Aaron Dobson's foot still hasn't healed, surgery a possibility

Aaron Dobson flashed his potential during his rookie season, but a stress fracture in his left foot hampered the Marshall product throughout the second half of the season. The Patriots certainly missed his outside presence, particularly when Rob Gronkowski's torn ACL robbed them of their last downfield threat.

That's why it's troubling to hear that the receiver's foot still hasn't fully healed. The Patriots were hopeful that the injury would heal naturally with rest this offseason, but that apparently hasn't been the case so far. If he doesn't show significant progress in the next 10-14 days, surgery will become a likely option.

While Dobson will still have plenty of time to recover in time for training camp, foot surgery could keep him out of offseason OTAs. This is somewhat concerning, as the Patriots would like Dobson to get as many reps as possible to develop chemistry with Tom Brady.

Hopefully, the receiver will be able to make up for missed time over the summer. He told the Herald's Jeff Howe that he plans to join Brady for regular workouts in California this offseason, following in the footsteps of Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and others. If Brady and Dobson can establish a reliable chemistry, the big receiver could be a candidate for a breakthrough season.