A longshot to make the team, Ford sustained an unspecified injury last week and did not play in Friday night's 31-22 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles - and given the performance of his fellow tight ends in that game, the Clemson product probably saw the writing on the wall...
...but it has some speculating that the move, while seemingly innocent due process, actually has a more cryptic impetus than simply dumping excess baggage.
The Patriots wasted no time in showing the football world that they have no intention on giving up on their Rob Gronkowski / Aaron Hernandez-inspired two tight end offense, as rookie free agent Zach Sudfeld and incumbent veterans Michael Hoomanawanui and Daniel Fells all were impressive as New England's offense pretty much had their way with the Eagles' defense - but with just those three left on the tight end depth chart, could there be a corresponding move on the horizon?
At this point it doesn't do the Patriots much good to bring in a camp body, what with camp just days from completion and the solid - albeit early - contributions from the corps, so either coach Bill Belichick is willing to run with three tight ends for the rest of the preseason and give them major reps, or Gronkowski's rehab and conditioning have exceeded all expectations and could be cleared to resume football activities.
Which is madness, prima facie absurd and a fraud on its face. Right?
Is there any way that a man just eight weeks removed from a surgeon's scalpel being plunged into his spine could have recovered and been cleared by the surgeon and Patriots' medical staff already?
Actually, it's not too far out of the realm of possibility.
Gronkowski had been suffering from Lumbar disc herniation, for which he underwent surgery on June 18th - a condition that causes shooting pain into the nether regions, down the legs and into the foot - or numbness that can cause weakness and loss of coordination - and either can be quite disabling.
Despite it's incapacitating effects, most neurosurgeons require at least six months of more conservative therapies - including medication, physical therapy and injections - have been unsuccessful in maintaining a person's normal level of activity before indicating surgery...
...which ties in with reports from last season that the Patriots' training staff had their hands full just keeping the All Pro tight end on his feet - something that apparently neither the team nor Gronkowski was willing to deal with again this season, so as soon as an infection in his arm from a previous surgery had cleared, he underwent what is termed a microscopic lumbar discectomy.
Frequently referred to as a microdiscectomy, Dr. Robert Watkins made two small incisions at the point of the herniation, then, using a microscopic camera and specialized tools removes the portion of the disc that is bulging to decompress nerve roots, and hopefully, relieving his symptoms.
Dr. Watkins predicted a full recovery and a return to normal activities for Gronkowski, which, according to information obtained from Watkin's Spine website, could be anywhere between four to six weeks, so if Gronkowski has responded to rehabilitation as well as one could imagine, it is conceivable that he has been cleared to resume conditioning...
...and from there it's just a matter of the big fella getting some practice reps and intensive strength and conditioning - something that didn't seem plausible in the middle of June.
If Gronkowski is ready and able to contribute from game one of the regular season, he would return to anchor an offense that is potentially the most dangerous and explosive unit in the NFL - a far cry from the lamenting of a few months ago, when rumors of the Patriots' demise began to be greatly exaggerated.
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