The Patriots have a few injury updates as they head towards the Super Bowl.
Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski was seen without his protective boot and stated that it would be off for good. Gronkowski suffered ligament damage on his ankle after a tackle by the Ravens' Bernard Pollard, of Brady's ACL fame. Gronkowski is one of the Patriots star tight ends and is quarterback Tom Brady's go-to receiver in the red zone. If Gronkowski is healthier and able to start practicing, the Patriots offense looks to be in much better shape.
Offensive Line coach Dante Scarneccia made a comment about Tacke Sebastian Vollmer seeing time on the field during the Super Bowl. Scar stated that Vollmer will play. "He'll play in this game at some point, whether we have [Offensive Tackle Nate Solder] outside or him at tackle," Scarneccia told WEEI. Vollmer will add higher level depth to the offensive line, which should be extremely helpful when facing the Giants formidable pass rush.
Finally, it seems as if a bug is floating around as Offensive Tackle Matt Light was held out of practice due to illness. I wouldn't expect the Patriots starters to miss the Super Bowl due to an illness, but it's something to watch for late in the game. Patriots fans can remember Donovan McNabb's heaving in the huddle during the 2004 Super Bowl and how much that impacted the Eagles final drive. Hopefully the team can get healthier in time for the big game.