findings of the Wells Report into Deflategate. 

That decision is not expected to come down until mid-July, or at least another week from now, according to Fox Sports. 

By now, you don't need me to analyze what this means to the Patriots. Without Brady, the Patriots will turn to second-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, and to call it a shakeup would be an understatement. The Patriots would immediately become underdogs in nearly any game they would play with Garoppolo behind center (save for their Week 3 clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars). 

And even after the decision is handed down, this saga is not necessarily over. There's still the possibility that Brady and his legal team could bring the case to court in an effort to have the suspension lifted completely—unless commissioner Roger Goodell does the unthinkable and lifts Brady's suspension on his own. 

Dont'a Hightower Could Start Training Camp on Active/PUP List

Steven Senne/Associated Press

I told you we'd come back to the PUP list. This time, the focus is on one of the key cogs on defense, linebacker Dont'a Hightower. 

In a recent chat, ESPN.com's Mike Reiss noted that Hightower is a "potential PUP candidate," although he is clear that it's hard to read too much into a player's health at this point. Hightower sat out all of OTAs, and we haven't seen him on the field since the Super Bowl. 

Hightower had surgery to repair a torn labrum back in February and was slated to have a six- to seven-month timetable for recovery. He played with the injury for the final few games of the 2014 regular season, an observation based on the fact that he played with a brace on the shoulder that is typically only used when the shoulder is unstable, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. 

Hightower's recovery is key for a Patriots defense that has undergone a lot of turnover this offseason; they need a vocal leader who can help everyone get lined up and stay on the same page. Jerod Mayo should be able to carry out those duties, but like they say, two heads are better than one. 

Brandon LaFell Sheds His Walking Boot

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Wide receiver Brandon LaFell was not spotted during OTAs or minicamp this spring. Typically, that means that reporters will not get any answers from the coaching staff as to why they are absent—at least not in New England.

Thus, it's on us to scrounge for whatever clues we can find as to the status of those players. Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe put on her detective's hat and did the leg work (no pun intended) to find out that LaFell's absence was due to an issue with his foot; LaFell was wearing a walking boot at a charity event hosted by fellow Patriots wideout Danny Amendola. 

On Wednesday afternoon, though, LaFell was a guest on SiriusXM NFL Radio and gave Patriots fans a sigh of relief with an update on his health.

"Just a few lingering injuries that happened in the late part of the regular season that I just played through throughout the playoffs," LaFell told host Bruce Murray, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. "Finally got some time off to let my body heal up properly; I’m out of the boot now and I’m just looking forward to starting camp."

LaFell caught on quickly in the Patriots offense, and was a big part of the team's turnaround following Week 4 of the regular season. He is one of very few big-bodied receivers on the Patriots roster, and the other two—Brian Tyms and Aaron Dobson—are not as experienced as LaFell and were nowhere near as big a featured part of the offense as he was last year.

His return to health is great news for the Patriots as training camp hits.