Rob Gronkowski Did Not Participate in Patriots' Mandatory Minicamp Practice

Tight end Rob Gronkowski was held out of the New England Patriots' mandatory minicamp practice on June 7 and "is continuing to work behind the scenes as the club takes a cautious approach with an undisclosed physical ailment that isn't considered a long-range concern," according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.

"There are a lot of players that were not on the field," head coach Bill Belichick told Reiss, avoiding specifics about Gronkowski's injury. "They were doing other things."

On Saturday, Gronkowski spoke to reporters about the situation, courtesy of the Providence Journal's Mark Daniels and WEEI's Ryan Hannable, while the Boston Herald's Adam Kurkjian described Gronkowski's demeanor:

On Monday, Gronkowski was present for the Patriots' OTA session, via Courtney Fallon of Fox 25.

Gronkowski has been present at the team's workouts throughout the postseason, according to Reiss, and he reported to minicamp this week. Reiss added that the Patriots have made it a regular practice to hold Gronkowski out of workouts and practices to keep him healthy for the regular season.

That's been an effective strategy. He's missed just one game in each of the last two seasons and has registered a total of 154 receptions for 2,300 yards and 23 touchdowns in that time. Gronkowski has established himself as arguably the most dynamic receiving weapon in the NFL—outside of perhaps Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Antonio Brown—and is crucial to the Patriots' success.

Pro Football Focus ranked him as the fourth-best player in the NFL in 2015, and Sam Monson explained why:

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This season was just another reminder of how much better than the rest of the league he is at the TE position. His numbers were impressive, if not staggering, but when you add in the fact that he also led the league in blocking grade among TEs, you start to see what separates Gronk in an era of move-TEs for whom blocking is a theoretical exercise. A throwback to the days where TEs were genuine do-it-all players, Rob Gronkowski does exactly that.

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That makes any injury to Gronkowski a major concern for the Patriots. There's even an argument to be made that Gronkowski is more important to the team's success than quarterback Tom Brady, as he serves as Brady's security blanket, creates mismatches all over the field and is a crucial contributor in the running game with his elite blocking.

One thing is clear: The Patriots are a drastically better football team when Gronkowski is on the field. So every precaution they take—even during minicamp practices in June—is a logical move.

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