On Tuesday, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski said that it was too early in his rehab from a torn ACL to make any predictions about his availability for Week One.
On Wednesday, the Patriots are meeting with a player that could help them weather any absence from Gronkowski. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the team is visiting with Dustin Keller.
Keller’s ability to be a placeholder or contributor of any kind will be largely dependent on the condition of his own knee. Keller dislocated his right knee and tore his ACL, MCL and PCL in a preseason injury while with the Dolphins last year and missed the entire regular season. Keller’s agent recently said his client is “ready to go,” so his visit to New England could lead to something more if the Patriots agree with that assessment.
Keller averaged 48 catches a year during his five seasons with the Jets and, assuming he regains pre-injury form, his arrival would give the Patriots a seasoned pass catcher who could have value in their offense whether or not Gronkowski was also in the lineup.