The New England Patriots are known as one of the most professionally run franchises in the NFL and now they have cut ties with Aaron Hernandez after his arrest from being connected in a murder investigation. The team is one of the best at dealing with drama and controversy, but following the past few weeks with the team, distractions have become front and center with the signing of Tim Tebow and the murder investigation involving tight end Aaron Hernandez.
The team is already finished with offseason workouts and OTAs so the team isn't currently together and now the Patriots have loads of questions heading into training camp this summer. The team has been under the national media microscope since singing Tebow and now things have gotten a bit out of control with the Hernandez case, as he may be arrested for obstruction of justice in the investigation of the murder of associate Odin Lloyd.
On top of that, tight end Rob Gronkowski has dealt with multiple surgeries and could miss time in camp or at the beginning of the season, which is even more pronounced now that Hernandez has been involved in that investigation. ESPNBoston.com spoke with linebacker Jerod Mayo about all the attention, including about all the media members staked out outside Hernandez's home. Mayo said that the team is ignoring all the noise and that whether the attention is good or bad, they have to ignore it.
Mayo also declined to say too much about Hernandez and his situation, the case is still ongoing, mentioning that he and his teammates will wait until the case is over to discuss it. Mayo was at the 7 News/Boston Medical Center Health and Fitness Expo when the website caught up with him and he spoke later about keeping in shape during the offseason.
The Patriots will still be considered the top team in the AFC East no matter what happens to Hernandez, but all the attention on the tight ends and Tebow is much more than the team is used to happening during the offseason. Training camp will be a hot topic as well with Tebow in the fold and depending on whether Hernandez is fined or suspended could have a big weight on what the Patriots will do next year on offense.
