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We've previously examined players that could be candidates for extensions prior to the expiration of their current contract, and three names that came to mind who will be free agents after the 2013 season are center Ryan Wendell, defensive end Rob Ninkovich and linebacker Brandon Spikes.

As it relates to depth at their respective positions, the case could be made that Wendell is the top priority, as the Patriots have drafted both Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins at linebacker and Chandler Jones, Jake Bequette and Michael Buchanan at defensive end since 2012. Couple those picks with other players on the roster at the position, and the Patriots have possible in-house solutions to replace Ninkovich and/or Spikes if either departs in free agency (this, however, isn't to suggest that the team doesn't have interest in re-signing those players).

The Patriots have three players with NFL experience who can play center, but Nick McDonald will also be a free agent after 2013 and Dan Connolly has settled into a role at right guard. With that in mind, Wendell could become even more of a priority.

Wendell's 2012 season was extremely impressive, as he led all NFL players in snaps and was incredibly reliable in his first full season on the job. If he does make it to free agency, he'll likely be looking for a pay raise from his current deal (he'll make $815,000 in 2013).

For some perspective on the center market, here are the top 10 highest-paid players at the position based on average salary:

1. Ryan Kalil, Panthers: $8.186 million
2. Nick Mangold, Jets: $7.153 million
3. Chris Myers, Texans: $6.25 million
4. Scott Wells, Rams: $6 million
5. David Baas, Giants: $5.5 million
6. Max Unger, Seahawks: $5.1 million
7. Dominic Raiola, Lions: $5 million
8. Nick Hardwick, Chargers: $4.5 million
9. John Sullivan, Vikings: $4.267 million
10. Jeremy Zuttah, Buccaneers: $4.075 million

If Wendell comes through with another quality campaign in 2013 and makes it to free agency, he could earn a deal that puts him in the top 10 highest-paid center range (he played like a top 10 center in 2012). If the Patriots are entertaining the thought of an extension for Wendell already and believe him to be among the upper tier centers in the NFL, the deals listed above give them some perspective of how the position is valued league wide.

New England Patriots tight Aaron Hernandez was questioned Monday by police investigating a homicide in Massachusetts, according to SI.com.

Hernandez isn't believed to be a murder suspect but a vehicle registered in his name emerged as a key piece of evidence. A body was found less than a mile from Hernandez's house in North Attleboro. Si.com reports that a source acknowledged a connection between Hernandez and the case.

SI also reported authorities were interested in searching Hernandez's home and that Hernandez has consulted with a lawyer.

The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro, Mass., reported on Tuesday that police identified a rented 2013 Chevrolet Suburban with Rhode Island license plates in connection with the possible homicide, in the town 40 miles south of Boston. The paper reported the vehicle is registered to Enterprise and investigators were hoping to analyze it for fingerprints.

CLICK HERE to read the full story.

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski underwent back surgery with noted specialist Robert Watkins in California on Tuesday, and ESPN's NFL Insider Adam Schefter reports that the procedure is believed to have gone "well."

The exact recovery time for Gronkowski's back is unknown, but it has been estimated to be in the range of 12 weeks. The Patriots have not yet announced the opening date of training camp, but it is not expected that Gronkowski will be available when it starts sometime in late July.

Gronkowski's surgery comes on the heels of a fourth surgery on his left forearm, which was initially broken in November. Fellow tight end Aaron Hernandez is also coming off of surgery this offseason, and the Patriots currently have an NFL-high seven tight ends on the roster.

With Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski undergoing back surgery today, Jason Vida of ESPN's Stats & Information department has put together three reasons the club should be concerned if Gronkowski isn't on the field.

1. Brady to Gronk. "The Brady-Gronkowski connection doesn’t just produce touchdowns. Since his rookie season in 2010, Gronkowski has caught 72.2 percent of his passes from Brady, tying the duo with Jason Witten and Tony Romo for the best completion percentage of any QB-TE or QB-WR combo over the last three seasons."

2. Red zone presence. "Gronkowski does most of his damage in the red zone, where he leads the league with 29 touchdowns since 2010. The only players with more red-zone targets than Gronkowski since his rookie year are All-Pro wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Roddy White."

3. Physical play. "At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, Gronkowski is an important part of the Patriots ground game. Last season, New England averaged 4.4 yards per rush with Gronkowski on the field compared to 3.9 yards per carry with him on the sideline. ... In his three NFL seasons, Gronkowski has averaged 2.54 yards after contact per reception. The next-best figure by a wide receiver or tight end is Jermaine Gresham’s 2.30."

To read Vida's stats-based piece, which includes more detail on Gronkowski's impact, CLICK HERE.

This year's Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Tedy Bruschi and Gil Santos will take place on Monday July 29 at Gillette Stadium, the team announced today. The ceremony, which will be held on the NRG Plaza outside of the Hall, will begin at 5 p.m.

The original date for the ceremony was Aug. 11.

Bruschi and Santos will also be honored at the Patriots’ regular season home opener when the team hosts the New York Jets on Thursday, Sept. 12. But with this season’s home opener falling on a Thursday night, a Hall of Fame weekend was not possible. As a result, the induction ceremonies were moved to the night of the annual season ticket holder event on July 29.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are free and open to the public.

Every Tuesday on ESPNBoston.com, questions from Patriots followers are answered as part of a weekly mailbag. This week's mailbag has been posted and includes some of the following topics:

1. Rob Gronkowski's back surgery and how the team might manage his recovery. When might be return?

2. The receiver position and concerns with the team's personnel.

3. Closer look at Jermaine Cunningham and the competition for backup/specialist roles at defensive end.

4. Brandon Spikes, his contributions to the defense, and potential long-term implications of his absence from voluntary OTAs.

5. Non-quarterback thoughts on Tim Tebow.

The Patriots' roster currently stands at 88 players, two shy of the maximum allowable limit of 90 during this portion of the offseason. By the time training camp concludes, the team will begin the process of shaving its roster down to 53 players, which must be done by Aug. 31 this year.

Starting Sept. 1, teams can construct their practice squad, which consists of up to eight players. Not every player is eligible to be on the practice squad, however, as there are specifications, highlighted below:

1. A player who has not accrued a season of NFL experience is eligible for the practice squad. (e.g. a rookie).

2. A free agent who was active (46-man game-day roster) for fewer than nine games during their accrued season(s) is eligible for the practice squad (e.g. Jake Bequette).

3. A player cannot be on a practice squad for a third season unless his team has a full 53-man roster.

Here is the list of all practice squad eligible Patriots on the team's current roster, with his accrued season total in parentheses:

Wide receiver Kamar Aiken (1)
Punter Ryan Allen (0)
Defensive lineman Armond Armstead (0)
Fullback Ben Bartholomew (0)
Linebacker Steve Beauharnais (0)
Defensive end Jake Bequette (1)
Wide receiver Josh Boyce (0)
Defensive end Michael Buchanan (0)
Linebacker Jamie Collins (0)
Safety Kanorris Davis (0)
Wide receiver Aaron Dobson (0)
Cornerback Ras-I Dowling (2)
Offensive tackle Elvis Fisher (0)
Tight end Brandon Ford (0)
Defensive lineman Marcus Forston (0)
Defensive lineman Cory Grissom (0)
Defensive back Duron Harmon (0)
Wide receiver Mark Harrison (0)
Offensive tackle Kevin Haslam (3)
Defensive back Brandon Jones (0)
Offensive lineman Josh Kline (0)
Offensive lineman R.J. Mattes (0)
Offensive lineman Chris McDonald (0)
Defensive back Stephon Morris (0)
Defensive back Logan Ryan (0)
Center Matt Stankiewitch (0)
Tight end Zach Sudfeld (0)
Linebacker Jeff Tarpinian (1)
Wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins (0)
Defensive end Jason Vega (0)
Defensive lineman Joe Vellano (0)
Running back George Winn (0)
Long snapper Mike Zupancic (0)
Offensive lineman Markus Zusevics (1)

Patriots running back Shane Vereen was a guest on SiriusXM NFL Radio’s “Movin’ the Chains” program on Monday afternoon. The interview began with Vereen talking about wearing a custom-made Boston Bruins jersey, as he is attending Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals at the Garden tonight.

Soon enough, the discussion turned to the Patriots, with Vereen noting that members of the offense still have a sour taste with how last season ended.

“I think as an offense we felt like we slipped up, especially at the end of the season, the way the season ended. Going into OTAs, that was our focus,” Vereen said, referring to the AFC Championship Game when the Patriots were held scoreless in the second half. “There is still a lot we need to work on, there are a lot of new faces, it’s still a younger offense, and so we have a lot of jelling to do. But I think we’re on the right track.”

A few other soundbites from Vereen:

On the potential for more opportunities for him with Danny Woodhead’s departure. “Being able to play and contribute to the team is what I look forward to doing, being able to help the team win. You can’t replace Danny Woodhead, though. What I learned from him [can’t be measured]. I’ll be able to take that and it will help me become a better player. I wish him the best of luck in San Diego; I know he’s doing well. You can’t replace him, what he brought to the team, and what he brought to the running back room; his leadership was more than we could ask for.”

On Ryan Mallett. “Ryan’s doing well. He’s grasping the offense very well. He’s got arm strength like I’ve never seen. Ever. He uses that really well. He’s got tremendous leadership ability. He just needs his opportunity, I think.”

On Tim Tebow. “His talent speaks for itself. I’ve only had two practices with him, so I [don’t really] know him. But I’ve only heard good things about him as a player and a person off the field. I’m excited to see what he does.”

The New England Patriots signed free-agent running back George Winn on Monday.

Winn, 22, went undrafted in April. He played in 13 games last season for the University of Cincinnati, rushing 243 times for 1,334 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The Michigan native fills one of three open spots on the 90-man roster.

ESPNBoston Patriots reporter Mike Reiss was a guest on the "Pro Football Sunday" show on 101ESPN in St. Louis, speaking with co-hosts Tony Softli and Micheal Young. Audio of the interview can be heard here and included some of the following topics:

1. Tim Tebow and his fit with the Patriots.

2. Safety Adrian Wilson and the possibility of a Rodney Harrison-type impact.

3. Receiver Danny Amendola, the former Ram, and how he's made a strong first impression.

4. Looking at the AFC East and which team is closest to New England.

5. Tight end Rob Gronkowski's health.

The Patriots have three open spots on their 90-man roster. With the organized team activity/minicamp portion of the offseason program complete, it's a good time to re-set the roster with a quick-hit thought at each position.

Quarterback (3)
Tom Brady
Ryan Mallett
Tim Tebow

Quick hit: The compelling question is now whether the Patriots will keep three quarterbacks after sticking with just two last season. Brady and Mallett are locks.

Running back (5)
Stevan Ridley
Shane Vereen
Brandon Bolden
LeGarrette Blount
Leon Washington

Quick hit: Bolden, after making the club in 2012 as a rookie free agent, missed all spring practices and his status bears watching as training camp approaches

Wide receiver (11)
Danny Amendola
Michael Jenkins
Julian Edelman
Kenbrell Thompkins
Kamar Aiken
Aaron Dobson
Josh Boyce
Donald Jones
Lavelle Hawkins
Matthew Slater
Mark Harrison

Quick hit: With 11 receivers, the team is thin compared to the league average at the position. This could be an area for another signing. No clear-cut answers outside of Amendola based on what reporters saw at OTAs/minicamp.

Tight end (7)
Rob Gronkowski
Aaron Hernandez
Michael Hoomanawanui
Daniel Fells
Jake Ballard
Zach Sudfeld
Brandon Ford

Quick hit: Even with top players Gronkowski and Hernandez not practicing in the spring, the Patriots are still deep. They are carrying as many tight ends as any team in the NFL.

Fullback (2)
James Develin
Ben Bartholomew

Quick hit: A pure fullback wasn’t carried on the roster for most of 2012.

Offensive tackle (8)
Nate Solder
Sebastian Vollmer
Marcus Cannon
Will Svitek
Markus Zusevics
Elvis Fisher
Kevin Haslam
R.J. Mattes

Quick hit: Solder (left) and Vollmer (right) are locked in as the starters, and it will be interesting to see if Svitek – signed to a one-year free-agent deal this offseason -- sticks as the swing guard.

Center/guard (7)
Logan Mankins
Dan Connolly
Ryan Wendell
Nick McDonald
Josh Kline
Matt Stankiewitch
Chris McDonald

Quick hit: Tackle Marcus Cannon projects as a top backup at right guard. The team could look to bolster this area with one of its open roster spots.

Defensive tackle (6)
Vince Wilfork
Tommy Kelly
Armond Armstead
Marcus Forston
Cory Grissom
Joe Vellano

Quick hit: Potentially too thin at this spot, it would make sense to think that the Patriots are eyeing this position with one of their three open roster spots.

Defensive end (7)
Rob Ninkovich
Chandler Jones
Justin Francis
Jermaine Cunningham
Jake Bequette
Michael Buchanan
Jason Vega

Quick hit: The intrigue at this spot is in the competition for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart, with a handful of younger players with upside.

Linebacker (11)
Jerod Mayo
Dont’a Hightower
Brandon Spikes
Jamie Collins
Dane Fletcher
Steve Beauharnais
Niko Koutouvides
Mike Rivera
Jeff Tarpinian
Marcus Benard
A.J. Edds

Quick hit: Hightower appeared to have a strong spring, positioning himself to increase his playing time by being more of a factor in sub packages. He played 51.6 percent of the defensive snaps as a rookie in 2012.

Cornerback (8)
Aqib Talib
Alfonzo Dennard
Kyle Arrington
Ras-I Dowling
Logan Ryan
Marquice Cole
Brandon Jones
Stephon Morris

Quick hit: Dowling’s standing on the depth chart looks better than initially thought, as he had a strong spring minicamp performance.

Safety (7)
Devin McCourty
Adrian Wilson
Steve Gregory
Tavon Wilson
Nate Ebner
Duron Harmon
Kanorris Davis

Quick hit: Cornerback Marquice Cole has been getting some work at safety with McCourty, Ebner, Harmon and Davis all not cleared to fully participate in practice.

Punter (2)
Zoltan Mesko
Ryan Allen

Quick hit: Two left-footed punters set for a training camp competition that figures to be judged over time, in terms of which player is more consistent.

Kicker (1)
Stephen Gostkowski

Quick hit: David Ruffer was waived last week, leaving Gostkowski (signed through 2014) as the team’s lone kicker.

Long snapper (2)
Danny Aiken
Mike Zupancic

Quick hit: Aiken has held the job for the last two seasons after the Patriots claimed him on waivers from the Bills.

On Saturday, Robert Kraft's remarks from the Carnegie Hall’s Medal of Excellence gala at the Waldorf-Astoria were relayed, as they were reported by the New York Post's "Page 6" section.

Specifically, Kraft's story about how his Super Bowl ring ended up in the possession of Russian president Vladimir Putin generated interest. As did Kraft telling the crowd, according to the Post, that he really wanted it back.

All of which has led to the following statement from a Kraft spokesman today:

"It's a humorous, anecdotal story that Robert re-tells for laughs. He loves that his ring is at the Kremlin and, as he stated back in 2005, he continues to have great respect for Russia and the leadership of President Putin. In particular, he credits President Putin for modernizing the Russian economy. An added benefit from the attention this story gathered eight years ago was the creation of some Patriots fan clubs in Russia."

Quick-hit thoughts around the NFL and with the Patriots:

1. There isn't much business for the Patriots to address between now and the start of training camp in late July (date TBA), but one loose end is finalizing a contract for second-round draft choice Aaron Dobson, the wide receiver out of Marshall. On the surface, it shouldn't be that hard. Only about 40 picks league-wide remain unsigned -- all of the Patriots' other picks are inked -- and the two players sandwiched around Dobson in the draft (Broncos running back Montee Ball at No. 58 and Falcons cornerback Robert Alford at No. 60) just signed their deals late last week. That could accelerate a resolution between the Patriots and Dobson.

2a. As much as I would have liked to hear Tom Brady share his unfiltered opinion of the Patriots' signing of Tim Tebow, I understood why he chose his words carefully when questioned by reporters Wednesday. It's why he's the top-notch leader he is. Check out the transcript of his remarks and how he masterfully turned any discussion about Tebow either back to himself or to a team-wide focus. For what it's worth, I don't think Brady blinked when it came to the signing of Tebow. I think his greater concern at this point is getting to a comfort level he feels good about with the Patriots' receiving corps. Based on its high level of success in recent years, the passing game was tough to watch at times over the last four weeks of practice. The silver lining: It's only June. Long way to go.

2b. Given the lack of history Brady has with most of the team's receivers, I think Julian Edelman could be a more important piece of the passing-game puzzle than I previously thought this year. Brady trusts him, not to mention respects his work ethic greatly.

3. From an off-the-field perspective, I can see why veteran receiver Michael Jenkins appealed to the Patriots this offseason. He seems to get it. I enjoyed speaking with him after Wednesday's minicamp practice as he reflected on offenses in which he played with the Falcons (2004-2010) and Vikings (2011-2012), and how the Patriots' attack is structured differently. My biggest takeaway from the chat with Jenkins is that the Patriots have a lot more things happening at the line of scrimmage, and things can change quickly based on the defensive look, thus it's imperative for quarterback and receiver to be seeing the same picture. I walked away from the discussion and wrote these two thoughts down: "A good reminder of why the Patriots place such a high value on football smarts, especially at receiver. ... Imperative that rookie receivers Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce are ready to go for the start of training camp if they are going to be significant contributors in 2013 because that type of connection doesn't just happen overnight."

4. The absence of Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes from voluntary offseason workouts might prove to be a forgotten storyline in 2013, especially if Spikes brings his trademark physical style of play and improves his work in pass coverage. But when it comes to considering a contract extension for Spikes for 2014 and beyond, I don't think Bill Belichick will forget that he was the only player not to show up, before Spikes explained his absence this way: "I do things a little different from everybody else. Honestly, if everybody in this world was a [conformist], it would be one boring place." Safe to say that's not the message Belichick wants his younger players -- especially 2013 top pick Jamie Collins (working at linebacker) -- to hear. It's hard for me to imagine Belichick rewarding that mindset and approach with a contract extension, in part because of the message it would send to others.

5. Giants receiver Victor Cruz signed his $2.87 million restricted free-agent tender last week, not wanting to take the risk of the club potentially slashing his pay to $630,000 on Monday. The Giants reportedly planned to cut Cruz's pay, proving that even an organization viewed as one of the classiest in the NFL can go the cutthroat route. From a bottom-line perspective, I don't blame Cruz for signing the tender. At the same time, when I saw he did, it reminded me of why Patriots offensive lineman Logan Mankins might be the most principled Patriot in recent memory. In 2010, the Patriots threatened to slash Mankins' restricted free agent tender from $3.26 million to $1.54 million in hopes of sparking him to sign. But Mankins didn't blink because he felt he wasn't being valued appropriately, and also shouldn't have been in that position entering his sixth season (he would have been an unrestricted free agent if not for the uncapped season). So the team followed through and cut his tender and Mankins stayed away for seven weeks before reporting so he could be eligible for an accrued season. In doing so, Mankins walked away from $1.72 million at a time when he was still in search of his first big NFL contract. How many players would do that?

6a. I thought it was interesting that within a 24-hour span, the contrast in how the Patriots and Jets approach things was highlighted in these two stories: Wes Welker says he can now be more like himself, and Dustin Keller said there was always some type of "nonsense" surrounding the Jets that created distractions. My translation: The Patriots go out of their way to manage distractions, controlling the message as much as possible as media coverage seems to grow each year, while the Jets, as coach Rex Ryan has said, encourage players to speak their mind for better or worse. The teams couldn't be at further opposite ends of the media relations spectrum.

6b. One follow-up on Welker: I don't think he's off the mark in saying what he did, as the Broncos are encouraging him that it's OK to loosen up a bit compared to his time in New England. It's a different market and the team is run differently. At the same time, I think that had very little to do, if anything, with Welker's departure from New England. Let's not forget that on the day he agreed to terms with the Broncos, he still went back to the Patriots to give them the opportunity to match the offer. It wasn't as if Welker was saying, "Terrific! Now I can be more like myself. I'm out of here."

7. It was my initial feeling that Belichick liked the idea of signing Tebow as much for his presence as his football skills, similar to Doug Flutie in 2005. After listening to veteran running back Leon Washington on 1010 XL in Jacksonville on Friday, my belief grew a bit stronger along those lines. "If you talk about one thing, he's definitely going to add his leadership; his leadership and the way he carries himself as man ... it's definitely going to rub off on the rest of the guys, and the way he comes in and works," Washington said on the program. "That's one thing I'm excited for the young guys to kind of see and to get that perspective of player that comes in and takes his job seriously every day, and definitely works hard."

8. Did you know: The Patriots' joint practices with the Eagles Aug. 6-7 will mark the first time that the Eagles have held joint practices since 1998, according to the team's website.

9. When it comes to joint practices, similar to last year when the Patriots liked what they saw from cornerback Aqib Talib in Tampa and later acquired him, could there be a potential target in a trade this year? Specifically, I looked at the receiver depth charts of both teams because that's the area I could see the Patriots looking for a boost. At an initial glance, the Eagles look deeper than the Buccaneers at the position. There are receivers with Patriots ties on both rosters -- Greg Salas with the Eagles, Tiquan Underwood with the Buccaneers.

10. I was thinking it was generous of the Patriots to have signed offensive lineman Tyronne Green on May 13, giving him a $10,000 signing bonus, before releasing him on May 31. But if that was generous, then what the Bills did for quarterback Tarvaris Jackson was really generous. The Bills signed Jackson on Feb. 15, giving him a $500,000 signing bonus, before releasing him last week. Teams are going to make mistakes, but if I was writing the checks in Buffalo, I'd want to know why $500,000 was blown so quickly with nothing to show for it. For perspective, Patriots backup quarterback Ryan Mallett is scheduled to earn a base salary of $642,984 this year.

EXTRA POINT: Thanks, Kimberly Jones of NFL Network, for sharing this poignant Father's Day-themed story on Panthers tight end Greg Olsen. Also, it's nice to see that an owner like Jerry Richardson, even in a bottom-line business in which owners and players don't always see eye to eye, showed such compassion for one of his players in a time of need. And finally, no surprise that Boston's Children's Hospital was a big part of it. When it comes to this stuff, they're the football equivalent of an All-Pro team.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft was honored at Carnegie Hall’s Medal of Excellence gala at the Waldorf-Astoria on Thursday, and his remarks to the crowd were picked up by the New York Post's "Page 6" section.

In particular, Kraft's recollection of a 2005 meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin were of interest to the Post, as Putin came away from the meeting with Kraft's Super Bowl ring.

“I took out the ring and showed it to [Putin], and he put it on and he goes, ‘I can kill someone with this ring,’” Kraft told the crowd, according to the Post. “I put my hand out and he put it in his pocket, and three KGB guys got around him and walked out.”

Kraft released a statement at the time saying that he gave the ring to Putin as a gift.

But on Thursday night, he told the crowd that he "really wanted the 4.94-carat bauble back, admitting he’d gotten a call from the George W. Bush-run White House, saying, 'It would really be in the best interest of US-Soviet relations if you meant to give the ring as a present.'"

This wasn't the first time the story surfaced, as Kraft's late wife, Myra, said in 2007 that the ring wasn't intended to be a gift.

To read the Post's "Page 6" story on Kraft, CLICK HERE.