Aaron Dobson had a two- to three-month time period laid out for recovery. He was supposed to be ready for mini camp and recover fully from his foot surgery in March. But he won’t be ready. Dobson is doubtful for mini camp, according to MassLive.com’s Nick Underhill.
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Dobson is no longer wearing a walking boot and is said to be “doing better.” But not good enough to play.
Dobson injured his foot during Week 12 against the Broncos. After missing three games, he returned only to aggravate it during the season finale against the Bills. He returned for the AFC title game against the Broncos but was limited to 21 snaps.
Dobson caught 37 passes for 519 yards with four touchdowns in the 12 games he played. But Dobson struggled to get on the same page as Tom Brady in the complicated New England offense.
He will need all the repetitions he can get to make the necessary jump into a starting role during his second year.
The other two second-year receivers have already begun clicking with Tom Brady. Dobson could figure to play a huge part in this year’s offense, but the longer he is out, the quicker his standing slips in a very deep and competitive pool of Patriots wide receivers.
His status with the team is safe, as the Patriots selected him in the 2013 draft in the second round and they hope that he can still be a very productive member of the offense.
Dobson joins the long list of players on this Patriots roster that are attempting to bounce back from injury.